The Sportaholic Show 8-22-12

Check out the all new Sportaholic Radio Show this Wednesday as we talk Titans football as the keys to the Titans engine have been given to Jake Locker but is he ready? We go in depth with that and more on the Titans next preseason game versus the Arizona Cardinals with Jimmy Morris of the MusicCityMiracles and our Titans correspondent.

We of course would be amiss if we didn’t talk about the rest of week 2 of the NFL Preseason as Michael Vick gets injured, the New York have yet to score, the QB shuffle that has saw a changing of the guard in the league( Ryan Tannehill, Brandon Weeden, Jake Locker, Russell Wilson?) and the best and worst of the preseason so far.

Special co-host Jr. the Bossman joins the Sportaholic Los Paige as they give there expert analysis on the biggest sports stories of the week such as the new Lebron X shoe costing a whopping $315. You don’t want to miss what they have to say about that sticker price. How about Augusta national allowing its first female members? We can’t forget the always entertaining but never ending idiotic comments of Skip Bayless.

All this and the usual back and forth banter you have come to expect on The Sportaholic Radio Show on 107.1 WRFN Radio Free Nashville and stream live at www.radiofreenashville.com. IF you miss the show make sure to check the podcast on www.sportaholicradio.com and www.sportaholic.podbean.com

Tennessee Titans roster all but set for 2012 season

Zach Brown

Kendall Wright

Now that free agency (including an extended run at Peyton Manning) and the 2012 NFL draft has come and gone, it’s time to for the Titans to get an up close and personal with their new personnel. Rookie min-camp is set to start on May 11^th with OTA coming on May 30^th.  The Titans needed to address both sides of the ball this off-season and have added pieces to both. The Titans went with sizzle in the first round of the draft selecting the Baylor Bears and former RG3’s top target in wide out Kendall Wright. Many pundits disliked the pick as it was thought the Titans would go after a defensive player. However, Wright has the chance to be big time play maker that can stretch the field and gives Jake Locker yet another target for future years. Yes he doesn’t have blazing speed but he makes up for that as a shifty and quick player, which is what you want in your slot receiver. Tennessee then turned its attention to the defense as they used their next three picks on that side of the ball. Second round draft pick Zach Brown of North Carolina will give DC Jerry Gray’s defense an element of speed as Brown registered the fastest forty time of all LBs in this year’s draft. He has been questioned about his football instincts and passive demeanor but it appears the Titans can live with that. With that being said both picks should come in and immediately come in and compete for playing time as they both fit a need for this team. Third round pick Mike Martin from Michigan should also get a chance for early playing time with his high motor and relentlessness on the pass rush.

Steve Hutchinson

Kamerion Wimbley

In free agency, the Titans made two splashes and then went about signing their own. The splashes include former All-Pro guard Steve Hutchinson from Minnesota. Not a surprising move as Head Coach Mike Munchak has said this off-season that h wanted to make some upgrades to the offensive line. It remains to be seen if Hutchinson can regain his form as he is coming off a concussion that caused him to miss the final two games of the 2011 season. Tennessee’s other key signing was pass rushing specialist Kamerion Wimbley formerly of the Oakland Raiders. The Titans plan to plug him in at defensive end instead outside LB as he has played his entire career in the NFL. The Hutchinson signing should give the Titans an considerable upgrade over guard Jake Scott the Titans let walk via free agency. He should open up a few lanes for Chris Johnson and hopefully get him back on track after a subpar 2011 season. In Wimbley they get a feared pass rusher who had 11 sacks as a rookie and should provide a much needed dose of explosion on the end of the defensive line. In signing their own, The Titans franchised safety Michael Griffin who so far has had a mixed career with Tennessee. His numbers last season were down across the board as he went from 108 tackles in 2010 to 78 in 2011 and from 4 ints to 2 in the same span. Tennessee also brought back safety Jordan Babineaux who proved to be a worthy replacement for Chris Hope. Tennessee lastly resigned special teams captain Tim Shaw, WR Lavelle Hawkins, Tackle Michael Otto,  DE Dave Ball, and TE Craig Stevens.

The Titans have to make up for the loss of CB Cortland Finnegan who was one of the key members the defense over the past few years. Finnegan joined former coach Jeff Fisher in St. Louis and leaves a void in the Titans secondary. They are counting on Jason McCourty and Alterraun Verner to pick up the slack for his loss. The Titans also drafted another speedster in CB Coty Sensabaugh of Clemson who ran a sub 4.4 at the rookie combine.

In summary, there will be a lot of new faces when the Titans open up mini-camp on May 30^th. They have added pieces in the draft and free agency that should push a 9-7 team that was one game out of the playoffs to be even better. The additions of Steve Hutchinson, Kamerion Wimbley, along with rookies Kendall Wright and Zach Brown give them four new potential starters.  They could still possibly add more players in the waning days of free agency and also undrafted rookies they bring into camp. They have bolstered the speed department on the defense and have a couple of new toys on offense. The team is all but set but it remains to be seen how much this 2012 edition of the Tennessee Titans roster will look on his its first game of the season against the New England Patriots on Sept 9^th. 

Titans still in good shape without Peyton Manning signing

The dust has finally settled from the two weeks period coined as Peyton watch and after a serious flirtation with the Tennessee Titans the Denver Broncos emerged to have a new sheriff in town. Titan’s owner Bud Adams threw out every conceivable thing he had at Manning to see what stuck and in the end Manning said thanks but no thanks. Tennessee now has to pick up the pieces and go on about completing the roster for a team that was 9-7 last year just a game away from the playoffs.




So now without Manning coming to town, the money that would have been in his bank account has to go somewhere and with the Titans needing several upgrades on both sides of the ball it would be conducive for them to venture into the free agent market to shore up some of their holes. The Titans have already signed two players in OG Steve Hutchinson and DE Kamerion Wimbley. Both will serve a position of need as Hutchinson, a former All-Pro guard will help open up holes for Chris Johnson and should be an upgrade over the departed OG Jake Scott. In Wimbley they get a 28-year old pass rushing specialist who had 16 sacks over his last two years in Oakland. The Titans ranked next to last in sacks last year with 28 so he adds some needed beef and explosiveness to the defensive line.Tennessee also re-signed Jordan Babineaux and franchised Michael Griffin which help the continuity of the defensive backfield.



Those signings will help but they won’t put this team over the top as a Super Bowl contender. Tennessee still needs to add a few more pieces to put this team over the top especially after losing Finnegan and DT Jason Jones. Undoubtedly the Titans will draft well as they did last year but they also can add a few more players in free agency. There are still a few names out there like WR Braylon Edwards or they could make an even bigger splash by pursuing Steelers WR Mike Wallace. The Titans also are reportedly planning to meet with a pair of cornerbacks in Tracy Porter and William Gay so it appears they are trying get that defense some help

Will it be Hasselbeck or Locker?

The offense is more adjudicated then the defense and should be even better then last year now that Matt Hasselbeck and Jake Locker have experience in Chris Palmer offensive scheme. The one question is who starts at QB next year and from early reports it appears it will be an open competition with Hasselbeck being the favorite to win but Locker could surprise and earn it. Chris Johnson looks to rebound off a disappointing season that saw gain only 1,047 yards on the ground after never rushing for lower than over 1,200 yards his first three seasons. Hutchinson will help in that department as well as the Kenny Britt coming back from injury. He will be able to take the top off the defenses and make sure they don't drop eight or more in the box to stop Johnson.

Furthermore, the AFC South division will be up for grabs this year with last years’s winner Houston appearing to take a step back after losing two of its defensive stalwarts in Mario Williams and Demeco Ryans. Matt Schaub is also coming off an injury and he hasn’t shown to be the most durable guy throughout his career so you have to wonder can he stay healthy all season. The Colts shouldn’t be a factor with Peyton trading one horse for another going to Denver. They will be rebuilding with Andrew Luck for the next few seasons so they shouldn’t be a factor in the immediate future. Jacksonville isn’t a team that strikes fear in anyone’s heart these days. New coach Mike Mularkey has to figure out what he has in Blaine Gabbert and to see if he is the QB of the future for that team. Maybe they swing a trade for Tim Tebow but that won’t affect much besides the buzz factor for them.

In Summarizing, the Titans have a great shot at taking back the AFC South division. The prodigal son Manning decided Denver was a better choice but the Titans are still settled at the QB position. Manning would have been great but without him coming to town the Titans can use the money they have on other key free agents to plug the holes they need. They have already made two solid signings in Hutchinson and Wimbley and are actively pursuing a few other names. If things fall into place and the Titans are able to shore up the defense, then I think they will battle the Texans for the division especially with the Texans taking a few steps back this off-season. We missed out on Peyton but everything still is within reach for this team to make a playoff run with a few upgrades and additions.

Sportaholic Tennessee Titans vs. New Orleans Review

Coming into this game everyone knew New Orleans NFL best offense led by Drew Brees would challenge in the Titans in every conceivable way on defense. Tennessee fought hard and came up short losing 22-17 in a game that they could have won. The Titans defense for the most part held the red hot Brees under control allowing only 3 John Kasay field goals in 3 quarters this game was practically a bore through the first half and I’m sure that was just fine with the Titans defense. Brees did complete a lot of passes but they didn’t do much harm at Tennessee was bending but not breaking. The Saints also had too many penalties in the first half that attributed to their stagnant offense. Tennessee’s offense just couldn’t capitalize on the defenses success as they could only muster 3 points in the first half. Titans starting QB Matt Hasselbeck’s injury may have had something to do with the offense struggling as he went down with an injured calf in the 2nd quarter. Hasselbeck was 5/7 for 44 yards before leaving the game.

Rookie Jake Locker came in provided a spark in the second half with his arm and legs. The University of Washington grad showed why the Titans are high on so high on him as he made a number of big plays. First, Locker found an open Nate Washington for a 40-yard TD pass as the injured WR broke a tackle on his way to the end zone. Next, he scrambled around and bowled over Saints Safety Roman Harper for his second score that closed the gap for Tennessee to 22-17. Unfortunately that would be as close as they would get as they wouldn’t get another score as they stalled on their last two drives. Things looked promising on their next to last drive as Locker hooked with Washington for a couple of strikes of 18 and 9 but they couldn’t covert a 4th down on a Locker quarterback sneak.

The Titans got the ball back with 1:34 for their last breath and moved the ball well as Locker delivered yet again to Washington for another 40-yard strike that put the Titans at that Saints 5-yard line. The Titans tried to fit in a quick slant over the middle that Saints CB Tracy Porter knocked down. That left the Titans with one last play. This time Locker couldn’t deliver this time as the rookie couldn’t get rid of the ball on a scramble and was taken down by the Saints as the game expired. It appeared that Locker may have held the ball to long and could have found a way to at least get the ball out to give his receiver a chance to make a play. Locker seemed inclined to second guess himself saying “Once I got outside the pocket there were a lot of guys there,” Locker said. “It ended up that I didn’t throw it anyway but ... I should have.” Titans head coach Mike Munchak was having none of that in the post-game. “I am not going to second guess anything he did,” Titans coach Mike Munchak said. The loss snaps their two-game losing streak and puts the pressure on them to win their last three games just to make the playoffs. The division is out of the question now as Houston’s win over Cincinnati clinched the AFC south. If you read the article closely you will notice not mention of Chris Johnson. He was held to 23 yards on 11 carries as the could never find his way against the Saints D.

It was such interesting game for multiple reasons for Tennessee with so many bizarre things developing during the game itself. To have top cornerback Jason McCourty out for the game, WR Nate Washington hurt but gritting out a good performance, and have Hasselbeck go down and rookie QB Jake Locker fill was just a lot for any football team to go through in one game. Luckily for the Titans they have three winnable contest left on the schedule with Indianapolis, Jacksonville, and a not much to play for Houston squad. They have to hope that the New York Jets stumble as they are 8-5 and control their own destiny after destroying the Kansas City Chiefs 37-10. The Titans are still in it but they can’t afford to lose another game.

The season is on the brink for Tennessee and we will see how they respond in the last stretch of the season.

Sportaholic Tennessee Titans vs. Carolina Panthers game review

The Titans came out and put together a masterful performance against Cam Newton and what came into this game as a top five ranked offense was totally obliterated by a nasty Tennessee defense. The Titans harassed and buried Newton to the tune of five sacks and one interception as Tennessee overpowered Carolina 30-3. The Titans caught an early break early as return man Mac Mariani broke for a 79-yard TD return. Mariani’s burst seemed to set the tone for the rest of the game as the Titans poured it on from there. They would score on their next drive as Matt Hasselbeck found Damian Williams on a short pass that Williams would turn into a 43-yard TD as he shed a couple of tacklers in his way. Williams finished with 107 yards receiving and really stepped up this game and showed that he is a guy Hasselbeck will be able to rely on in the Titans Kenny Brit less offense. The Titans players all should have gave Carolina TE Greg Olson a high five after the game as he made two disastrous plays in the first half.  He would first fumble in the red zone killing a potential scoring drive for the Panthers. Later in the first the former Miami FL standout would drop a 16-yard pass from Newton that would have likely put Carolina in field goal range but instead it kept kicker Olindo Mare out his comfort zone as he would miss a 50-yard attempt.

Maybe the most promising sign to come out this victory was the Titans run game coming to life as Chris Johnson finally had a breakthrough. Johnson had 27 carries for 130 yards and 1 TD. He made some of the explosive cuts and jukes that made him the most exciting player in the league over the last couple of seasons. The Titans offensive line looked sharp as well as their seemed to be bigger running lanes for Johnson to take advantage of. Hasselbeck would finish with 15 of 27 for 219 yards with 1 TD and 1 Int. But it was Johnson who took it to the Panthers in the second half and finished off Carolina. The defense deserves a lot of praise as well. They were aggressive in their approach as they kept a spy on the uber athletic Newton to keep him at bay and took away his big play ability. The Titans secondary did a good job making sure Newton had no targets available even when he scrambled to keep the play alive. Newton being held to 212 yards passing is something of a novelty this year after the way he shredded a few defenses this year. Damian Williams appears to be on the cusp of becoming Matt Hasselbeck’s go to receiver as their chemistry can easily be seen during the game.

The win keeps the Titans in the early playoff hunt at 5-4 and should give them a much needed momentum boost. They needed to come out and make a statement after last week’s disappointing loss to another rookie QB Andy Dalton and the Cincinnati Bengals. The Titans came and dominated a decent opponent even if Carolina’s 2-7 record may not indicate it. It was good to see Chris Johnson finally rediscover his game again. He looked like the guy that the Titans invested $54 million dollars in. Defensive coordinator Jerry Gray stuck to his guns and trusted his guys as he unleashed an unrelenting attack that kept the Panthers offensive off balanced. The Titans travel to Atlanta next to take on an upset bunch in the Falcons. Mike Smith’s 4^th and inches decision in overtime ultimately backfired as the Falcons RB Michael Turner was stopped on the play. The New Orleans Saints would march down the field and John Kasay would cap off the victory with a 26-yard field goal. This makes for an interesting matchup next week in the Georgia Dome.  

Player of the game: Chris Johnson – As I stated above Johnson was up to his old tricks of the past few seasons. His season high of 130 yards comes at a time when the offense really needed him. He did get a few garbage time big gainers in the 4^th, but it shouldn’t diminish what he and the much maligned Titans offensive line were able to accomplish. Hopefully this is just the beginning of things to come as Johnson seems to finally have his legs and the offensive line finally played with a nasty streak that made them such a great running team in the Jeff Fisher era. Is this a revelation for the Titans running attack or is it an upward trend for them? That is something to keep an eye on in the next few upcoming games.

Game changing moment: Marc Mariani’s 79-yard punt return – Special teams plays are always great a great prescription for uncle Mo, as Mariani’s explosion was the quintessential l definition of a game breaker for Tennessee. It was the first time all year that Mariani took one to the house. The Titans saw how good he could be last year but of course with the pushback of the kickoff in effect this year, his production had been limited. This should give him and the special teams a much needed confidence boost. 

Sportaholic Tennessee Titans vs. Carolina Panthers Preview

vs.

The Cam Newton express is up next on the Tennessee Titans docket. After losing to the Bengals and rookie QB Andy Dalton, the Titans get a crack at the #1 picked Newton and his superior athletic skill set. In other words, if the Titans thought Dalton was good, wait until they get a load of Newton. He seems to be one of those once in a generation stars who wins at every level of competition he plays in. He is able to do things most QBs should not be able to at 6”6 250 pounds. He is big enough to run over you and as the

Washington Redskins found out, and quick enough to juke you out of your shoes. The Titans will have their hands full not just with Newton but also his big time play maker at receiver, Steve Smith. Mighty Mouse has been brought back to life as Newton’s number 1 target in the Panthers offense. The Panthers are an exciting team to watch just because of these two guys.

The Titans of course are now sitting at 4-4 and if the playoffs started today they would be on the outside looking in. They have lost three of four and two of the losses have come at home. There last game against the Cincinnati Bengals was basically a sample of what the Titans have done this whole season. They have come out strong in most games, building leads in all but two games they’ve played this year only to give way eventually in the 2nd half. Dalton pickedhe Titans secondary to shreds in the second half as he brought the Bengals down from 10 points and threw 3 TDs passes to three different receivers. The Titans offensive line also had its troubles as they allowed Matt Hasselbeck take multiple sacks. Carlos Dunlap of the Bengals had two sacks and seemed to always be in Hasselbeck’s face.

The Titans also too often allowed the Bengals to convert on third down. They were 8/16 and it seemed they got every third down in the second half. The Titans did a decent job on RB Cedric Benson as he was held to just 78 yards on 20 carries. Speaking of RBs Chris Johnson showed glimpses of his old self as he had a few big gains in the first half. He gashed the Bengals for a 20, 18 and 12 yard runs in the 1st quarter. He also made a nice run after the catch on pass from Hasselbeck. Johnson faded in the 2nd half as the Bengals recognized he was getting loose and Johnson ended up finishing with 64 yards. Love him or hate him, the Titans have to continue to get Johnson involved as much as possible because when he finally does breakthrough he will add another dimension to this struggling offense.

The Panthers will present a totally different set of problems for the Titans. Newton’s scrambling ability has to have DC Jerry Gray’s attention. Newton has already broken former Titans’ Vince Young’s rookie record of rushing TDs with 7. And you also can’t sleep on Newton’s passing ability as he has already had put up two games of plus 400 yards and had another 374 yard passing game against the Chicago Bears.

Now lets breakdown the three key factors that will determine the game and make a final prediction for the Titans-Panthers clash.

1. Can the Titans control Newton’s big plays ability? As I stated above, this guy can drop an 80-yard pass or bust a 45-yard run on you at any moment. He has that big play mentality and seems to always be looking for his next opportunity. There hasn’t been a player drafted with his big play capability in my opinion since Michael Vick as they both have that combination of speed and a cannon arm. Newton has single handely transformed Carolina’s offense that finished last in terms of points and total offense last year, to a offense now that ranks fifth averaging 415.1 yards a game. Now of course when you are young player coupled with the fact that he is looking to make the over the top play, then you are going to make some over the top mistakes. Newton has thrown 11 TD passes and also 9 Ints. So his penchant seems to be big play or bust. The Titans have to take advantage of this as Newton’s feast or famine attitude can lead to big plays for the defense. On the flip side of the thinking if Newton gets into a groove early than he can unleash a barrage of explosive plays that the Titans may not be able to recover from.

2. How will Matt Hasselbeck and the Titans offense attack the Panthers porous defense? The Panthers come into this game giving up 8.35 yards per pass attempt, good for second worst in the league. They also give up 133.3 yards a game on the ground which is sixth most in the league and are tied for the most rushing TDs with 11. So that means that the Titans should have all kind of opportunities to make plays. OC Chris Palmer should have fun this week devising his offensive scheme against such a bad defense. Hasselbeck should have open passing lanes and should also look to get all his targets involved early. CJ has to find a way to get going against this defense as the odds are stacked in his favor. Everyone on the offense basically should have a big game. Tennessee has to come out and show some offensive creativity. There were too many times against the Bengals that it seemed the Titans got predictable. When your going against a team that isn’t very good on defense then you have a chance to do some things you don’t normally get to. I would love to see Johnson get a few opportunites in the wildcat offense with the ball coming directly to him. Maybe that would spark him. I also wouldn’t mind seeing Jake Locker get on the field and possibly run an option read with Johnson, similar to what Johnson and Vince Young did last year. Just a thought but a big unexpected play could spark the offense early and lead to some momentum.

3. How will the Titans respond coming off a lost? The last time the Titans lost they came out and whipped up on a winless Colts team 27-10 at home. This time they have to travel to Carolina and face a hungry team in the Panthers. Can they channel their emotions and pick up the win or will they fold down the strecth as they have seemed to do in all of their losses. The team as a whole has to right the ship because your getting to the point of the season when you either a contender or a pretender and the Titans are squarely on the bubble at 4-4. The leaders of the team have to stand up and tell their teammates the time is now to make their stance and don’t make this repeat of last year’s second half slide.

Prediction: Titans 23 Panthers 20



NOTES

TITANS: Club has won 12 of past 13 games against NFC…QB MATT HASSELBECK has 90+ passer rating in 6 of 8 games in ’11. Hasselbeck (189) needs TD pass to reach 190 career. Hasselbeck has 6 TDs vs. 3 INTs & 88 passer rating on road this season…In 12 career games vs. NFC, RB CHRIS JOHNSON averages 106.3 rush yards per game (1,275). Johnson totaled 110 scrimmage yards last week (64 rushing, 46 receiving). Johnson (4,964) needs 36 rush yards to join EDDIE GEORGE & HOFer EARL CAMPBELL as 3rd player in franchise history to reach 5,000 career…WR LAVELLE HAWKINSrecorded 1st career TD catch last week. WR DAMIAN WILLIAMS has 3 TD catches in past 5 games…TE JARED COOK is averaging 16.7 yards per catch in ’11 (19 rec., 317 yards)…CB JASON MC COURTY leads team with 67 tackles…S MICHAEL GRIFFIN has 2 INTs in past 3 games vs. NFC opponents…DT SHAUN SMITH posted 1st sack of season last week…PANTHERS: Total (415.1 yards per game) & pass (285.5) offenses rank 5th in NFL…Rookie QB CAM NEWTON has completed 40 of 58 (69 pct.) for 546 yards with 4 TDs vs. 0 INTs for 121.8 rating in past 2. Passed for 1,381 yards in Oct., most in NFL history by rookie in any month. Has 4 games with 290+ yards, tied with PEYTON MANNING (1998) for most by rookie in NFL history. Ties for 3rd in NFL with 7 rush TDs. His 7 rush TDs tie VINCE YOUNG (2006) for most in season by rookie QB since 1970…In career, when RB JONATHAN STEWART has 15+ att., team is 14-3 (.824). RB DE ANGELO WILLIAMS has 4,574 rush yards & 983 rec. yards in career. Needs 17 rec. yards to become 1st player in franchise history with 4,000+ rush yards & 1,000+ rec. yards…WR STEVE SMITH leads NFC with 918 receiving yards. Has 5 100-yard games. In past 2, has 14 catches for 243 yards (121.5 per game) & TD. In only home game vs. Ten. (10/19/03), had 10 catches for 151 yards & TD (67 yards). TE GREG OLSEN has TD catch in 4 of past 6…DE CHARLES JOHNSON has 15 sacks in past 15. Rookie DT TERRELL MC CLAIN had 1st career sack in Week 8

Sportaholic Tennessee Titans vs. Indianapolis Colts Preview

The Tennessee Titans and the Indianapolis Colts come into this weekend’s game losing by a combined 87 points to their opponents last week. Both teams took one on the chin as they were just pummeled and were only able to produce 14 points between the two. Tennessee’s 41-7 loss marked their worst lost of the season and to top things off it was at home. The Titans look to rebound against Indianapolis who is still winless and getting desperate just to get a W on the board at this point after one of the worst losses in their franchise history. The Colts season continues to tank without their all everything QB Peyton Manning. I think most people expected them to be bad but lord have mercy not this awful. The joke I can keep hearing in Nashville is “Yeah we lost but at least we didn’t get beat as bad as the Colts did” I guess you have to just roll with it here in Tennessee.

This marks the 2nd straight home game for the Titans and a chance for them to get back on track after losing their last two in unceremonious fashion. The Colts come into the game ranked 27th in the league in passing yards per game and 29th in points scored per game. And that’s just their offense. Those numbers would be unheard of it number 18 was still leading them. If you go just by the numbers the Titans should dominate this game but of course games are not played on paper. Tennessee has enough problems of their own after being exposed by Texans. Houston ran their offense to near perfection on the Titans who put up little to no resistance. Coming into that game its was suppose to be an AFC South showcase between the two prohibitive favorites but Tennessee failed to get the memo. I saw several red flags in that game that puzzles me still to this moment. If your going to talk about Titans ineptitude, then you have to start off with the enigmatic RB Chris Johnson. Sports talk radio in Nashville has been going crazy with reports that Johnson has been seen out partying this week even as the Titans are in turmoil. I could care less about the partying and even more about those reporting it. Johnson has been doing the same things he always did but when you sign a $53.5 multi million dollar deal then everyone feels they should have an opinion on your lifestyle. Johnson does have to start producing on the field because a lot of people are starting to lose faith in the former All-pro back. He doesn’t seem to have that spunk that has carried him to greatness in his NFL career, I will agree to that much.

Another puzzling aspect from the Houston loss was the Titans defense. Arian Foster did everything he wanted and more in gaining 234 yards of total offense and 3 TDs. Foster’s 234 outdid the entire Titans offensive unit who were only able to muster up 148 yards of offense. That’s just pathetic and when you add what Ben Tate did with his 104 yards on 15 carries then you get the picture that I’m painting here. The Titans defense could never get the key stop that they needed and showed poor tackling as both backs continued to burst through the front 7 of the defense. Now with all due respect, the Texans do have one of the best offenses in the league as they are ranked 7th in the overall in total offense even without stud WR Andre Johnson but the Titans usually have a good showing against them. This was one of the first times I can remember saying without a doubt that the Texans were most definitely better than the Titans.

For the Titans to get back on track they have to get back to the things that made them successful and get off to that 3-1 start. Matt Hasselbeck in those 3 wins was able to spread the ball around and the receivers were able to get open to provide him with passing lanes. The defense was playing with a bend but don’t break mentality and were getting considerable more pressure on the QB. Neither of those things are happening right now and as a result they are on this two game losing skid. The Colts should provide sweet relief for the Titans as they had even a worse loss than Tennessee did. Curtis Painter, the man anointed with the misery of taking over for Peyton, was only 9-17 for 67 yards and one touchdown. The Saints passed for 321 yards and ran for another 236. the 62 points they scored was the highest allowed in the Colts team history. Indianapolis’s defense has been a joke ranking near the bottom in most defensive categories. I hate it to say but Chris Johnson and the offense really has a chance to do some damage if they are focused but that remains to be seen.

Now lets take a look at the 3 key factors of the game:

1. Which team comes out and strikes first? Before you could blink your eye in both games featuring the Titans and the Colts last week it was over. The Texans went up 20-0 by halftime on Tennessee and New Orleans was up 21-0 after the first and 34-7 at halftime. One of these teams will put up points early and gain confidence. The Titans have every reason to get off to a hot start as they are at home and after taking all those boos from last week they should be motivated from the first snap of the game. Curtis Painter and the Colts offense have been getting better each week but they no where close to what the Titans should be able to bring to the table. Even with that being said, if the Colts can find a way to accumulate points early and gain some traction then they could make this one a game. Watch out for who draws first blood and see how the momentum goes from there.

2. Which Titans offense will show up? The Titans have every reason to be successful on offense this Sunday. As I mentioned above, the Colts statistically are ranked near the bottom of every major defensive category. Matt Hasselbeck and his receivers should be able to find open lanes and even Chris Johnson should get loose as Indianapolis hasn’t’ stopped anyone on the ground this season. Now if Tennessee gets back into their bad habits of poor blocking, Hasselbeck trying too do to much and buy too much time, and Johnson running east-west instead of north-south then they could become their own worst enemies. Football is a cruel sport and can teach you a cruel lesson if you don’t play up to your potential. If the Titans play the way that they can on offense then they should have no problem disposing of the Colts.

3. Home field disadvantage? This game marks the 100th game in LP field for the Titans. Their record is 62-37 all time here in Nashville. You couldn’t tell that by the way the fans voiced their displeasure at last Sunday’s game. How will the fans in this one if the Titans come out flat like they did against Houston? That remains to be seen but in most games the LP faithful are some of the best fans in the league. If they come and cheer as they usually do, they can make this an even harder game for the lowly Colts. Curtis Painter will be baptized by fire with his first start in Nashville and I’m curious to see how he performs. Also, how will they react if Chris Johnson has another no show game like he did last week.



Final Prediction: This is a game the Titans can’t lose after being manhandled at home by Houston. The Colts are dangerous in a sense because they are desperate for a win in any conceivable way, so they will pull out all the stops. As long as the Titans play their game and don’t get into their bad habits they should win this will with ease. No Peyton Manning equals no wins so far for the Colts and I’m sure the Titans would like to keep it that way.



The Pick: Titans 31 Colts 17



NOTES

COLTS: Seek 6th consecutive win against Titans…Since realignment in ’02, Colts have 42-13 (.764) record vs. AFC South…In 4 career starts, QB CURTIS PAINTER has completed 60 of 108 passes (55.6 pct.) for 813 yards with 5 TDs vs. 2 INTs & 87.5 passer rating…RB JOSEPH ADDAI has 3 rush TDs in past 3 vs. Ten. Rookie RB DELONE CARTER (4th round, No. 119) had career-high 89 rush yards last week. Carter has rush TD in 2 of past 3 games…WR REGGIE WAYNE (817) needs 3 receptions to surpass Pro Football HOFer STEVE LARGENT (819) for 20th-most catches all-time. WR PIERRE GARCON is averaging 102.3 rec. yards per game in past 3 games vs. Titans (307 total). Has 3 TD catches in past 2 against Ten…WR AUSTIN COLLIE has 3 TD catches in 2 career games vs. Ten…DE DWIGHT FREENEY (98.5) needs 1.5 sacks to become 26th player with 100 career since stat became official in ’82. Freeney has 13 sacks in 16 career games vs. Titans. DE JAMAAL ANDERSON registered 1st sack as Colt last week…LB PAT ANGERER leads team with 79 tackles…TITANS: Dating back to 12/19/10, club has won 3 of past 4 at LP Field…QB MATT HASSELBECK has 90+ passer rating in 4 of 6 games this season. In only start vs. Colts (w/ Seahawks on 12/24/05) Hasselbeck completed 17 of 21 passes (81 pct.) for 168 yards with 2 TDs vs. 0 INTs & 131.7 passer rating…RB CHRIS JOHNSON has 100+ rush yards in 2 of past 3 vs. Colts (113, 111). Johnson (35) needs 2 rush TDs to surpass STEVE MC NAIR for 3rd-most rush TDs in franchise history (EARL CAMPBELL, 73; EDDIE GEORGE, 64). Johnson (4,866) needs 134 rush yards to reach 5,000 career. Tied season-best with 6 rec. last week…WR NATE WASHINGTON has 90+ rec. yards in 2 of 3 home games this season…TE JARED COOK is averaging 17.7 yards per catch this season (13 rec., 230 yards). Cook has TD catch in 2 of past 3…CB JASON MC COURTY leads team in tackles (51) & INTs (2) in 2011

Music City Meltdown for Titans

You can call this one the Music City Meltdown. This was suppose to be a game that would shape the race for the AFC South crown as the Titans and the Texans had rose to the top of division without Indianapolis and Peyton Manning in the way this year. Instead it turned into an epic blowout that announced that Houston is the top the team in the division until further notice. Tennessee was so thoroughly dominated in their 41-7 loss to the Texans that its hopeless at this point to put any argument to who is the best team in the AFC South. This one got ugly before you could really sit back and relax as Houston jumped out to a 20-0 lead at halftime on the overwhelmed Titans.

Tennessee seemed helpless to stop the Houston offense as they marched up and down the field to the tune of 518 yards of total offense (3rd most in Houston history). Arian Foster was a force as he racked up 115 yards on the ground and added another 119 yards receiving and 3 TDs in all. He had his way all game as he just bull rushed the Titans defensive line and linebackers. In my preview article of this game (http://sportaholic2112.blogspot.com/2011/10/sportaholic-tennessee-titans-vs-houston.html ) I stated that it would be a long game if the Titanse couldn’t contain the former University of Tennessee product and I was right on the money with that prediction. He became the first player in Houston history to rush for over 100 yards and receive for over 100 yards in the same game. Foster’s 234 total yards was actually more than what the Titans finished with as a team at 148 yards. Matt Schaub had a relative easy day as he could just sit back and rely on Foster and Ben Tate in the run game and then pick apart the Titans secondary with play action fakes. It was just a clinic as Schaub was efficiently (18/23 296 yards 2 TD passes 147.7 QB rating) able to find numerous holes in the back end of the Titans D. The tight ends of Owen Daniels and Joel Dressen just undressed the middle field openings and the two combined for 6 catches 102 yards and 1 TD. Foster’s 78-yard TD catch seemed to open the flood gates as the crowd was taken out the game from that point. The Titans defense was annihilated on the ground as they gave up two 100 yards games to Foster and the aforementioned Ben Tate who finished with 104 yards on 15 carries good for 6.9 yards per carry.

Another shocking development from this game was the play of the Titans offense, which had looked so potent before the bye. Matt Hasselbeck completed less than 50 percent of his passes going 14/30 for a lowly 104 yards and 2 Ints. He seemed flustered and could never get into a rhythm as the Texans sacked him twice and seemed to mix coverage enough to confuse the vet. He had one of his Ints returned for a 38-yard TD by Bruce McCain of the Texans. Chris Johnson looked dismal yet again as he only finished with 18 yards on 10 carries for 1.8 yards per carry average. Counter that effort with Javon Ringer’s as he finished with 31 yards on just 3 carries. It’s getting harder each week to defend Johnson as most have figured he would eventually turn it around. As I watched the game unfold there were a couple of plays where it seemed that CJ just didn’t want to kick it into high gear as we are so accustomed to. One play in particular was at the beginning of the game when Hasselbeck found an open Johnson sneaking out of the backfield. Johnson caught the ball in open space and seemed to skip for a second and then try and to put the after burners on only to be caught for a 17-yard gain. That one really puzzled me as in years past no one would even lay a hand on Johnson in the open field. He either doesn’t have the burst he used to or he is just flat out not giving the effort he use to. The fans must have noticed as well as he was showered with boos throughout the game. “It’s just a situation I got to continue to say I can’t do nothing but keep working hard, running hard and doing what I can do for this team,” Johnson said.

The Titans coaching staff deserves some of the blame as well. I didn’t see any halftime adjustments from the team. Houston came out and executed its same game plan and the Titans just let them do it. Coach Munchak and DC Jerry Gray have to do a better job at adjusting to what team are doing or at least try something different to see what works.. The fact that Houston was able to roll up 222 yards on the ground is just astonishing. “Obviously, we’re not happy with the product we put on the field (Sunday),” Munchak said. “It’s on all of us, coaches, players, that’s not us. That can’t be us and we’ve got to improve The Titans coming into this game were ranked in the top 10 of rushing defenses. The fact that Houston out gained the Titans 518 to 148 in total yards is also jaw dropping. This was a very disheartening loss anyway you look at it for the Titans They gave up their chance to take the division by the throat and allowed Houston to flex their muscles on their home field. You could tell by all of the boos that the LP faithful were in an uproar over the lackluster performance. Even Houston's kicker was able to lay a big hit on Marc Mariaini on a kick return for goodness sakes.

Tennessee may get a breather next week as they welcome the winless Indianapolis Colts to LP field next week. The Colts also had a day to forget as the New Orleans Saints dropped 62 points on them. The Titans have to find a way to get back into rhythm after this disappointing performance and hopefully the Colts are just the remedy they need. The Titans fall to 3-3 and into 2nd place in the division. The season is still early so they all the reason to turn it around. Hopefully this doesn’t become a repeat of last year’s 1-7 effort after the bye when they were 5-3. To prevent that meltdown from happening again they have to start with a W next week against the Colts.

Sportaholic Tennessee Titans vs. Houston Texans Preview

Tennessee Titans vs. Houston Texans Preview:

Fresh off their bye week the Titans are up for a big divisional game against hated rival the Houston Texans. This of course is the biggest game of the year so far in the AFC South as the Texans at 3-3 are a game out of first place looking up to the Titans at 3-2. For all those interested this game will give the winner the upper hand for top spot in the division for the rest of the year. The Colts are out of it minus Peyton Manning and as a result are 0-6, Jacksonville has turned to rookie Blaine Gabbert at QB and at 1-5 are out of it as well. So this game pits the two teams that have a chance at taking the South. Both teams are coming off of loses as Tennessee was bombarded and overwhelmed against the Pittsburgh Steelers a couple of weeks ago. Houston has lost its last two games after starting the year 3-0.

The Titans vs. Texans game does have a history of getting ugly as evidenced by the Cortland Finnegan-Andre Johnson fight last year (Unfourunately Johnson is out of the game, so we won’t get a chance for fireworks from those two.). These two teams have been developing bad blood between each other over the last few years as both teams have made some vicious hits and cheap shots at one another. This is a simmering rivalry that most of the country doesn’t know about. Just think about it, the Titans originated in Houston as they are originally the Houston Oilers. Former Oilers owner turned Titans owner Bud Adams moved his team to Nashville in 1999 and that has always given fans from Clutch city a reason to hate the Titans franchise. Another nugget added to this game is the edition of Derrick Mason to the Texans via trade from the New York Jets. Mason was an all time favorite in Nashville during the Steve McNair/Eddie George era and was openly courted to come back during this off season. Titans DL Sen’Derrick Marks has added more fuel to this fire as he called out Houston Eric Winston and Wade Smith for cut blocks he said injured him the last couple of seasons. "I don't like it,'' Marks said. "I don't see that as being a good football player, as being a good offensive lineman." As you can tell this one may get out of hand if the refs don’t stop it.

This is the season that everyone was saying that the Texans would get it right. They have always had the talent but have never been able to get over the hump and make the playoffs. If the Titans defeat the Texans this Sunday they in essence would have a 2 ½ game lead because of division tiebreaker when it comes to the playoffs.

The Texans seem to never able to win the big game. That possible 21/2 game margain make this a mega game of magnitude for the divison. Matt Schaub and Gary Kubiak have been known to get there but can’t pull out the win they wasn’t suppose to.

So all that has been said lets breakdown what will be the key factors in Sunday’s tilt:

1. Can the Titans shut down Arian Foster? Foster in my opinion is what makes the offense go in Houston. The absence of Andre Johnson makes him that much more pivotal in this game. Last week he was limited to 49 yards on 15 carries and of course the Texans lost that game. The last game they won against Pittsburgh he rushed 155 yards as the Texans controlled the line of scrimmage and allowed Matt Schaub to hit open receivers on play action fakes. That’s the difference last year’s leading rusher can make if he is on his game. The Titans must control him for a chance to win this one. That means a big game is needed from LBs Barrett Rudd, Wil Witherspoon, and Akeem Ayers. Houston zone blocking scheme has been well documented and the Titans will need to pay attention to every move Foster makes. If they can contain him, it will make the game much easier.




2. Can the Texans line get pressure on Matt Hasselback without Mario Williams? The Texans had been devouring QBs until the loss of their stud DL/LB Mario Williams went down with a torn pectoral muscle. He provided the Texans with that ever so important edge rusher and no one on that team has been able to replace his presence. Matt Hasselbeck has proved that if you can give him enough time he can get the ball to the right place. Houston LBs Brooks Reid, Brian Cushing and DeMeco Ryans along with that Texans defensive line will have to find a way to get Hasselbeck dirty because he will pick them apart if he has the time.

3.Chris Johnson will either explode or do nothing: Johnson has a history of being either a stud or a dud against Houston. Last year Johnson had a 130 outburst against the Texans in their first meeting in the second meeting he had just 5. He has to get rolling at one point or another so why not against a team that he hits and misses on? I can see CJ doing exactly what his track record says and that means either showing up and showing out or doing nothing. Coach Mike Munchak stated that the Titans emphasized the run game more than anything during the bye so that should bode well for him.

4. How will the Titans respond coming off their bye week? Last season if you can remember back last year, the were 5-3 going into the bye week and then the wheels came completely off. They were 1-7 after the bye and the chaotic turn of events led the dismissal of Jeff Fisher and Vince Young. Now of course Mike Munchak and Matt Hasselbeck are in the respective positions of Fisher and Young so last year shouldn’t have anything to do with this year’s team, but then again most of the guys that were on that 2010 version on still on this team. Will the past rear its ugly head as the Titans begin to start their second half of the season or will they thrive under new leadership?

TEXANS: Dating back to 11/28/10, Hou. has won 3 of past 4 vs. AFC South…In past 5 vs. Titans, QB MATT SCHAUB has completed 133 of 206 passes (64.6 pct.) for 1,449 yards with 11 TDs vs. 1 INT & 101 passer rating. In 3 road games this season, Schaub has completed 64 of 105 passes (61 pct.) for 823 yards with 6 TDs vs. 1 INT & 100.6 passer rating…In past 6 vs. AFC South opponents, RB ARIAN FOSTER is averaging 121.2 rush yards per game (727 total) with 7 rush TDs. Foster aims for 4th straight game with at least 100+ scrimmage yards (166, 184, 101)…WR KEVIN WALTER had 7 catches for 79 yards (11.3 avg.) with TD in last meeting vs. Titans. WR JACOBY JONES had 32-yard TD rec. last week, 1st TD catch of season. WR DERRICK MASON (940) needs 1 catch to surpass HOFer ART MONK for 11th-most rec. all-time…TE OWEN DANIELS has 415 career yards vs. Titans, most vs. any team…Defense is tied for AFC-best with 17 sacks (NYJ, 17)…DE TIM JAMISON had career-high 2 sacks last week…CB JOHNATHAN JOSEPH registered 3rd INT of season last game…S GLOVER QUIN had career-best 3 INTs vs. Titans on 11/28/10…TITANS: Club has 13-9 (.591) record after bye…Titans have 7-2 record at home vs. Texans…Seeks 3rd consecutive win at LP Field this season…At home in 2011, QB MATT HASSELBECK has completed 57 of 78 passes (73.1 pct.) for 669 yards with 3 TDs vs. 1 INT & 106.2 passer rating. Has 90+ passer rating in 4 of 5 games this season…For career, RB CHRIS JOHNSON averages 91.7 rush yards per game against AFC South (1,652 in 18 games). Johnson (5,972) needs 28 scrimmage yards to reach 6,000 career. Has rushed for 100+ yards in 3 of past 4 games vs. Hou. (197, 151, 130). Averages 5.9 rush yards per carry vs. Texans…WR NATE WASHINGTON had TD catch in last game against Texans. WR DAMIAN WILLIAMS aims for 3rd consecutive game with TD reception…TE JARED COOK is averaging 18.9 yards per catch this season (11 rec., 208 rec. yards)…CB JASON MC COURTY leads team in tackles (39) & INTs (2) in 2011. CB CORTLAND FINNEGAN registered 1st INT of season last game. Finnegan had 99-yard INT-return TD vs. Texans on 9/21/08.

T.O. to Tennessee Titans?

                 

Its been reported that Terrell Owens could make his way to the music city once he is fully recovered from a torn ACL he sustained during the off-season. In a story from Yahoo! Sports, Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Munchak indicated some interest in Owens. Munchak was reportedly even excited to speak about the possible acquisition of the for former All-Pro receiver.

From 104.5 The Zone FM in Nashville, via John Glennon at The Tennessean:

"A lot is going to depend for us on how we are producing at that (wide receiver) position three weeks or two weeks from now, and how we're doing (overall)," Munchak said. "All those things will factor into it. But I'm sure whenever you've got a player that has his capabilities, everyone's going to know exactly where he's at. If he has a way of helping our team win, then for sure you're going to take a look at him."

The Titans of course have been in need of an explosive receiver to take the place of injured WR Kenny Britt who was on his way to a career year. The one million dollar question at this point is does Owens still have it? I questioned my listeners on “The Sportaholic Radio Show” on this very subject just last week and received a mix response. I personally think he still has something left in the tank and also that this would be the perfect team for him to land on. The Titans have everything that T.O. needs to succeed, a veteran QB who will stand up to him when he needs to, strong leadership in the locker room, and a team that can win now. Owens has been a model citizen for his previous two teams, the Cincinnati Bengals and the Buffalo Bills because he knew his reputation preceded him and if he wanted to play for a contender again some day he had to tone down his act. He is a long way from being perfect as evident by his Batman and Robin gimmicks with former Bengal Chad Ochocinco but his production was great last year as well as he played 11 games and had 72 receptions for 983 and 9 TDs. Who couldn’t use those type of numbers on there team?

As I stated above, I think if this is carefully thought out by both sides that this could work. The Titans have a need for a big physical receiver who can make plays on the outside and who better to fit that bill then T.O. Yeah he is getting a little older and coming off a major knee injury but Owens isn’t your everyday 37 year old man. This guy is a freak of nature and he could pay big dividends for a small price tag at this point in his career. As with Owens, there is always a chance that he could lead a team mutiny (See: Dallas Cowboys Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers) but he has matured over the years and I just don’t see Owens going that route at this stage of his career. This is just like last year when the Titans landed Randy Moss last year from the Vikings. Even though he didn’t pan out as expected, the Titans got him at a low price and didn’t really lose anything in the deal.

In summarizing, T.O. in Tennessee could work provided all parties are on the same page. Matt Hasselbeck has proved he can deliver ball as long you protect him so you have to think he would welcome Owens into the fray. He would add yet another dimension to the Titans offense and could soften the blow of losing Britt. If Chris Johnson ever decides to join the party this year it would make for one of the better offenses in all of football.  Mike Munchak seemed almost over zealous in his speaking of Owens so you can tell he is on board. The only question now is will Owens himself decide to come to Nashville. From all the researched I’ve collected it sounds like the ball is in his court. Tennessee get your popcorn ready if he decides to come.

Do you think Owens would be a good fit in Nashville? Why or why not?