Dec 14th 2008 5:40PM by JJ Cooper (author feed)
Filed under: Steelers, Titans, AFC North, AFC South, NFL Playoffs
There are a lot of things to digest from the Texans’ shocking 13-12 win over the Titans, but one of the more surprising aspects is that as the Steelers start their game against the Ravens, they control their own destiny for home field advantage throughout the playoffs.
Thanks to the Titans’ loss and the fact that Tennessee plays Pittsburgh next week, if Pittsburgh can beat Baltimore today, next week’s game will be for the AFC No. 1 seed. If Tennessee wins, they would clinch the No. 1 seed, while Pittsburgh couldn’t clinch home field next week, but it could wrap up the No. 1 seed by beating the Titans and the Browns, or a win over the Titans and a Titans loss in Week 17.
There is some question of how much advantage that is for Pittsburgh. Since 1994, Pittsburgh is 1-4 in AFC Championship games at home. They are 1-0 on the road.
Of course all of that is dependent on the Steelers beating Baltimore on the road today, which is a tall enough order.
Dec 14th 2008 6:15PM by JJ Cooper (author feed)
Filed under: Titans, AFC South, NFL Injuries
In the grand scheme of things, the Titans’ loss to the Texans isn’t all that important. With a win next week, Tennessee will still wrap up home field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs.
But what happened late in the game could end up being costly. Albert Haynesworth was carted off the field with a left knee injury after his leg got twisted in a pile. According to CBS’ halftime show, the injury appears to a strained MCL.
If that’s the case, it would be a dose of semi-good news. If it had been an ACL, Haynesworth would be done for the season, but MCL strains usually take three to four weeks to heal.
If Haynesworth is healthy in three weeks, he’d miss the final two games of the regular season and the Titans’ bye week of the playoffs, which is not that big of a deal. But four weeks would stretch into the second round of the playoffs, which would obviously be a horrendous blow to the Titans’ Super Bowl hopes.
Of course, Haynesworth also was laid out on the field against the Jets with a knee injury, and he bounced back from that very quickly, so until we get the MRI results, it’s a nervous waiting game for the Titans.
Dec 14th 2008 9:36PM by JJ Cooper (author feed)
Filed under: Broncos, Steelers, Titans, AFC North, AFC South, NFL Playoffs
The Titans’ loss on Sunday combined with the Steelers’ win means that next Sunday’s Titans-Steelers’ game will likely decide who finishes as the No. 1 seed and who has to settle with being No. 2. But considering how the AFC playoffs are settling out, it may be turn out to be better to finish as the No. 2.
The No. 1 team gets home field throughout the AFC playoffs, and they will get to face the lowest-seeded team that advances out of the first round of the playoffs. Normally that means you get to face the No. 4 seed (if there are no upsets) or a wild card team that pulled off a shocker.
But this year, it’s highly likely that the wild card teams will be a tougher matchup than either of the division champs who have to play on the first weekend of the playoffs. The Colts are on track to finish 12-4, but they have already lost the AFC South division crown to the Titans. The 9-5 Ravens are in the battle for the second wild card spot with one of the toughest defenses in the league. It’s highly possible that the Colts will be seeded No. 5 and the Ravens will be No. 6 when the playoffs roll around.
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Dec 10th 2008 5:43PM by Will Brinson (author feed)
Filed under: Panthers, Titans, NFL Fans, NFL Media Watch, NFL Real Talk
Fat men are generally funny and that stereotype (just roll with it, okay?) appears to apply to LenDale White as well, if you hear what he was spouting off at a recent press conference.
See, White was asked what he thought about DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart being nicknamed “Smash and Dash” for their on-field running prowess. And, since White claims he already has proprietary rights on that name, he was none too pleased.
“If they want a nickname, I can nickname them: ‘Identity and Theft,’” said White, who’s successfully paired with the speedy rookie Chris Johnson this season. “…I was upset because I made that phrase up myself. I mean I made it up. I don’t know about NFL Network and all those other guys. I heard somebody say, ‘Batman and Robin,’ that’s like cute, that’s for them. If they want that name they can have it. The ‘Smash and Dash’ is something I made up.”
“We’ve got a copyright and everything for it, I’ll make sure I show the documents,” White said. “It’s well trademarked and it’s copy written. I don’t know if we’re going to take legal action or not.”
He also went on to say that he had been “swacced”, which apparently means “swagger-jacked”, and is definitely my new favorite term.
Now, while I would personally prefer the Stewart - Williams combo (I think they’re collectively much more talented than White and Johnson, although I do love the speedy ECU grab), the nickname “Smash and Dash” is vastly more applicable to the Tennessee tandem, in terms of running style. So, I’m willing to concede it to him. Besides, at least he didn’t call them weak a … er, nevermind.
Dec 7th 2008 10:56PM by JJ Cooper (author feed)
Filed under: Browns, Titans, AFC North, AFC South
It wasn’t the prettiest win the Titans have ever picked up, but who cares. Tennessee wrapped up the AFC South, nearly got a pair of 100-yard rushers, and chewed up and spit out another offense with an easy win over the Browns.
The Titans didn’t need long to figure out that Ken Dorsey couldn’t beat them. The Browns’ third-string quarterback was able to relatively accurately dink and dunk on short-yardage passes, but he couldn’t throw deep. And the Browns’ running game was completely stuffed by the Titans’ front seven.
So with nothing to worry about deep, and no running game to keep them honest, the Titans defense just needed to make sure they tackled well and flooded the short zones. Yeah, the Browns may have taken an early 6-0 lead, but when the Titans went ahead on an Ahmad Hall touchdown catch, this game was already over.
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Dec 6th 2008 8:09PM by JJ Cooper (author feed)
Filed under: Titans, AFC South
When Pat and Kevin Williams were slapped with a four-game suspension for testing positive for a diuretic, the Vikings defensive tackles quickly rushed to the courthouse to ensure that they got a court injunction to keep playing.
Now the Titans have a defensive tackle hit with a four-game suspension for diuretics as well, but we probably won’t see a race to the courthouse.
The suspension for Kevin Vickerson is bad news for him, but unless someone on the Titans defensive line goes down with an injury, Vickerson was likely going to be sitting on the inactive list on Sunday anyway, so it’s not going to be a big loss for Tennessee.
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Dec 2nd 2008 2:30PM by JJ Cooper (author feed)
Filed under: Bears, Buccaneers, Cowboys, Dolphins, Falcons, Jets, Giants, Packers, Panthers, Patriots, Ravens, Redskins, Steelers, Titans, Vikings
Four weeks to go in the season, and we’re starting to see some parts of the playoff race clear up, while some division races are actually muddier than they were last week.
Unless some absolutely unexpected upsets happen, there are five teams that are already in. The Titans (11-1), Colts (8-4), Broncos (7-5), Giants (11-1) and Cardinals (7-5) would all have to fall apart to miss the playoffs. The Steelers’ (9-3) big win over the Patriots also puts them in very good shape, but their remaining schedule (Cowboys, Ravens, Titans and Browns) means it’s not possible to pencil them in yet.
But thanks to the Jets’ loss to the Broncos, and the Falcons’, Panthers’ and Bucs’ wins, the AFC East and NFC South races are tighter than ever. And while the general consensus for months has been that the NFC East could put three teams into the playoffs, it now looks like the NFC South is a better bet to snag both wild card spots.Continue Reading
Nov 28th 2008 3:36PM by Will Brinson (author feed)
Filed under: Lions, Titans, NFL Media WatchThe Detroit Lions had a pretty bad Thanksgiving. They got beat up and down the field by the Tennessee Titans and were humiliated as far as to give up 100 yards to two different running backs in front of their home fans. But that wasn’t enough for LenDale White, who decided he needed to rub things in a bit by calling the Lions “weak ass n*****s”
I have no idea if he’ll get fined or yelled at or if just nothing will happen (my guess is the latter), but goshdarn LenDale … if you’re going to be inappropriate, be mean to someone whose season you’re not helping to flush down the toilet.
Nov 27th 2008 12:44AM by Chris Burke (author feed)
Filed under: Lions, Titans, NFL FansIt is hard to find anything about the Detroit Lions these days that fans would consider special.
The years and years of losing - for example, just one playoff win since a 1957 NFL championship - are weighing down one of the more loyal fanbases in the league. Detroit is struggling to generate interest in its team, struggling even more to convince people to watch Lions games.
Except on Thanksgiving.
Despite an 0-11 record this season (and a 1-18 record over the past 19 games), the hapless Lions will play before a festive sellout crowd - yet again - on Thanksgiving Day. Sure, people all over the country will flip the NFL on tomorrow and use it as background noise, or to cut through those awkward silences that a full day with distant relatives can occasionally bring.
In Detroit, though, even in this most horrible of horrible Lions seasons, the game will be the star. I speak on this from years of experience, a born-and-bred Michigan resident and (sigh) a lifetime Lions fan.Continue Reading
Nov 27th 2008 10:00AM by JJ Cooper (author feed)
Filed under: Jets, Titans, AFC East, AFC South
There was a lot to be impressed about the Jets thrashing of the previously undefeated Titans. The Jets offensive line managed to hold its own against one of the best defensive lines in the league, and Brett Farve picked apart the Titans secondary.
But when I rewatched the Jets-Titans game, what stood out most was how the Jets defensive line and linebackers completely stuffed one of the league’s best offensive lines. The Jets offense helped by holding onto the ball for 40 minutes, but the defense set the tone by forcing the Titans to largely junk their running game (which came into the league ranked ninth in the league in yards per game). With Kerry Collins forced to pass on almost every down, Tennessee was out of its comfort zone for most of the game.
Tennessee only called back-to-back running plays twice all game. Partly that was because they quickly fell behind, but it was also because the Titans were unable to account for nose tackle Kris Jenkins.
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