Collins' presence in the lineup should help a sagging passing game and allow the Titans to do more things in the playbook, especially with medium and deeper routes.

With Collins now starting, the Titans signed QB Chris Simms to be their No. 2 quarterback. That means Simms, released by Tampa Bay in the preseason and on the street last week, is one snap away from leading the team. The Titans had Ingle Martin on the practice squad, but allowed him to sign with the Kansas City Chiefs.

TE Dwayne Blakley was waived from the 53-man roster. Blakley was inactive for Sunday's opener.

PLAYER NOTES

--DT Albert Haynesworth missed practice for a second straight day, but said he took a baseline test regarding his concussion on Wednesday, and the results are close to normal. Haynesworth said he likely won't practice on Friday as a precaution, but expects he will suit up and start on Sunday. He called his week of watching practice "a Steve McNair week," after the ex-Titan quarterback's penchant for missing practice time with injuries and playing on game days.

--RB Chris Henry being inactive last week appeared to be very telling of his standing in the team's plans. The 2007 second-round pick was not active against the Jaguars in the season opener, despite the fact that RB Quinton Ganther was out with a hamstring injury, leaving Chris Johnson and LenDale White as the team's only running backs.

--DE Jacob Ford is a question mark for this week's game after suffering a sternum injury against the Jaguars. Ford, the team's third defensive end, has not practiced all week. Dave Ball would move up in the rotation if Ford is out on Sunday against the Bengals.

--RB Quinton Ganther remains sidelined with a hamstring injury suffered the Friday practice before the opener and likely won't play Sunday.

--WR Lavelle Hawkins, inactive last week after missing two games with a preseason ankle injury, might be on the 45-man game-day roster this week. Even as a rookie, Hawkins would be likely be a more reliable option in pass routes than Chris Davis or Paul Williams.

--TE Craig Stevens' special teams abilities moved him into the third tight end role behind Alge Crumpler and Bo Scaife and made Dwayne Blakley expendable. Blakley was waived as the team needed his roster spot to sign QB Chris Simms.

GAME PLAN: The formula for the Titans this week is simple. Keep on doing what they did defensively to Jacksonville. They sacked David Garrard seven times, intercepted him twice, and held Maurice Jones-Drew and Fred Taylor to 31 yards combined. They won't face nearly as formidable a foe rushing in the Bengals, but will have to make sure they keep the pressure on Carson Palmer and not give receivers T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Chad Ocho Cinco room on the outside to make plays. The Titans have to be confident that Cortland Finnegan can win one-on-one matchups, so they might roll most of their safety help toward Nick Harper's side.

MATCHUPS TO WATCH: Titans CB Cortland Finnegan vs. Bengals WR Chad Ocho Cinco. Strength vs. strength here, as Finnegan is emerging as a top cornerback, and the Bengals' top wideout has the ability to catch the football on anyone.

--Bengals interior line vs. Titans DTs Albert Haynesworth and Tony Brown. Counting a sack shared by backup DTs Jason Jones and Kevin Vickerson, this group had five of Tennessee's seven sacks a week ago with Haynesworth and Brown getting two each with a devastating inside rush.

Titans LT Michael Roos vs. Bengals DE Antwan Odom. Odom left the Titans as a free agent in the offseason for a $29 million package with Cincinnati. It should be an interesting matchup for Roos, who actually got very little practice work against Odom last year, while both were in Tennessee. Odom played mostly left end last season. Odom had eight sacks a year ago for the Titans, who appeared to believe he was more a product of their system and pass rush rather than a player who commanded marquee money.