Titans Turn the Tables

Tennessee Titans safety Michael Griffin (33) runs back an intercepted pass that was intended for Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Jeremy Maclin (18) in the second quarter of an NFL football game on Sunday, Oct. 24, 2010, in Nashville, Tenn.

By Chris Lambos

"Whosoever thou art that dost another wrong, do but turn the tables ...”
- Robert Sanderson, The XII Sermons, 1634

“What goes up must come down…”
- Blood, Sweat & Tears, Spinning Wheel, 1969

“Tennessee comes from behind to beat Philadelphia…”
- Chris Lambos, Titans Week 7 Recap, 2010

Alright, humanity will most likely forget this article through the ages, but this game will prove to be as relevant as the season unwinds. How relevant? Well, let’s just say that the following words are as profound as any you will come across in 2010:

The Titans just beat the NFC Champions of the 2010 season and will meet them again in the Super Bowl.

Tall order? Maybe not! But hey, that’s February - let’s get back to October:

At home against the Philadelphia Eagles, the Titans got off to a slow start against the league’s #4 offense and #11 defense (now #5 and #10 respectively after Week 7), but like an automobile transmission, the Titans had to ‘downshift’ to get up the hill. They switched to the passing lane just over the top and hit ‘overdrive’ on the way to a 37-19 come-from-behind victory.

Backup QB Kerry Collins got the starting job this week as Vince Young is still bothered with a sprained knee injury he sustained in last week’s game. As mentioned, there are really not a lot of first half stats to talk about other than he hit Kenny Britt on a 26-yard touchdown strike at the 6:35 mark of the second quarter. Britt, who did not start this week as punishment from Coach Jeff Fisher for being involved in some bar room altercation, scored his first of three touchdowns on his very first play upon entering the game. It turned out to be a career day for our 2009 first-round draft pick out of Rutgers. He’s the first WR to top 150 or more yards since Drew Bennett did so in 2003. Britt finished the day with 225 yards. Collins churned out respectable numbers going 17 of 31 for 276 yards, 3TDs and 2 Ints.

RB Chris Johnson was shut down this afternoon, gaining only 66 yards on 24 carries.

For the Eagles, it was just another day of football in the first half. QB Kevin Kolb was making some plays through the air – spreading the ball around among WRs Jason Avant, Jeremy Maclin and Riley Cooper as well as RB LeSean McCoy out of the backfield (WR standout DeSean Jackson was placed on IR with a concussion from last week’s jarring helmet-to helmet hit from Atlanta Falcons Cornerback Dunta Robinson).

The Eagle Defense was causing problems for the Titans other than shutting down the running game. They logged two sacks, two interceptions and recovered a forced fumble.

At the 5:58 mark of the third quarter, many of Titans fans were thinking about changing the TV channel. The Eagles had just picked up a first down at the Titans 3-yard line. Leading 16-7, the Eagles go to the run but the play was disrupted on the handoff by DT Jason Jones, forcing a fumble that was recovered by Titans Rookie CB Alterraun Verner.
This was the turning point of the game. The Titans took over at their own 4-yard line and marched down the field far enough for Rob Bironas to kick a 41-yard FG to close the gap to six points.

By the end of the third quarter, the Titans had compiled 144 yards of total offense. They put on an unbelievable offensive display in the fourth quarter. They scored on 4 of their 5 possessions, setting a franchise record for 27 unanswered points in a quarter of play. The quarter’s highlight came on a 1st and 10 when Collins connected with Kenny Britt for 80 yards – Britt’s second score of the afternoon (he later logged an 18-yard TD for his third and final score).

When the final second ticked off the clock, the Titans had generated 184 yards of fourth quarter offense and finished with a game total of 328.

The Titans (5-2) go on the road next week to face QB Philip Rivers and the San Diego Chargers. We know Dallas in the best 1-4 team in the NFL, right? Well, the Chargers are the best 2-5 team as they have lost their past 3 games to above average competition by a combined total of 14 points. Look for another tough test as the Titans try to extend their undefeated road record to 4-0

What did we learn from this game?At 5-2 and with Indy limping, there isn’t a table that can’t be turned by determined Titans in 2010!