Injuries starting to pile up for Titans
Highway Patrolmen and firefighters on the scene of an early Sunday crash involving Trooper Brent Baxley and a car officers said sped through a patrol checkpoint before crashing on Peacock Road. (Tabor City Fire Department photo)
Highway Patrolmen and firefighters on the scene of an early Sunday crash involving Trooper Brent Baxley and a car officers said sped through a patrol checkpoint before crashing on Peacock Road. (Tabor City Fire Department photo)
Tennessee (2-6) came in Sunday without its top two receivers, and the 34-25 loss to the Oakland Raiders (3-4) was compounded with receiver Tyrone Calico going out in the first half with a strained right calf and tight end Ben Troupe lost in the second half with a high left ankle sprain.
The injuries put the Titans in a tight spot with only rookies at receiver. Losing Troupe forced rookie Greg Guenther into his first NFL action, and he caught a pass late in the game.
“It put us in a bind,” coach Jeff Fisher said of Calico’s injury. “And then losing Ben (Troupe) there at the end kind of put us in a bind too. We were limited as far as skill players, offensively.”
Steve McNair returned to the lineup after missing last week’s game at Arizona with a bothersome lower back, and he had to play through pain against the Raiders when he suffered back spasms. He had treatment on his back before talking to reporters after the loss.
With the injuries, McNair found himself outmatched with two tight ends and only two receivers against Oakland’s passing defense. Then the players with little experience had mistakes.
“That’s typical when you have young guys,” McNair said. “We just have to clean some stuff up on the inside and we’ll be OK.”
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PACMANS PLAY:@ Titans defensive back and punt returner Adam “Pacman” Jones had an up-and-down game against the Raiders on Sunday.
The rookie returned a punt in the second quarter that would have been his first career touchdown, but the play was negated when Tank Williams was called for blocking a man out of bounds.
The call not only wiped out the score but led to an Oakland touchdown when Steve McNair fumbled the ball in the end zone after being sacked by defensive tackle Warren Sapp. Safety Jarrod Cooper recovered the ball for the score.
Titans coach Jeff Fisher refused to comment specifically on the play until he looks at tape of the controversial call.
“I know what the rule reads, and how it is supposed to be enforced, and until I see the play, I really can’t comment on it,” Fisher said. “I can only comment on the opinion of my staff upstairs and they said it should not have been called. When I see the play, I will give my opinion.”
The Titans rallied to within 27-25 midway through the fourth quarter, but the Raiders put the game away when Jones missed a tackle on Raiders wide receiver Jerry Porter. He caught a pass from Kerry Collins near the visitors sideline around the first-down marker at the Titans 34.
Jones was covering Porter but appeared to let up, and Porter turned up field to score on a 44-yard touchdown play.
“I guess he was relying on my momentum taking me to the sideline, him just being able to push me out of bounds,” Porter said. “He just didn’t anticipate me trying to stay inbounds.”
Jones knows he should have made the stop.
“I should have come up with a tackle,” said Jones. “I’m just going to work harder and get better. What else can I say? I’ve got to work harder this week on making tackles.”
Despite Jones’ troubles, Sapp said he told Jones to remain confident because rookies aren’t treated well in the NFL.
“I know that for myself. It’s just one of those deals where you have to find your own niche. I told him to keep his head up … He has all the talent in the world. He just has to keep his nose to the grindstone and just keep working, and he’ll earn the respect of his teammates,” Sapp said.
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BROWNS DAY:@ Running back Chris Brown enjoyed his most productive game of the season. He finished with 97 yards rushing on 19 attempts.
“I felt great out there running around,” Brown said. “But we have to come out with a win next time.”
While Brown had a good day, running back Travis Henry didn’t play much of a role after returning from a four-game suspension for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. He had two yards on just one carry.
“Of course I would have liked a little more carries,” said Henry. “Unfortunately, it didn’t work out that way. Chris only got (19). We didn’t run the ball that much. It was good to be back, for the camaraderie. It’s a good thing.”
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MISTAKES HURT:@ Penalties are something that will drive a coach crazy, and it’s no different for Titans coach Jeff Fisher. Tennessee was flagged nine times for 79 yards Sunday, while Oakland, which had tied for the league lead with 65 penalties, was called for five miscues for 55 yards.
“You get frustrated with a penalty here and there, a turnover here and there stopping a drive, and those have been the difference in many of our losses this year,” Fisher said.
“Until we get those things eliminated, we’re not going to win many more games. My goal and my responsibility is to ensure those things are minimized and I am going to continue to do so.”
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EXTRA POINTS:@ Courtney Roby scored the first TD of his career when he hauled in a 19-yard pass from Steve McNair, pulling the Titans to within 17-6 in the second quarter. It was McNair’s eighth of the season and the 148th of his career. Kyle Vanden Bosch posted his eighth sack of the year with Michael Waddell. … Chris Brown scored his third touchdown of the season and the ninth of his career on a 38-yard run, pulling the Titans to within 17-12 in the second quarter.