Rolle sees similiarites between Fisher, Billick

“The biggest difference is Coach Billick’s vocabulary. He uses very big words. He talks a lot. His talks, they mean something. Coach Fisher is more of a rah, rah, ‘Let’s get going’ guy. He doesn’t really talk all the time. Coach Billick talks more,” Rolle said Wednesday in a conference call.

“Both ultimately, their goal is to win. They just have different ways of going about it.”

Words from these coaches have played key roles in the rivalry between these one-time AFC Central foes.

The Titans tried to fire up fans before a divisional playoff game on Jan. 7, 2001, by playing comments by Billick on the videoboard. Baltimore won that game 24-10. When the Titans lost 26-7 in October 2001 after Fisher told them to play as if they were carrying 2-by-4s, Billick said they should’ve brought bigger sticks.

Rolle said he never really had a problem with Billick and liked to listen to his interviews. Now he’s on the same team, he understands Billick.

“When he makes a statement, he comes backs and tells you why he made that statement. I like him a lot,” Rolle said.

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MENTOR VS. STUDENT:@ Sunday’s game between Baltimore (0-1) and Tennessee (0-1) offers a matchup between the Titans’ top receiver Derrick Mason and his replacement, Drew Bennett.

Watching players like Mason, Kevin Dyson and Chris Sanders helped Bennett develop, especially how they practiced and prepared for games.

“I think Mase is a guy that I don’t know if I mirrored my game after, but I definitely mirrored my preparation and that kind of stuff after him,” Bennett said.

Mason said Bennett and Tyrone Calico are good receivers, and he thinks both will only improve over time.

Ravens cornerback Samari Rolle faced Bennett plenty during practice over the past four years, and he said Bennett has gotten faster in that time with his confidence growing by leaps and bounds.

“Even when he was undrafted and really didn’t know what he was doing, he would always make a play. He would always make a play. I think now he believes he can make plays on a consistent basis. I think that has helped him out,” Rolle said.

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STUDYING ROLLE:@ Tony Beckham was just one of the Titans cornerbacks who came into the NFL and immediately began watching how Samari Rolle went about playing football. Beckham said Rolle’s habits of studying opposing receivers and offenses on film was probably what he took from the veteran.

“I learned a lot, man. Samari’s a good corner, one of the best corners in the league. It’s going to be a privilege to see him in action, except on a different team. He’s just a guy that always knows what’s coming,” Beckham said.

Titans secondary coach Everett Withers said Rolle had an ability to study film and take notes, something young players needed to learn.

“It’s like getting popcorn and a Coke and going to watch the game instead of studying the game when they get tape. You have to get yourself to where you’re studying splits, formations, down and distance tendencies,” Withers said.

“All of that stuff is going to come, but it’s going to come in pieces for this young group.”

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CHOW SUPPORTER:@ Baltimore coach Brian Billick has no doubts that Titans offensive coordinator Norm Chow will fare well in the NFL despite spending his first 32 years in coaching in the college ranks. And that’s because he has seen Chow coach up close.

Billick was a tight end at Brigham Young in 1976 and was a graduate assistant in 1978 while Chow coached the receivers. Billick thinks Chow might have to adapt to a different game in the NFL, but he has no doubt that Chow will do just that.

“I think Norm has probably done a good job at looking at what they’ve done, adapting to that a little bit, infusing the things he wants to do, recognizing talent,” Billick said of Chow’s changes to the Titans’ offense.

“It looks similar to the things they’ve done before, but there are enough subtle nuances that clearly have Norm’s fingerprints on them.”