Fisher: Brown picked over Henry based on performance

“Chris was hot, and we were going to go with him,” Fisher said. “Travis got a couple opportunities in the ball game. He had a big catch and a big play for us, but we got into a flow. Chris was making plays, so we decided to stay with Chris.”

Brown finished with 20 carries for 83 yards — both season highs. He now leads the Titans with 39 carries for 179 yards and an average 4.6-yards per rush. Henry had three carries for no yards and caught one pass for 16 yards coming off the bench in Sunday’s 31-27 loss to St. Louis.

With Henry suspended Monday by the NFL for four games for violating the league’s substance abuse policy, Brown now faces the challenge of staying healthy for the next month.

Fisher said that doesn’t mean Brown’s workload necessarily will double. But he isn’t worried that the third-year back can handle the pressure.

“When Chris was running and carrying the ball for us last year, he was our back,” Fisher said.

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FLAGGED FOR BREATHING?@ Receiver Tyrone Calico was flagged on third-and-2 on the Titans’ final drive in their 31-27 loss to St. Louis on Sunday for a false start. That pushed them back to third-and-7, and Steve McNair tossed two incompletions to turn the ball over on downs in the final minute.

Coach Jeff Fisher didn’t see any penalty.

“I think it was a deep breath. You don’t want that called. I don’t want to see that called. I don’t think the league wants to see that called. There was very, very minimal movement there,” Fisher said.

The coach said he could pick out a dozen other situations where someone moved slightly and wasn’t called.

“It just happened to be bad timing for us, I guess. Steve came out from underneath center to make a signal to both of the receivers, and they both acknowledged it. The call was not as a result of some sort of hand signal that Ty did,” Fisher said.

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SACK LEADER: @ If Kyle Vanden Bosch keeps this up, his best season in the NFL could wind up being one of the best ever in the league.

The fifth-year veteran matched his career total of five sacks when he sacked St. Louis quarterback Marc Bulger in the third quarter, also his second of the game. That sack forced a fumble that Antwan Odom picked up and returned 25 yards for a touchdown.

That put Vanden Bosch atop the NFL, a sack ahead of Indianapolis end Dwight Freeney and Bryant Young of San Francisco who were tied with four.

“We knew everybody had to step it up a notch without Albert (Haynesworth) here,” Vanden Bosch said. “He’s our big time player, and we need him back. But the guys that stepped in for Albert played great.”

Haynesworth was deactivated Sunday because of a sprained left knee, and coach Jeff Fisher said he thinks the tackle has a good chance to play against Indianapolis this week.

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STREAKING KICKER:@ Rob Bironas started his NFL career by missing a 47-yarder. He hasn’t missed since. When he kicked a 39-yarder to pull the Titans within 31-27 in the fourth quarter, that was his fifth straight field goal in six attempts this season.

Bironas also is handling kickoffs and doing a good job of that. He ranks fourth in the NFL with four touchbacks on kickoffs behind only Neil Rackers of Arizona and Josh Scobee of Jacksonville with seven each and Olindo Mare of Miami with five.

Coach Jeff Fisher said Bironas has confidence now, and so do the Titans.

“We have gotten to a point where we expect it to go through the uprights now. It is quite a difference from where he was three or four weeks ago,” Fisher said.