Titans have chance to end home schedule with .500 record
The Titans (4-9) have a chance to improve to 4-4 at home this season if ? and it’s a very big if ? they upset the NFC West champion Seattle Seahawks (11-2) on Sunday. Steve McNair said Thursday that would be very important for fan support.
“You always want to have a good final impression at home,” he said. “It’s something the guys think about, and we want to go out and have a good show.”
The Titans only went 2-6 at home in 2004, but they have won their last two in The Coliseum despite the stadium being about half empty. Coach Jeff Fisher said they remain very appreciative of their fan support.
“There’s a lot more empty seats in a lot of the other clubs around the league, I can tell you that much. We owe so much to them because they’ve been here through the tough times. I think they all understand where we’re at,” he said.
Fisher said the stadium was loud in the 13-10 victory over Houston last week thanks to the fans who showed up and stayed until the end.
“The players were really hoping we get everybody out there this week. It means a lot to them. They’ve been working hard. This is a playoff team that we have a chance to upset. I know the players are really looking forward to it, and we want to finish up strong,” Fisher said.
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WAIVER WIRE HELP:@ The Titans had to find some help at wide receiver, so they officially claimed Bobby Wade off waivers from the Chicago Bears. He was at practice Thursday and still surprised that the Bears let him go in his third season.
“They caught me absolutely off guard. But it’s the nature of the business … I’m just looking forward to moving on down here,” Wade said.
The Titans placed rookie Roydell Williams on injured reserve to clear roster space, but they had to have help because Williams couldn’t return this season with a dislocated, broken wrist and Brandon Jones is out with a torn ACL.
Wade is in his third NFL season, and he had 10 catches for 80 yards in 12 games this season and 65 catches for 698 yards in his career. He has started 15 games, including last season when he set career-highs with 42 catches for 481 yards.
Coach Jeff Fisher said it’s doubtful Wade will learn enough to play Sunday against Seattle but they hope to work the 5-foot-10 receiver into the final two games.
“He is a very nifty, inside slot receiver with run-after-catch ability. I think he can help us,” Fisher said.
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MISSING DYSON:@ A high ankle sprain will keep the Titans from having to see the man who started for them at left cornerback the previous four seasons. Andre Dyson left Tennessee as a free agent last spring and signed with Seattle.
Dyson got to play opposite Samari Rolle, which coach Jeff Fisher said sent more plays Dyson’s way. Dyson led Tennessee with six interceptions in 2004.
“It’s not easy for us to let him go. It was obviously a cap situation, but he was great,” Fisher said.
Dyson was hurt after returning an interception and a fumble for touchdowns in Seattle’s 42-0 victory at Philadelphia on Dec. 5.
Seattle coach Mike Holmgren hopes Dyson will be back for the playoffs and values the cornerback’s ball skills, which he believes are contagious. Dyson also will be helping the Seahawks scout the Titans this week.
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COMING HOME:@ Nashville is almost a midpoint for Seattle running back Shaun Alexander between his home town Florence, Ky., and Tuscaloosa, Ala., where he went to college at Alabama. That’s a big reason why he is looking forward to visiting the Titans, the only team in the NFL he has not faced before.
“I think its always exciting to go back to the South. I think they’re four hours from my hometown, four hours from my college town. It’s going to be great. A lot of people already called for tickets. I’m excited to just be able to play in front of basically my family and friends,” Alexander said.
Alexander spent some time at Alabama working out on campus because he couldn’t train in Seattle during the offseason after being tagged as the Seahawks’ franchise player.
Sunday will be his first game in Tennessee since the Crimson Tide lost in Knoxville to the Volunteers 35-18 in 1998.
“And I do remember the last play of the game,” Alexander said.
“We were throwing up a Hail Mary, it got kicked around, and Tennessee caught it, and the dude was running it back, and he didn’t see me running down the sidelines, and I drilled him. That was my last play in Tennessee. It was pretty good.”