Volek inconsistent when subbing for McNair
Volek was sacked four times in last weekend’s 24-10 loss at Miami after replacing Steve McNair because of his strained pectoral muscle. Volek also fumbled twice and lost one that ruined a chance to score.
“He has been a little inconsistent,” Titans coach Jeff Fisher said Monday. “We’ve been sacked. The defense has taken some things away. He has been pressured here and there.”
Volek was 14-of-24 for 132 yards in the loss with a 55-yard touchdown pass to Drew Bennett. He has completed 57 percent of his passes this season with two touchdowns and two interceptions in limited duty, and has been sacked nine times.
Fisher said the sacks are due to a variety of factors such as coverage, pressure, a lineman being beaten up front, the quarterback not finding the checkdown receiver or holding the ball in hopes that a receiver will get open.
“I can’t give you a number. Sacks allowed are team sacks. They are not individual sacks,” Fisher said.
It’s a big difference from 2004 when Volek started eight games and was 203-of-320 for 2,296 yards with 18 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Volek switched agents to Drew Rosenhaus last offseason even though he is under contract through 2008. Volek has said he would like the chance to be a starter in the NFL.
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PLAYING THROUGH:@ Running back Travis Henry could not play because of his sprained ankle against Seattle on Dec. 18. He tried to make up for his absence against Miami when he was the Titans’ leading rusher, picking up 65 yards on 16 carries, including a long of 17.
“He was good enough to where he felt like he could carry the ball effectively, and he did a number of times and made some good plays,” Fisher said.
Chris Brown had been questionable with a sore shoulder, and he hurt an ankle in the game. He finished with just seven carries on 18 yards.
Henry had hoped to notch his first 100-yard game of the season against Miami, a performance that would have helped the Titans win if he had done so.
“It’s a disappointment man,” Henry said. “We have our opportunities, we didn’t execute. We didn’t play well at all.”
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CATCHING ON:@ With Tyrone Calico hurting his hamstring, expect Bobby Wade to get more work against Jacksonville. He caught his first pass since being claimed off waivers from Chicago on Dec. 14 against Miami.
Coach Jeff Fisher said Wade has worked hard to learn the offense.
“We got ourselves in a couple situations where he was a little unclear what to do. He is a very smart, talented player that picked up things in a short amount of time. I think with another week, he’ll continue to help us,” Fisher said.
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TRACKING PACMAN:@ Rookie Adam “Pacman” Jones twisted an ankle in pregame warmups before the Miami loss, and coach Jeff Fisher said the cornerback struggled a little bit and has a lot of adjustments to make.
“He’s come a long ways, but we have some work to do,” Fisher said.
Courtney Roby replaced Jones on kickoffs against the Dolphins, and Jones finished with one tackle on defense. Fisher said Jones needs to aim a little higher after going too low for a tackle at one point.
“He’s made plays, played well and hung in there. But this is going to be a very important offseason for not only Pac, but a lot of the other younger players,” Fisher said.
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EXTRA PONTS:@ Steve McNair had thrown 127 passes without being intercepted before being picked off by Miami linebacker Donnie Spragan. … Kyle Vanden Bosch forced his fourth fumble of the season. … Travis LaBoy now has a career-high 6 1/2 sacks this season, which ranks second on the team.