Well, Here we are. It’s just one day until Christmas. That’s just one more day until the Titans buckle it up once again and put their season on the line against the AFC West Division leading Chargers (11-3). The Titans (7-7), are alive and have everything to play for. They are like the mythological phoenix that burnt itself to ashes and out of those ashes found themselves reborn. The Titans come into this one in some seriously uncharted territory.
First, you probably know that no team in the history of pro football has ever started (o-6) and clawed back to .500 but what you probably didn’t know is that Coach Fisher is (0-5) against the Chargers in his career. With the season on the line in front of a home crowd, if his team is to make history, a win over San Diego would be a nice milestone. For the Titans sake I hope they go all out and really open up the play book. There is no sense in fostering any mystery.
Let’s not forget that this is another elimination game for the Titans. Hopefully, with a little luck, a little trickery, 60 minutes of hard nosed play, good special teams and electrifying performances from Chris Johnson, Vince Young, and the Titans receivers, maybe the Titans can pull another one out and continue to be the enigma they have been these past two months.
If that is to come to fruition they are going to have to do it with out two of their best linebackers as Keith Bulluck has been lost for the season. Bulluck has been the cornerstone of the Titans defense for years. This game marks the end of a streak of starts 127 games long. Nick Harper has not been practicing this week making way for the underrated Rod Hood to scratch the line up.
It will be interesting to see how the Rod Hood situation plays out. What if he comes back to LP Field with the red boots and cape he was donning last time? There’s a good number of fans who can not tolerate Nick Harper any longer. While he did come up with a big interception last week versus the Dolphins, anyone that was really watching him in that game could plainly see that he just doesn’t have the ball skills to play in a man scheme.
Rod Hood on the other hand has captivated the imaginations of some fans although it may turn out that those expectations are a bit lofty and based on too narrow of a body of work. Kevin Dyson of Titans radio doesn’t seem the least bit impressed. He erroneously asked one caller on the show if Rod Hood is so great then why doesn’t he play special teams? The fact is Hood does play special teams and has posted 3 special teams solo tackles.
I can get with the idea that when a guy is on the street he is on the street for a reason but I don’t know about the Hood and Harper situation. It absolutely horrifies me to think about Nick Harper out there with a truly gifted quarterback like Philip Rivers throwing lasers all over the place. At least with Rod Hood it leaves the expectations a bit more wide open. Besides, Rod Hood is emblematic of the 2009 Tennessee Titans. He’s been down and out and left for dead. He’s been told he’s not going to get his chance. Now it looks as if the Titans really need him. I’m hoping he goes out and has the game of his life and we have the time of ours.
Merry Christmas from Dixie.