Free Shoulder Pads
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Vince Young is done. Jeff Fisher’s future is in question. And the Tennessee Titan’s playoff hopes are in danger of evaporating before our eyes. What happened on Sunday?! Here is the Titan Sized Tirade from Week 10’s crushing loss to the Washington Redskins.
1st Quarter (Momentum Redskins)
The Redskins offense picked up where it left off last week. Sack, incomplete pass, 3-yard rush by Clinton Portis, punt. The Titans handed the ball right back and still the Redskins stalled before crossing midfield. On their next possession, the Redskins did manage a sustained touchdown (Santana Moss 5-yard reception) drive with the help of a rare Moss highlight.
Marc Mariani is an absolute beast.
The Titan offense picked up right where it left off last week, as well. 14-yard rush by Chris Johnson, fumble by Vince Young. An inexcusable mistake considering it was inside the red zone. VY’s mistakes in the redzone, this year, have cost the Titans quite a few points. It was nice to see the Titans give the ball to CJ on 3 consecutive plays (came up a yard short, this time).
2nd Quarter (Momentum Titans)
The Redskins started the 2nd with the ball and this time made it all the way to the Titan 1 yard line (Graham Gano 19-yard FG). The next drive ended abruptly, courtesy of Will Witherspoon and quickly the Redskins looked to fall apart again. But, their defense held, and the offense pieced together a nifty drive that fortunately was not close enough (Gano missed 51-yard FG).
The Titans were on their way to an 80-yard touchdown drive, until a holding penalty (Eugene Amano) forced the Titans to settle (Rob Bironas 25-yard FG). The Titan offense saw only one other drive in the 2nd, quietly going 3-and-out. The Titan defense battled well in this quarter, forcing a turnover and holding the Skins to a field goal despite a 1st and goal at the Titan 5-yard line.
3rd Quarter (Momentum Redskins)
Again the Titan offense came out firing, but sadly faltered deep in Redskins territory and luckily avoided another VY fumble (Bironas 32-yard FG). The next possession could very well be the last time Vince Young leads the Tennessee Titans as a captain and quarterback. After a deep strike to Nate Washington, VY came up holding his hand (torn tendon in finger).
Because Jeff Fisher likes to keep games close, Titan fans of the last 17 years know that every game will come down to a series of plays, or what I like to call the “Fisher Sequence.”
“Fisher Sequence”
With VY sidelined, Jeff Fisher called on rookie Rusty Smith. After two CJ2K rushes resulted in 7 yards, Mike Heimerdinger felt a passing play could get the final 3 yards, despite being on the Washington 36 yard line (edge of Bironas’ range). The gamble was the Redskins would not be prepared for a passing play or that CJ had little to no chance of gaining 3 yards in that scenario.
But, the pass fell incomplete, the Titans punted, and a game-changing drive slipped away from the Titans.
4th Quarter (Momentum Titans)
Donovan McNabb and the Redskins easily moved the ball across midfield on the majority of their drives, but in this drive like so many others met resistance the moment they reached point scoring range. The first drive ended in a punt. The next drive however managed another field goal (Gano 42-yards). This field goal tied the game for good, sending the game into overtime.
Smith managed a dandy of a pass to Washington that helped the Titans claim a short lead (Bironas 40-yard FG) in the beginning of the 4th. However, with the game tied, the ball, and less than 5 minutes remaining Rusty blew his chance to become the Music City’s new man. Almost as maddening as the decision to pull Chris Johnson from the game for “a blow” despite consecutive rushes of 20 and 29 yards. Come on, we have talked about this!
Overtime (Match Redskins)
At least the Titans won the coin toss. Following a 15-yard CJ2K rush and a stuff at the line of scrimmage, the ball was again taken from his hands. Two plays later, the Titans punted and never saw the ball again.
The Redskins offense bumbled the ball down the field, with the help of 35 yards of Titan penalties and finally and mercifully ended this disaster (Gano 48-yard FG).
FINAL/OT: Titans 16 – Redskins 19
The Redskins are a bad football team, right now. Apparently, the Titans are worse, right now. Adding insult to injury (pun thoroughly intended), Vince Young decided it appropriate to toss the majority of his uniform into the stands, curse Jeff Fisher in the locker room, and walk out on his Titan teammates. And just like that a 5-2 playoff contender finds itself 5-5 and facing a must-win game against the division rival Houston Texans this Sunday.