Titans, primed and ready!

by James Boswell ProFootballFanatics.com owner/publisher

I read a very comical article the other day by Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "Titans ignore calendar and fool the Rams."

In this article Jim, and Coach Martz, seemed "amused" at the strategy of Jeff Fisher and the Tennessee Titans.

Evidently, Jim, and Coach Martz, got a big chuckle out of the Titans aggressive and physical play and the fact that Jeff Fisher and the Titans would break preseason etiquette and go as far as to "dial up a fake punt" less than seven minutes into the game last Friday night. A play in which back-up cornerback Donald Mitchell took off with the punt snap and burned the "most improved defense in the league" for 34-yards and a first down on the Rams 23-yard line.

"That fake punt?" Martz commented. "I was shocked. "Hey, that's fine. Who knows? We may try one next week. Teams don't usually run trick plays in the preseason." In addition, as Jim pointed out, "That's as far as Martz would go in terms of any comment on the Titans," other than to mention Tennessee's "exotic blitzing."

First of all, what's with these two? Making fun of a team for playing to win? A team that definitely had the Rams number, on first, second or third-string and on both sides of the ball. By the way Coach Martz, if this was only an insignificant preseason match-up, why did you leave your first-string offensive line in there for three quarters?

Game Stats

Stat Titans Rams

TOTAL NET YDS. 300 226

Total Plays 64 69

Avg. Gain Per Play 4.7 3.3

NET YDS. RUSHING 89 7

Rushes 26 21

Avg. Per Rush 3.4 0.3

NET YDS. PASSING 211 219

Pass Completion 20-36 19-45

Yards Per Pass 5.6 4.6

The Titans outgained the Rams 154-13 in offensive yardage in the second quarter. "Titans ignore calendar and fool the Rams." Fooled or just fools?

The Titans held the Rams to a total of only seven-yards rushing on 21 carries, and only one-yard rushing on 14 carries in the second half. Robert Holcombe, who filled in for Marshall Faulk, had zero yards on 13 attempts. "They whipped us up front, they whipped us on the goal line," Holcombe said. "They beat us."

Jim, and Coach Martz, face it, your team got beat, and soundly I might add. You lost, preseason or not. Your own player admits it, so why can't you. Quit making excuses and be men about it.

Tennessee 23, St. Louis 10

James Boswell owns and runs ProFootballFanatics.com, where he covers the Tennessee Titans, as well as provide commentary on the NFL.