hno:
Larry Ness' 20* AFC South Game of the Month (Titans/Texans)
My 20* AFC South Game of the Month is on the Ten Titans at 8:35 ET. The Texans have used an improved defense and a career season from QB Matt Schaub to get to 5-4, the club's first winning record through nine games in the team's eight-year history. The Texans are coming off a bye, after losing at Indy on November 8, 20-17. Kris Brown missed a 42-yard FG and as WR Andre Johnson said, "There are no moral victories." There is definitely a "new attitude" in Houston these days but the Texans face a tough opponent in the Titans. Tennessee opened the 2008 season 10-0 and would finish 13-3 (the best record in the league), as well as going a league-best 12-3-1 ATS. However, nothing went right for the Titans to open 2009. After losing 13-10 in OT at Pittsburgh in Week 1 and following that loss with a 34-31 home loss to these Texans, the Titans IMPLODED. Four more losses followed with Tennessee getting outscored 151-43. The final loss in the team's 0-6 start in 2009 came 59-0 at New England. Fortunately the Titans had a bye in Week 7 and the team has been able to regroup. The team's owner instructed HC Fisher to go with Vince Young at QB (replacing Kerry Collins, who had replaced Young at the beginning of LY) and the Titans have gone 3-0 SU and ATS since returning from their bye. Young has completed 71.0 percent of his throws, while increasing his passing yards each game (125, 172 and 210). He's thrown just one INT (only has two TDs) which is crucial and has added 73 yards rushing (one TD). Young's been solid but Chris Johnson and the return to health of the team's secondary has been the main reason for the 3-0 spurt. Chris Johnson leads the league in rushing with 1,091 yards and as they say in the NHL, has a "game in hand" with MNF. He's 'EXPLODED' in Tennessee's three-game winning streak, gaining 495 yards (165 per / 6.6 YPC / 6 TDs) and scoring two TDs in each game. In Tennessee's win last week, he also caught nine passes for another 100 yards. Tennessee's 'D' was among the best in the NFL last year, allowing the second-fewest points (14.6 PPG) and 293.6 YPG (7th-best). However, with injuries to its secondary, Tennessee allowed a ridiculous 304.7 YPG through six games, giving up 19 TD passes with just four INTs. However, with the return to health of a number of key players, Tennessee's allowed 202 YPG through the air the last three games with just four TD passes allowed and seven INTs. After allowing 33.0 PPG through six games, the Titans have allowed just 19.0 PPG in their winning streak. As mentioned earlier, Matt Schaub is having a career season for Houston, completing 67.5 percent with 17 TDs (already a single-season career-best), nine INTs and a QB rating of 98.1. He's averaging almost 300 YPG in the air (294.8) but faces a much improved Tennessee pass D in this game without TE Owen Daniels (40 catches / 5 TDs), who has been lost for the season. That's a HUGE loss, as he had become a real "go-to guy" for Scahaub, after the wonderful Andre Johnson (54 catches / 800 yards). Johnson is terrific but he won't have much help down the stretch, as the Texans search for the first-ever winning season and a playoff berth. The running game was bolstered last year by the outstanding play of rookie Steve Slaton (1,282 yards / 4.8 YPC). However, Slaton got off to a slow start and more importantly, couldn't hold on to the ball (seven fumbles / five lost). The Texans replaced him with Ryan Moats at Indy but after gaining 126 yards the week before vs Buffalo, he ran for just 38 yards on 16 carries (2.4 YPC). Slaton, who's had just 18 yards (seven carries) in his last two games, is back as starter. I'm not sure this indecision is good, are you? Schaub is without TE Daniels and has four INTs in his last two games plus the RB position is very unsettled. The Texans have held their last six opponents to an average of 60.5 rushing YPG (the fewest in the NFL in that stretch), dropping the team's season average to 90.8 YPG. However, the Texans have allowed 4.7 YPC on the year, among the five-worst averages in the league. With Chris Johnson coming to town, watch out! The Titans own an 8-1 edge in turnover margin during their three-game winning streak and I just don't see giving them points in this one. AFC South Game of the Month 20* Ten Titans.
My 20* AFC South Game of the Month is on the Ten Titans at 8:35 ET. The Texans have used an improved defense and a career season from QB Matt Schaub to get to 5-4, the club's first winning record through nine games in the team's eight-year history. The Texans are coming off a bye, after losing at Indy on November 8, 20-17. Kris Brown missed a 42-yard FG and as WR Andre Johnson said, "There are no moral victories." There is definitely a "new attitude" in Houston these days but the Texans face a tough opponent in the Titans. Tennessee opened the 2008 season 10-0 and would finish 13-3 (the best record in the league), as well as going a league-best 12-3-1 ATS. However, nothing went right for the Titans to open 2009. After losing 13-10 in OT at Pittsburgh in Week 1 and following that loss with a 34-31 home loss to these Texans, the Titans IMPLODED. Four more losses followed with Tennessee getting outscored 151-43. The final loss in the team's 0-6 start in 2009 came 59-0 at New England. Fortunately the Titans had a bye in Week 7 and the team has been able to regroup. The team's owner instructed HC Fisher to go with Vince Young at QB (replacing Kerry Collins, who had replaced Young at the beginning of LY) and the Titans have gone 3-0 SU and ATS since returning from their bye. Young has completed 71.0 percent of his throws, while increasing his passing yards each game (125, 172 and 210). He's thrown just one INT (only has two TDs) which is crucial and has added 73 yards rushing (one TD). Young's been solid but Chris Johnson and the return to health of the team's secondary has been the main reason for the 3-0 spurt. Chris Johnson leads the league in rushing with 1,091 yards and as they say in the NHL, has a "game in hand" with MNF. He's 'EXPLODED' in Tennessee's three-game winning streak, gaining 495 yards (165 per / 6.6 YPC / 6 TDs) and scoring two TDs in each game. In Tennessee's win last week, he also caught nine passes for another 100 yards. Tennessee's 'D' was among the best in the NFL last year, allowing the second-fewest points (14.6 PPG) and 293.6 YPG (7th-best). However, with injuries to its secondary, Tennessee allowed a ridiculous 304.7 YPG through six games, giving up 19 TD passes with just four INTs. However, with the return to health of a number of key players, Tennessee's allowed 202 YPG through the air the last three games with just four TD passes allowed and seven INTs. After allowing 33.0 PPG through six games, the Titans have allowed just 19.0 PPG in their winning streak. As mentioned earlier, Matt Schaub is having a career season for Houston, completing 67.5 percent with 17 TDs (already a single-season career-best), nine INTs and a QB rating of 98.1. He's averaging almost 300 YPG in the air (294.8) but faces a much improved Tennessee pass D in this game without TE Owen Daniels (40 catches / 5 TDs), who has been lost for the season. That's a HUGE loss, as he had become a real "go-to guy" for Scahaub, after the wonderful Andre Johnson (54 catches / 800 yards). Johnson is terrific but he won't have much help down the stretch, as the Texans search for the first-ever winning season and a playoff berth. The running game was bolstered last year by the outstanding play of rookie Steve Slaton (1,282 yards / 4.8 YPC). However, Slaton got off to a slow start and more importantly, couldn't hold on to the ball (seven fumbles / five lost). The Texans replaced him with Ryan Moats at Indy but after gaining 126 yards the week before vs Buffalo, he ran for just 38 yards on 16 carries (2.4 YPC). Slaton, who's had just 18 yards (seven carries) in his last two games, is back as starter. I'm not sure this indecision is good, are you? Schaub is without TE Daniels and has four INTs in his last two games plus the RB position is very unsettled. The Texans have held their last six opponents to an average of 60.5 rushing YPG (the fewest in the NFL in that stretch), dropping the team's season average to 90.8 YPG. However, the Texans have allowed 4.7 YPC on the year, among the five-worst averages in the league. With Chris Johnson coming to town, watch out! The Titans own an 8-1 edge in turnover margin during their three-game winning streak and I just don't see giving them points in this one. AFC South Game of the Month 20* Ten Titans.
