In a continuation of our pre-game cooperation with Music City Miracles, Jimmy was gracious enough to answer five questions I had regarding his Tennessee Titans.  Here they are.

1.  The Titans have enjoyed a resurgence since starting the season 0-6.  Is this due just to the change at quarterback from Kerry Collins to Vince Young, or is there more to the recent turnaround?

MCM:  The QB changes has helped because Vince Young has played very efficiently where Collins did not, but there is a lot more to the turnaround. Chris Johnson has had 3 really good games.  The secondary has gotten healthy so it isn't the gaping hole that it was for a few weeks.  The coaching staff finally decided to go with the young guys on the defensive line, and they have played well.  

So while the QB change has helped, and it is what is getting the attention, it isn't the biggest factor in the turnaround.

2.  Chris Johnson’s campaign for the Pro Bowl began in Week 2 against the Texans with 3 touchdowns and 284 all-purpose yards.  Since Week 3 though, the Texans have stymied opponents’ rushing attacks for an average of 60.5 yards per game.  Do you think Johnson will be slowed at all in the rematch, or will he have another huge day?

MCM:  I don't expect him to have the same numbers that he did in Week 2, but I do expect him to get his yards.  It only takes one or two missed assignments by a defense for CJ to put up big numbers.

The Titans also figured out how to throw a screen pass over the last 3 weeks.  It is just another way to get the ball in CJ's hands.

3.  The Texans have the 3rd ranked passing attack going against the Titans’ 31st ranked pass defense.  How can the Titans slow down Matt Schaub and company?

MCM:  By getting pressure on Schaub with the front 4 and the secondary playing their assignments.  

It is close to impossible to shut a guy like Andre Johnson down, but the Titans should be able to keep him from putting up the numbers he did in Week 2 by playing their assignments.  The safeties, Chris Hope and Michael Griffin, have been biting hard on the run fakes all season.  Hopefully they won't do that in this game.

The front 4 has improved since the last time these two played.  As a matter of fact, Jacob Ford, one of the best pass rushers on the team, wasn't even active for that game.  William Hayes has replaced Jevon Kearse in the starting lineup and is playing well also.  They should be able to keep Schaub from getting comfortable in the pocket.

4.  Obviously Bud Adams is not an extremely popular person in the city of Houston.  What is the your reaction and that of the typical Titans fan of his flipping the bird in Buffalo last week?

MCM:  I am not quite sure how to react to it honestly.  Part of me thought it was hilarious, and part of me thought it was just sad.  I think it is safe to say after getting hammered with a $250K fine Mr. Adams will be on his best behavior for a while.

5.  How do you think the game will play out on Monday, an what will the final score be?

MCM:  I think this is going to be a very good game that comes down to the wire.  I think Vince Young puts up his best numbers of the season and leads the team down the field to set up a field goal in the 4th quarter for the win. 24-21 Titans.

Titans vs Texans coverage

For all the wringing of hands over Vince Young's return to Reliant on Monday night, it's understood that Chris Johnson has likely earned the focus of Frank Bush & Company. 1,091 rushing yards, an average of 6.42 yards per carry, 262 receiving yards, an average of 8.73 yards per reception, 9 TDs, and quite possibly the greatest speed in the NFL tend to take the spotlight off even VY.

For all his otherworldly talents, however, Chris Johnson has been contained at times this year. Against Pittsburgh, he was limited to 68 total yards. The Jets held him to 105 total yards in Week Three. The Jags cut him off at 94 yards in Week Four, and Week Five saw CJ post a paltry 43 total yards. Keeping Chris Johnson in check is possible, if not probable.

In their prior matchup with the Titans, your Houston Texans saw Johnson trample them for an insane 284 total yards (197 rushing/87 receiving) and 3 TDs. In other words, that Week Two loss to the Texans accounted for 18% of his rushing yards, 33% of his receiving yards, and 33% of the touchdowns he's tallied on the season. He has to be licking his chops for Monday night.

In all the Chris-Johnson-For-Jebus and Vince-Young-For-Pope hoopla, the point that might not be getting as much run is that, despite Chris Johnson having his way with the Texans in Week Two (included but not limited to lining up wide with no one within 15 yards of him pre-snap), the Texans still managed to beat the Titans in Nashville. What's more, that Texans' defense did not feature Bernard Pollard or Jacques Reeves. That defense did prominently feature Fred Bennett, Nick Ferguson, and Dominique Barber, none of whom are likely to see the field on anything but special teams (at best) come Monday night. Just as VY makes the Titans' offense a different animal, the Texans' defense has evolved into something entirely different.

My question is simple: If you're Frank Bush, what do you do to contain Chris Johnson? My initial thought is that you have to spy him, but with who? Pollard? Brian Cushing? DeMeco Ryans? For those of you who saw any of the games where CJ was held in check, what did those defenses do?

We've all heard and read how teams want to shift the burden to Vince Young and the rest of the offense. Implicit in that assertion is containing Chris Johnson. How do you do it?

Titans vs Texans coverage

The details:

DATE: Monday, November 23, 2009.
TIME: 4 p.m. CST.
WHERE: Orange Lot of Reliant Stadium.
WHAT TO BRING: Whatever You Want To Eat and/or Drink. And chairs, if you want to sit.

If you've got an Orange Lot parking pass, please meet up at in the parking lot of Pappasito's across 610 from Reliant (2515 S. Loop West, Houston, TX 77054) at 3 p.m. if at all possible. The plan is to form a convoy so all the BRB vehicles can get into the Orange Lot at the same time in order to park together.

Cooler space and ice will be very much appreciated for those of us who do not have a parking pass for the Orange Lot. To the extent anyone would like reimbursement for the ice, I'll gladly pass the hat for reimbursement.

Finally, please e-mail me (my address is listed on the left sidebar of the main page) if you're planning on attending. On Sunday, I'll send out an e-mail to all the attendees so we have a way of communicating with each other on Monday. The plan is to grab a spot by the grass in the Orange Lot, but we'll need a way to alert everyone as to where we'll be if that doesn't work out.

Questions, concerns, suggestions? Share 'em in the Comments below.

This was too great not to make sure every Texans fan hears it.

In an interview with 1560 The Game today, Bernard Pollard was getting everyone fired up. In short, he will knock the piss out of you!

Do yourself a favor and listen to the whole interview.

I took last week off, sorry.  After the Colts loss, we fell in the rankings, but only two slots.  So where did the Texans end up after a week of cooling their heels? They landed at an average of 13 in the rankings.

ESPN:  13

In their one chance to show off in prime time -- on ESPN's "MNF" vs. the Titans -- the Texans need to slow Chris Johnson.

Fox Sports:  16

The next three weeks will be huge for Houston, which goes back-to-back-to-back against each of the division rivals by hosting the Titans and Colts before a week 13 visit to Jacksonville.

CBS Sports:  13

They come off thier bye with a chance to earn their first playoff birth with a good second half.  The key will be how they play on defense.

Yahoo Sports:  14

Are they ready for another Vince Young homecoming - and if Sunday's game goes into overtime, should they guard against this?

Pro Football Weekly:  16

Owner Bob McNair: "We're not an elite team."

Pro Football Talk:  11

Ah, the bye week.  A chance to relax, sit back... and watch every other team in your division win their games.

NFL Experts Average Ranking:  11

Texans fans better begin preparing themselves for the biggest threat the Tennessee Titans will bring to Houston on Monday Night Football on November 23^rd. No, I’m not talking about the stiff rivalry these two teams have developed. No, not Chris Johnson, who tore the Houston defense to shreds in Week Two. And, no, not Kyle Vanden Bosch and his inevitable war with Eric Winston. The weapon that I am talking about is the devout and undying man-love of the Vince Young fan boys. You know who you are.

Now, I know everyone in Houston remembers the war that went on between the Reggie Bush fans and the Vince Young fans before the 2006 NFL draft. It was painful and something none of us wish to relive. Plenty of things were said and outrageous (sometimes asinine) claims made. And in the end, Houston didn’t draft either of those guys. Which turned out to be the right pick, truthfully (and if you still doubt this, Mario should come to your house and kick you in your throat).

In his rookie season, Vince Young seemed to prove many of his detractors, myself included, wrong by winning the Offensive Rookie of The Year.  But plenty weren’t fooled. Again, myself included. All the things being said about Vince Young’s game were all the same things said about Michael Vick. And we all saw how much Vick’s game declined once defenses learned how to stop him. And for my money, Vick was probably better than Vince ever was. But that isn’t the debate here. Many of us knew that Vince’s reign in Tennessee was going to be short lived. So his benching in favor of journeyman Kerry Collins came as no surprise to most.

Let’s be honest:  When you can’t beat out Kerry Collins for the starting job, you may be a little overrated. And he still wouldn't be playing if Titans owner Bud Adams hadn't forced Jeff Fisher's hand. VY fan boys love to throw out the phrase "All Vince Young does is win!" That is complete garbage. If the defense has five sacks, two interceptions and a return for a touchdown, it has nothing to do with Vince. Yet, they seem to claim he "wills" them to victory. It is quite ridiculous.

Then there are the ones who call into local sports radio and say Vince is better than Matt Schaub. Again, a complete joke. I mean, reading some of the stuff said on blogs and message boards is downright laughable. There are even guys who claim VY is better than Schaub because he is better looking. No kidding. And then they wonder why I accuse them of having an unhealthy crush on VY. Please...Matt Schaub is being mentioned with guys like Peyton Manning, Ben Roethlisberger, Drew Brees and Carson Palmer now. And you’re comparing "125 yards passing" Vince Young to him?

WAKE UP!!!!!

The funny thing is that I always get called a "UT hater" because I don’t have unquestionable devotion for Vince. Which is unbelievable when you factor in that I am a University of Texas fan. Quite a big one. I cheered for Vince in college. I liked him. But there are several players I liked in college that I don’t judge the same in the pros. I don’t care what you did in college and I don't care what city you were born in. Reggie Bush did a lot in college, too, didn’t he? How's that working out? The NFL is a completely different world. So that accusation holds absolutely no water.

Look, if you want to be a Vince fan, that is your choice. I don’t have anything personal against the guy. I just think he is overrated by the Houston sports fan. And I am pretty sure that this is the only city in America that it still happens in. I am simply saying that if you’re going to defend Vince, come up with some better points than "All he does is win." Because I remember a guy named Trent Dilfer that did nothing but win in 2000. And I am pretty sure it wasn’t all because of him.

If you want to flame me and say I am against the "hometown guy," go for it in the comments section below. But it is just untrue. I am certain this is about to cause a lot of debate between the pro-VY and anti-VY camps, but that is kind of the point. What else are we going to do during a bye week? I guess we can all watch Vince walk on water or cure the blind or something.

Bring the pain and fire away in the comments below.

Titans vs Texans coverage

TexansForever raised the same question in this FanPost, so I figured it was a fine time to check in on my preseason prediction regarding the regular season record of your Houston Texans. Back in early September, I reluctantly concluded the Texans would finish 10-6. Specifically, I said the Texans would fare as follows through the first nine (9) games:

1. Jets--WIN. Having seen our defense in the preseason, this makes me awfully nervous, but I'll give the edge to the team playing at home and not starting a rookie at QB.
2. @ Titans--LOSS. I'd love to pick the Texans to win in Nashville, but, to paraphrase Sean Connery in "The Rock," that's sheer lunacy until further notice.
3. Jaguars--WIN. I still don't buy David Garrard, and it seems like he actually has LESS options in the passing game this year.
4. Raiders--WIN. Immediately after the game, Al Davis announces that he's sent first-round draft picks in 2012 and 2013 to Houston for The Corpse Formerly Known As Anthony Weaver. Davis is not the least bit discouraged by the fact that the Texans no longer own Weaver's rights.
5. @ Cardinals--LOSS. I'd be scared of Larry Fitzgerald or Anquan Boldin. But both? Against a secondary that may have Jacques Reeves returning from a broken leg this week? No, thank you.
6. @ Bengals--WIN. But the Bengals get a far more important victory...the moral kind, courtesy of Andre Smith getting the first glimpse of his toes in four years after the game.
7. 49ers--LOSS. Trap game.
8. @ Bills--WIN. No joke here. I feel really bad for Buffalo fans.
9. @ Colts--LOSS. No Rosencopter this time. Say hello to the Grossburg! Seriously, though...may the all-knowing deity of your choice help us all if Schaub misses any appreciable amount of time this season. If Vegas set the line on the number of games Matt Schaub would finish this season at 14, logic says you'd have to take the under, wouldn't you? Thinking about this depresses me greatly. Thank goodness we've reached the bye week.

Thus, I had the Texans at 5-4, precisely where they are now, albeit with several incorrect individual game predictions. In other words, I was right, but not really. I said the second half would unfold as follows:

11. Titans--WIN. It's football, played at night, in front of a national audience, during the work week. Recent history suggests the Texans will show well here. NOTE: Preseason games don't count. Move along. Nothing to see here.
12. Colts--WIN. Because it has to happen again during my lifetime.
13. @ Jaguars--LOSS. Felt pretty good until this, didn't you? What with the seven wins and all? Reality check.
14. Seahawks--WIN. Only because it's at Reliant. Not sure why, but this game really scares me.
15. @ Rams--WIN. Be it Marc Bulger or Kyle Boller, it's gonna be a rough year in St. Louis.
16. @ Dolphins--LOSS. Like most everyone else, I think Miami's going to fall back to the pack a bit this year, but they'll still be good enough to bite the Texans here.
17. Patriots--WIN. Only because the Patriots will be resting Al Davis' future employees.

Given the opportunity to revise that prediction now, I'm going to say:

11. Titans--WIN. Yes, even with Vince Young under center.
12. Colts--LOSS. Peyton Manning makes me sad.
13. @ Jaguars--WIN. I would like to think the Texans learned from their first experience against the Jags this season.
14. Seahawks--WIN. I have nothing insightful to say here.
15. @ Rams--WIN. May Durga have mercy on us all if the Rams sneak up on Kubes & Co.
16. @ Dolphins--LOSS. Miami's not going to the playoffs, but they're going to have the chance to spoil postseasons for other teams.
17. Patriots--WIN. After last night's debacle, however, I don't feel nearly as confident about Belichick resting his starters here. If the Patriots have something to play for here (and absent a collapse by the Colts, it won't be homefield advantage throughout the AFC playoffs), I may be forced to revisit this call.

Looking at the remaining schedule, in conjunction with what we've seen through nine games, what's your feeling? Sound off in the Comments.

Titans vs Texans coverage

We've tackled the debate over who has been most outstanding member of the offense; time to look at the other end of the spectrum. Which offensive player on the Texans has disappointed you the most thus far? Vote in the poll below and let us know why you voted the way you did in the Comments.

Poll

Who Has Been the Most Disappointing Player on the Texans' Offense Through Nine Games?

• Kevin Walter
• Chris Myers
• Kasey Studdard
• Chris White
• Chris Brown
• Steve Slaton
• Antoine Caldwell
• Dan Orlovsky

  679 votes | Results