Tennessee Titans vs. Houston Texans preview
It sure has been a tumultuous week for the Tennessee Titans. Randy Moss’ new team has dealt with its share of unwanted attention, and for once, number 84 isn’t the reason behind it. The Titans will give quarterback Rusty Smith an opportunity, as the 23-year-old
6ft 5in Florida native makes his first NFL start against the Houston Texans on Sunday 28 November.
Usual starting quarterback Vince Young will be out for the remainder of the season after requiring surgery for a damaged flexor tendon in his right thumb. Second stringer Kerry Collins is still recovering from a calf injury.
The 5-5 Titans are attempting to climb back into the play-off race, but have faced distractions all week. There has been a well-documented rift between coach Jeff Fisher and Vince Young, and last week the situation hit its peak.
Young threw his jersey and equipment into the crowd after last Sunday's loss to the Washington Redskins. After the game, the two got into a heated exchange, with Young reportedly storming out of the locker room.
Young was asked not to attend a team meeting this week, and although he texted Fisher an apology, the coach said it wasn’t good enough.
"I'm not really into this new-age stuff,” revealed Fisher. “I don't twit or tweet. But I think face-to-face is a man thing, OK?"
Over the course of the first nine games this season, Young has thrown for 1,255 yards and 10 touchdowns, while posting a quarterback rating of 98.6, which is a career high. This week’s starter Smith is a sixth-round draft out of Florida Atlantic. In his
only appearance last game, Smith had three completions for 62 yards while throwing an interception.
Coach Fisher expressed confidence in his rookie quarterback saying, “I'm excited for Rusty because Rusty knows what to do. Rusty understands the offence. There is going to be some growing pains with him a little bit, but I think Rusty will be successful."
The young quarterback will be facing a weak Texans pass defence that currently ranks last in the league in yards allowed per game. Furthermore, Texas had trouble shutting down last year's NFL rushing champion Chris Johnson, who averaged 174 yards per game
during last season's two contests.
The Texans are currently on a four-game losing streak, despite starting the season 4-2. Houston has lost its past two games in heartbreaking fashion, losing to each Jacksonville and the New York Jets during the last minute of the game. "We sure as h**l aren't
giving up," Texas coach Gary Kubiak said. "There's a lot of football left to play." Houston has yet to reach the play-offs since its inaugural season in 2002.
On the bright side, Houston running back Arian Foster leads the NFL with an average of 100.4 rushing yards per game. He has eight touchdowns in his last five games.
This will be a tight match-up, with the Titans sitting in third place, while the Texans are last in the AFC South. The division is wide open, as Jacksonville is atop the standings with a marginal 6-4 record. The teams played each other twice last year,
splitting the series 1-1. Both games were decided by three points.
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