A Titanic frustration
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Titans are putting up impressive offensive numbers. Unfortunately, none has translated into a win.
In a season in which the injuries just keep coming, some of the Titans are glad the end finally is in sight.
“Let’s go practice, play these two games hard, try and get these two wins, and then just go into the off-season,” linebacker Keith Bulluck said after Sunday’s 45-30 loss at Oakland.
“I’ve never been on a 4-10 team in the NFL, so a lot of this is frustration,” he said.
The franchise hasn’t been 4-10 with only two games left since 1994, when the then-Houston Oilers finished 4-12, a season that resulted in Jack Pardee being fired and Jeff Fisher – then the defensive coordinator – being promoted to interim head coach.
The Titans have lost four straight, and prospects aren’t good even though they wrap up the season at home. They play their third game in 13 days on Christmas night when they host Denver.
Fisher gave his Titans the day off Monday to rest, and said he isn’t worried that they will give in to the frustration.
“They’re going to play to the end as hard as they can to the very last play against Detroit,” Fisher said. “I have no concern about that.”
But it isn’t easy playing without starters, and the Titans were without 10 – six on defense and four on offense – when they fell to Oakland.
Billy Volek threw for a career-high 492 yards in the loss, joining Dan Marino, Dan Fouts and Phil Simms as players with consecutive 400-yard passing games.
Volek, who didn’t start an NFL game until Dec. 14, 2003, has thrown for more yards (2,305) in his first seven career starts than any player in history.
Drew Bennett leads the AFC with 1,171 yards receiving, including 517 in the last three games.
But the offense, which struggled to put up points the first half of the season, hasn’t been the Titans’ problem lately. The defense has given up more than 100 points in the last three games. That coincides with losing cornerback Samari Rolle, leaving the secondary without three starters.
“The guys that are in are playing their butts off, but everything is going too fast for them,” Bulluck said. “Guys we have out there, they have a lot on them right now. That’s something that needs to be known, that there’s not a lack of effort from anyone who’s out there. It’s just hard to learn the defense in three weeks.”
The Titans haven’t lapsed into finger-pointing. They also have had chances to either tie or win at the end of three of their last four losses.
“The character of this team is being tested through some tough circumstances, but you know what? That’s life,” defensive lineman Kevin Carter said. “There’s no one in this locker room that’s crying about the situation. We’re going to go out there and play.”