Alright, here it is. The big Monday Night Game vs the Houston Texans. Houston has a chance to put themselves on track for the playoffs. The Titans have a chance to humiliate them on National Television. Sweet.
We are starting early here and will be chatting all during ESPN’s Monday Night Countdown, so if you wish to join early to mock Chris Berman and Co., please do so.
Well the obvious. Houston used to have a team called the Oilers. The Oilers then moved to Nashville and became the Titans. The Texans were then created in Houston. This gave a team to Houston to root for against the team that left them originally.
Inter-division games always seem to matter (when in reality, they have very little bearing on the way things play out, except that they play each other twice).
Bud Adams is hated in Houston.
Arguments against:
Rivalry games are rarely based on external influences. Rivalries are based on two good teams that play each other when they’re both good multiple times for a lot, if not all, of the marbles. Naturally the Colts should be archrivals with the Ravens since the Colts left etc., etc. But they’re not. Nobody really cares. Colts-Patriots on the other hand attracts over 25 million viewers each time they play. Why? Because those teams are good and have been good for a decade and have played each other several times.
I can’t speak for Texans fans, but for Titans fans this game is 4th on the list, if not lower. For me, it’s definitely 5th or so. The Ravens is #1 by a mile for the Titans, followed by the Colts. The Colts game is always huge for Titans fans. Why these two? Because the Titans have played, beaten, and lost to both these teams in the playoffs at some point. Following them would be Jacksonville. While this rivalry has faded in recent years due to both teams never being good at the same time, the Titans and the Jaguars have played several meaningful games in their history. In all honesty, I don’t think the Titans and Texans have ever played for anything more meaningful than pride.
The Titans are 11-4 vs Houston since the franchise was founded. Too lopsided to be a rivalry.
My personal verdict is no. It’s a division game. It certainly carries more importance than say Titans vs. Rams, but no. It is not a rivalry game to me.
The game of hope. If we win this, people can say the “P” word with a little, just a little, more credibility. That’s nice and all, but I am a total realist. So my view is more like this: I just want to pop the Texans little bubble.
See, Texans fans are still holding on to the belief that they’re a good team. They hold the belief that they’re an arch-rival to us. They believe that by beating us last time we played, their team proved they’re good and we’re bad.
All of that can come crashing down tonight if the Titans crush them in this game.
2009 Tennessee Titans = Hope Killers. For once, it’d be nice to apply that title to the other team.
Ah yes. The Texans. A team I have come to hate more and more. So here we are, in roles I would’ve never predicted before the season. The Titans have a chance to play spoilers to the Texans playoff hopes. I know at 5-5 they wouldn’t technically be out of it, but that’d put them on the path to 8-8, which is where they always end up. Also, 8-8 isn’t making it to the playoffs this year. Alright, so lets preview this sucker.
I'd love to see CJ crack 200 yards on MNF
Strengths for the Titans
CHRIS JOHNSON: I wouldn’t be surprised to see this turn into the “Chris Johnson Show” as he breaks 200 yards on national TV and he becomes a national sensation.
Pass Rush: It’s back. And we’ll ne ed it.
Field Goal Kicking: It might matter in this game. Kris Brown vs. Indy, anyone?
Weaknesses for the Titans
Coverage: If the pass rush doesn’t get there, it will get painful. In a hurry. It would help if Griffin didn’t take off in a full sprint at the line of scrimmage every play action.
Playing from behind: This team is not built to get in a shootout with the Texans, and it could turn into that in a hurry.
As many of the regulars know, we do a live chat during every single Titans game. Usually how they work is that you come here, type your name in and whatever you want to say in the chat. However, the downside is that your responses are slightly delayed because I have to approve every response manually.
So, to make life cooler for you regular chatters and easier for me (the real reason I am doing this), I am putting out a notice that anybody who wishes to be included in the list of panelists for the Titans vs. Texans game on Monday Night, send me an email declaring said interest in being a panelist to 0066cc; text-decoration: none;" title="Email T-Rac's Posse" href="mailto:tracsposse@gmail.com" target="_blank">tracsposse@gmail.com.
Advantages of being a panelist during the Live Game chats are really only two things:
You get to upload a pretty little picture that appears by your name for everything you say in the chat.
Everything you say is unmoderated and is posted immediately to the chat. No delay if I happen to be peeing or eating food, unlike non-panelists who sometimes experienced severe delays due to me taking care of bodily functions.
So, if you have interest in this, send me an email and you will get the invite within the next couple of days with instructions on how to set up your panelist account. Thank you.
If they are signing him so he can tell them about the Titans playbook… well they will be sorely disappointed. Chris Henry doesn’t know the Titans playbook.
This tells me everything I need to know as to why the Texans continue to suck ass despite high expectations.
Lando, Spizz, and I break down the different matchups at every position between the Titans and the Texans. We also discuss the development of Kenny Britt and Stephen Tulloch, along with Chuck Cecil’s play calling and the questions about the return game.
Our final predictions for this game look like this:
Lando: Titans28 Texans 13
Spizz: Titans 31 Texans 10
Rogersworthe: Titans 24 Texans 13
Feel free to leave us your predictions in the comments below. They’re almost as valid as ours (not really, we’re much smarter). So take a listen and I hope you enjoy the show.
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This game is huge. I know it’s only week 2. I know that the Texans looked like the Cleveland Browns. But that can all change this week if they come out blasting. We can’t lose this game. That being said, lets preview this game.
I hope we see a lot of this on Sunday. Except with rain around it.
Strengths for the Titans
Controlling the Line of Scrimmage: The Titans Offensive Line held serve against the mighty, mighty Steelers. They have got to be licking their chops for this game because not only should they hold serve here, they should dominate. The “New and improved” Houston Defensive Line looked like it always does. Mario Williams either gets a sack or the Quarterback has 7 seconds to throw. They got no penetration and were usually a yard or more back from the line of scrimmage on Jets running plays. Mark Sanchez looked like everything I thought he wouldn’t be. What a dick. Anyways, the Titans will own up front on offense. I see the same for defense. I do not think the Jets have a better pass rush than the Titans do, and if I am right it means they’ll be all up in Schaub’s face all day. And they will need to be, because if not… Andre Johnson. Need I say more?
Running the ball: Chris Johnson and Lendale White combined should average 4.5 yards a carry. If not, something is wrong.
Passing the ball: I expect efficiency out of the passing game as well. In brief moments they showed some flex in the Steelers game, but nothing sustained. Forgivable against Pittsburgh, not against the Texans.
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