Titans star Chris Johnson is hosting an event at a Memphis strip club

May 9, 2013 by 7 Comments

Memphis will probably never get a NFL team, but that doesn’t mean the Bluff City will never get a NFL player to appear at a local strip club.

If you are a 21 or up fan of Tennessee Titans star running back Chris Johnson and scantily clad women, the Yellow Rose‘s grand reopening on May 14 is something you should circle on your calender. CJ is hosting.

In addition to the NFL’s 2009 Offensive Player of the Year, the event will also include over 50 ladies from Memphis, Orlando, and Atlanta.

Here’s the promotional flyer:

chrisjohnsonstripclub

Email: kevin@memphisport.com
Twitter: @cerrito

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Game Preview: Titans travel to Houston to face Texans

September 27, 2012 by Leave a Comment

The Tennessee Titans and the Houston Texans will play the first of their two divisional games this weekend at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas. Coming in off one of the most exciting games in the franchise’s history, the 1-2 Titans  are looking to continue the winning streak.

The Titans have plenty to cheer about after the win over the Lions. The Titans face the Texans this weekend. Photo by Terry Davis

The Texans enter the game with a 3-0 for the first time in the franchise’s 10 year history.  The offense and defense for the Texans are the only team that are  ranked in the top ten.  The Texans offense is ranked 7th in the NFL with 395 yards per game and the defense is 2nd in the NFL only allowing 296 yards a game.

The defense of the Texans is led by JJ Watt the second year defensive lineman out of the University of Wisconsin.  Watt has earned the nickname of “JJ Swat” because of all of the passing he has been deflecting at the line of scrimmage.  Watt has already matched the total number of sacks he had last season of 5.5 in only three games this season.  The defense for the Titans has allowed over 30 points in every game this season.

Jake Locker the second year quarterback for the Titans had his best game as a pro and got his first win throwing for 378 yards and 2 touchdowns against the Lions.  Locker also leads the Titans in rushing with 79 yards.  Chris Johnson the former league leading rusher has not gotten on track this season.

The Titans and Texans split the series last season.  Each team won last year’s games on the road.  The Titans were originally based in Houston before relocating to Nashville.  The Titans lead the series   14-7 and are 3-7 at Reliant Stadium.

Arian Foster is the all-time leading rusher for the Texans with 3,391 yards.  Matt Schuab has been very consistent at quarterback this season and is not showing any effects of his season ending ankle injury from last season.  Schuab has thrown for 751 yards this season.  Locker has more passing yards with 781.  Locker has 4 touchdowns passes on the year and 2 interceptions.  Schaub has 5 touchdown passes and only 1 interception for the season.

Unlike last week’s OT classic, this week’s Titans game will air on Memphis television.

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Memorable moments you might have missed in the Titans’ overtime win against the Lions

September 23, 2012 by 2 Comments

Coming into this game against the Detroit Lions no one gave the Titans a chance to win.  The game was such a non-factor that it was not shown in Memphis on the local FOX affiliate.  Instead of the state’s team, Fox 13 showed the Dallas Cowboys vs. the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Unfortunately for fans in the Mid-South, the Cowboys game did not come close to being as entertaining as the one happening in Nashville.

Chris Johnson (28) of the Tennessee Titans is protected by a wall of blockers against the Detroit Lions. Photo by Terry Davis

Because the game was blacked out in Memphis, not many people in West Tennessee got to see the game. Here is what they missed:

Music City Musical 2.  A play similar to the original Music City Miracle that occurred on January 8, 2000 in a playoff game against the Buffalo Bills on a 75 yard kickoff touchdown to win the game.  Today’s play was less dramatic, but still exciting.  Darius Reynaud received a punt from Ben Graham.  Reynaud threw a pass backwards 2 yards across the field  to Tommie Campbell.  Campbell behind great blocking ran for 65 yards and a touchdown to give the Titans 10-6 lead.

A Cook Bomb.   Early in the second quarterback Jake Locker found tight end Jared Cook deep down the middle for a 61 yard touchdown bomb.  This was Cook’s first touchdown reception of the year.

Longest kickoff returns in Titans history.  Reynaud received a kickoff from Jason Hanson and he took it to the house and scored on the longest kickoff for a touchdown in Titans’ history.

Washington makes a difference.  Locker found veteran wide receiver Nate Washington for a 71 yard touchdown.  Washington went over of a defender to take the ball away and sprinted to the end zone.

A fumble return for a touchdown.  Matt  Stafford threw a completed pass to Brandon Pettigrew and he was striped by Alterraun Verner and Verner dashed down the lineside for 72 yards and a seemingly insurmountable 41-27 lead with 1L16 left in the game.

A 14 point comeback.   Stafford left the game with 1:16 in the game and Shuan Hill entered the game.  Seven plays later Hill hit Calvin Johnson for a 3 yard touchdown that was aided by a 15 yard roughing the passing penalty.

Onside kickoff.  The Lion executed a perfect onside kickoff that was recovered with 16 seconds left in the game.  Amari Spievey recovered the kickoff for the Lions on the Titans’ 46 yard line.

A Hail Mary.  Hill with 6 seconds left Hill drop back deep in the pocket and found Titus Young in the middle of a pile of receivers and defenders in the end zone for the tying score.

Overtime drama.  The Titans took their opening drive to the Lions 8 yard line where they were forced to kick a field goal.  The Lions took the ensuing kickoff  down to the Titan’s 7 yard line.  On fourth and one the Lions tried to catch the Titans off guard and ran a quarterback sneak.  After the measurement, the Lions were just short and the Titans took the 44-41 win.  This is the first win in Locker’s professional career.

These are only a small sample of what you missed in the Lions vs. Titans game because it was blacked out in Memphis.

This was only the second game in the NFL’s  history where there was a kickoff return for a touchdown, punt return for a touchdown, an onside kickoff recovery and a hail Mary for a touchdown all in the same game.

Terry Davis covers the Tennessee Titans for MemphiSport. Follow him @Terryd515.

 

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Fantasy Football Rankings: Week 3

September 20, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Every week, rankings will be posted by Thursday afternoon in order to set your lineup accordingly.  After the Thursday game the rankings will be adjusted whenever injury news comes out to ensure that you will have the best lineup for the week.

Cutler will rebound quite nicely against the Rams this week.

QBs

1. Drew Brees – NO vs Kansas City
2. Matt Stafford – Det vs Tennessee                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    3. Robert Griffin III – Was vs Cincinnati                                                                                                                                                                                                                           4. Aaron Rodgers – GB vs Seattle
5. Tom Brady – NE vs Baltimore                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              6. Matt Ryan – Atl vs San Diego
7. Ben Roethlisberger – Pit vs Oakland
8. Tony Romo – Dal vs Tampa Bay
9. Jay Cutler – Chi vs St. Louis
10. Philip Rivers – SD vs Atlanta
11. Michael Vick – Phi vs Arizona                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      12. Peyton Manning – Den vs Houston                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 13.  Matt Schaub – Hou vs Denver
14. Andrew Luck – Ind vs Jacksonville
15. Joe Flacco – Bal vs New England
16. Alex Smith – SF – Minnesota
17. Andy Dalton – Cin vs Washington
18. Matt Cassel – KC vs New Orleans                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      19. Carson Palmer Oak vs Pittsburgh                                                                                                                                                                                                                              20. Josh Freeman – TB vs Dallas

 

CJ Spiller has gone from a backup on his team, to a must start every week.

RBs

1. Ray Rice – Bal vs New England
2. Maurice Jones-Drew – Jac vs Indianapolis
3. CJ Spiller – Buf vs Cleveland
4. Arian Foster – Hou vs Denver
5. LeSean McCoy – Phi vs Arizona
6. DeMarco Murray – Dal vs Tampa Bay
7. Michael Bush – Chi vs St. Louis
8. Darren McFadden – Oak vs Pittsburgh
9. Marshawn Lynch – Sea vs Green Bay
10. Trent Richardson – Cle vs Buffalo
11. Reggie Bush – Mia vs New York Jets
12. Ryan Mathews – SD vs Atlanta
13. Frank Gore – SF vs Minnesota
14. Doug Martin – TB vs Dallas
15. BenJarvus Green-Ellis – Cin vs Washington
16. Darren Sproles – NO vs Kansas City
17. Adrian Peterson – Min vs San Francisco
18. Chris Johnson – Ten vs Detroit
19. Stevan Ridley – NE vs Baltimore
20. Jamaal Charles – KC vs New Orleans
21. Alfred Morris – Was vs Cincinnati
22. Willis McGahee – Den vs Houston
23. Donald Brown – Ind vs Jacksonville
24. Shonn Greene – NYJ vs Miami
25. Steven Jackson – STL vs Chicago
26. Cedric Benson – GB vs Seattle
27. Michael Turner – Atl vs San Diego
28. Ben Tate – Hou vs Denver
29. Jonathan Dwyer – Pit vs Oakland                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    30. Kevin Smith – Det vs Tennessee

WRs

1. Calvin Johnson – Det vs Tennessee
2. AJ Green – Cin vs Washington
3. Julio Jones – Atl vs San Diego
4. Andre Johnson – Hou vs Denver
5. Brandon Marshall – Chi vs St. Louis
6. Mike Wallace – Pit vs Oakland
7. Roddy White – Atl vs San Diego
8. Larry Fitzgerald – Ari vs Philadelphia
9. Percy Harvin – Min vs San Francisco
10. Dez Bryant – Dal vs Tampa Bay
11. Dwayne Bowe – KC vs New Orleans
12. Miles Austin – Dal vs Tampa Bay
13. Jordy Nelson – GB vs Seattle
14. Marques Colston – NO vs Kansas City
15. Steve Johnson – Buf vs Cleveland
16. Antonio Brown – Pit vs Oakland
17. Reggie Wayne – Ind vs Jacksonville
18. Vincent Jackson – TB vs Dallas
19. Demaryius Thomas – Den vs Houston
20. Pierre Garcon – Was vs Cincinnati
21. Brandon Lloyd – NE vs Baltimore
22. Danny Amendola – STL vs Chicago
23. Greg Jennings – GB vs Seattle
24. Malcolm Floyd – SD vs Atlanta
25. DeSean Jackson – Phi vs Arizona
26. Wes Welker – NE vs Baltimore
27. Kenny Britt – Ten vs Detroit
28. Eric Decker – Den vs Houston                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    29. Denarius Moore – Oak vs Pittsburgh                                                                                                                                                                                                                              30. Santonio Holmes – NYJ vs Miami

TEs

1. Jimmy Graham – NO vs Kansas City
2. Rob Gronkowski – NE vs Baltimore
3. Vernon Davis – SF vs Minnesota
4. Antonio Gates – SD vs Atlanta
5. Tony Gonzalez – Atl vs San Diego
6. Brandon Pettigrew – Det vs Tennessee
7. Jason Witten – Dal vs Tampa Bay
8. Brent Celek – Phi vs Arizona
9. Jermichael Finley – GB vs Seattle
10. Kyle Rudolph – Min vs San Francisco
11. Dennis Pitta – Bal vs New England
12. Jared Cook – Ten vs Detroit
13. Jacob Tamme – Den vs Houston
14. Owen Daniels – Hou vs Denver
15. Fred Davis – Was vs Cincinnati                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     16. Coby Fleener – Ind vs Jacksonville

DSTs

1. 49ers vs Minnesota
2. Bears vs St. Louis
3. Steelers vs Oakland
4. Jets vs Miami
5. Texans vs Denver
6. Lions vs Tennessee
7. Eagles vs Arizona
8. Bills vs Cleveland
9. Seahawks vs Green Bay
10. Ravens vs New England
11. Falcons vs San Diego
12. Cardinals vs Philadelphia
13. Dolphins vs New York Jets
14. Cowboys vs Tampa Bay
15. Broncos vs Houston
16. Patriots vs Baltimore

Ks

1. David Akers – SF vs Minnesota
2. Mason Crosby – GB vs Seattle
3. Stephen Gostkowski – NE vs Baltimore
4. Sebastian Janikowski – Oak vs Pittsburgh
5. Justin Tucker – Bal vs New England
6. Garrett Hartley – NO vs Kansas City
7. Nate Kaeding – SD vs Atlanta
8. Matt Bryant – Atl vs San Diego
9. Billy Cundiff – Was vs St. Louis
10. Matt Prater – Den vs Houston
11. Jason Hanson – Det vs Tennessee
12. Dan Bailey – Dal vs Tampa Bay
13. Robbie Gould – Chi vs St. Louis
14. Alex Henery – Phi vs Arizona
15. Shayne Graham – Hou vs Denver
16. Connor Barth – TB vs Dallas

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2012 M Awards: Favorite Football Player

July 26, 2012 by Leave a Comment

First place here claimed more than 45% of the vote and second place only 17%. First place played for the University of Memphis and second place played against them while at Ole Miss. Last year my quote was this, “I can’t imagine a scenario where this year’s second place winner could take this award next year. Pre-congratulations for winning this award next year, DeAngelo!” This is the sixth year of the M Awards. I am going to go ahead and call this award for the next four years. After DeAngelo wins this award for ten years straight we will rename this the DeAngelo Williams Favorite Football Player Award.

DeAngelo Williams, Carolina Panthers, First Place: 45.36%
Eli Manning, NY Giants, Second Place: 17.87%
Chris Johnson, Tennessee Titans, Third Place: 8.59%

Best song to listen to while contemplating this category… Running by No Doubt. So what do you think, Memphis? Did you get it right? Tell us what you think in the comments below.

The 2012 M Award Winners

Favorite Concessions: FedExForum
Favorite Place To Tailgate: Tiger Lane
Favorite Sporting Venue: FedExForum
Favorite Race: St. Jude Marathon
Best Game: Grizzlies Game 6 Win
Most Memorable Moment: University of Memphis Gets Invitation to the Big East
Favorite Annual Event: Memphis Madness
Moment We Would Most Like To Forget: Grizzlies Game 1 Collapse to the Clippers
Best Offbeat Moment: Josh Pastner Accidentally Tweeting Out “Tony Parker”
Best Musical Performance: Ellen, St. Jude Patient, Singing the National Anthem at a Grizzlies Game
Best Place To Stock Up For The Big Game: Kroger
Best Local Sports Bar/Restaurant: Huey’s
Best National Sports Bar/Restaurant: Buffalo Wild Wings
Best Place To Eat Before/After The Game: Huey’s
Best Place To Take The Team After A Victory: Memphis Pizza Cafe
Best Place To Play Cards: Horseshoe Casino and Hotel
Best Golf Course: TPC Southwind
Favorite Golf Store: Edwin Watts Golf
Favorite Sporting Goods Store: Dick’s Sporting Goods
Favorite Sports Apparel Store: Tiger Bookstore
Favorite Workout Facility: YMCA
Favorite Healthy Store: Whole Foods Market
Favorite Place To Spend A Nice Afternoon: The Memphis Zoo
Favorite Bike Shop: Outdoors, Inc
Favorite Local Sports Radio Personality: Gary Parrish, Gary Parrish Show
Favorite Local Sports Radio Program: The Gary Parrish Show with Geoff Calkins
Favorite Sports Talk Radio Segment: Harvard/Horn Lake Trivia, Gary Parrish Show
Favorite Local TV Sports Personality: Geoff Calkins, Sports Files
Best Sports Website: memphisroar.com
Best Fantasy Sports Twitter: @FantasyLapides
Best Local Sports Twitter: @GaryParrishCBS
Favorite Sports Radio Station: 92.9 ESPN
Favorite Mascot: Super Grizz
Favorite Spirit Squad: Memphis Tigers Dance Team
Best Hair: Gary Parrish
Favorite Fighter: Jerry Lawler
Favorite Golfer: John Daly
Favorite Baseball Player: Matt Cain, San Francisco Giants
Favorite Football Player: DeAngelo Williams, Carolina Panthers

Check back here daily in the month of July for a new winner in MemphiSport’s annual celebration of the best in Memphis sports.

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Five Reasons for Titans Fans to be Excited

January 12, 2012 by 1 Comment

Despite of just falling short of making the playoffs this season, Titans fans should feel pretty good about going into next season. Many analysts didn’t even think the Titans would have a shot at making the playoffs, but if it wasn’t for a handful of missed opportunities and maybe the worst loss in Titans history to the Peyton-less Colts, the Titans would have been the sixth seed in the playoffs. However, the Titans did not make the playoffs, so all fans can do is look forward to next season. Although the negatives are magnified, there are plenty of positives for Titans fans to take away from this season. Let’s not forget that this season marked a new era in Titans football with a new coach and a new starting quarterback, along with many other new faces and new additions to the team.

Going into the offseason Titan fans have plenty of reasons to look forward to the 2012 season:

1. Full Offseason and Training Camp
Of all 32 teams, the Titans probably could have benefited the most from a full training camp last year considering the team was basically brand new, ranging from the coaching staff to the players on the field. For the Titans, it seemed that for the first half of the season the team was still learning how to play together. With many new faces and schemes put in place, and the lack of a full training camp, the Titans were just thrown out into the season and forced to pretty much “wing it” for much of the first half of the season.  Now this year, the Titans will have the benefit of a full offseason and training camp together. This should help out tremendously in all areas of the team, but hopefully for Titan fans the biggest improvement will be seen in the run game.

2. Young Defense with Experience
One of the main positives from this season comes from the play of the rookies on defense. Karl Klug, Akeem Ayers, Jurrell Casey and Colin McCarthy all played big roles for the Titans defense this season. These rookies saw significant playing time all season long making in impact on the field. Titans’ coaches and fans witnessed the emergence of rookie linebacker Colin McCarthy who seems to get better and better every time he steps on the field.  McCarthy’s potential seems to have no limit at this point and there is no reason to think that he won’t keep improving and becoming the leader of this defense. McCarthy may be the next Brian Urlacher, or even better.

3. Offseason Acquisitions
Now that Coach Munchak’s first season under his belt he and his coaching staff should have a good idea of what they have in the locker room.  Now they must figure out what they need in order to compete for the division and make a run in the playoffs. Look for the Titans to make some moves on their roster in the offseason, more so in the secondary, defensive line and the offensive line, through both the draft and free agency. Safeties Chris Hope and Michael Griffin will probably not be in a Titans uniform next season according to some sources. This will allow the Titans get a couple younger upcoming safeties to go along with Jordan Babineaux. Hopefully the Titans can acquire the necessary pieces to get them back to the Titans defense of old.  On the offensive side of the ball the Titans will make some changes to the offensive line in an effort to boost the run game and open up some holes for Chris Johnson.

4. Kenny Britt and Upcoming Receivers
This season Titans fans witnessed a style of play that was different than most Titans teams seen in the past. Because of the ongoing struggles of the run game, the Titans had no choice but to try and win games through the air and they did have quite a bit of success doing just that. This allowed young receivers like Damian Williams, Lavelle Hawkins and tight end Jared Cook the opportunity to prove themselves in the passing game. All of the receivers improved significantly from last year, but most importantly the players and coaches feel that the overall improvement is huge for the confidence of this young receiver group. Oh yea, Titans will have a healthy Kenny Britt too. That alone will have fans excited about next year, especially if he can stay healthy and out of trouble.

5. Full Season under their Belt
Now that the Titans have completed a full season fans should have more hope going into next season than they did coming into this season. Hasselbeck has proved he can still play and he obviously has the leadership skills needed at the quarterback position. It seems to be a great fit for Jake Locker to learn and grow under the veteran. Titans fans have already seen Jake step up when his number was called and one could only imagine that Locker will just keep getting better. Having a complete season in the books will allow the coaches and players time to evaluate their performances as individuals and as a team, ultimately finding ways to get better as a whole in all 3 phases of the game.

 

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Five Ways the Titans Can Improve the Ground Game

November 3, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Titans get an Easy Win over Struggling Colts

On Sunday the Tennessee Titans faced the Indianapolis Colts in another divisional game for each team. The Titans were looking to get their first win in the division, and the Colts were searching for their very first win of the season. Expectations going into the game for Titans fans were high. The Titans really needed to put on a good performance to get some momentum going, especially after how they have played in the last two games. In the Titans’ last two games they have allowed more than 40 points in each and produced very little offense. So needless to say, the home game against the Colts came at a perfect time.

This was a chance to build some confidence going into the second half of the season. Fortunately for Titans’ fans, the game went pretty much as expected with the Titans winning easily. The special teams played a big part scoring the first touchdown on a blocked punt recovered by Jason McCourty in the end zone. Also, the defense performed well against a Peyton-less offense coming up with two picks and two sacks on the day.

Many fans were hoping that this would be the game that CJ and the O-line would finally have a huge game to get the ground game going in the right direction. But no, it was the same performance fans have seen all season with CJ not doing much at all, and Ringer being the only back to make any sort of impact. The Titans don’t seem to know how to fix the problem and the situation is obviously not getting any better. Luckily for the Titans, Nate Washington played a big time role in this game scoring two touchdowns, one rare touchdown for Nate on the ground just before half, and then with just over five minutes to go in the fourth Hasselbeck found Washington on 14 yard pass in the end zone to put the game out of reach. With the win, the Titans move to 4-3 on the season and are now looking ahead to take on the surprisingly 5-2 Bengals team, in a late afternoon game next Sunday at LP Field. But, even with the Titans coming out on top 27-10, the same questions about the lack of running game still remains the main topic of discussion.

 

Five Ways the Titans can Improve the Ground Game:

1. More Deep Threats: If the Titans intend on getting the run game going, they will have to pose a real threat through the air. So far Hasselbeck has been pretty solid, but with no Kenny Britt the offense needs everyone to step up and make big plays. We know Nate Washington is capable of making big plays for the offense, but the other receivers, like Williams, Avery and Hawkins, will need to come through big when their number is called, especially down the field with a chance to make a big play.

2. Get the Tight Ends more Involved: The Titans must utilize their tight ends more, and get back to the way they used Frank Wycheck, one of the greatest tight ends in Titans’ history. Jared Cook and Craig Stevens are both very talented and smart players, who have the potential to be great tight ends. If the Titans want a more balanced offense, these two must play a bigger role in the passing game. Once Craig Stevens is healthy again and back on the field fans should expect more big plays from the tight end position.

3. Two-Back Set: Every game this season fans have been waiting for that one huge play from Chris Johnson to get this run game going. To the disappointment of the fans and the team, this big play has yet to happen. It doesn’t matter what down it is, but when Chris Johnson is in the backfield, the defense will do everything it can to shut down the run. When CJ is not in the game the defense has to play more of a guessing game, which is what has allowed Javon Ringer to have more success per carry. Both backs do a pretty good job of blocking so why not try and implement more two-back sets to keep the defense on it’s toes. There really isn’t a good reason not to try it because obviously nothing else is working with much success.

4. O-Line gets in Sync: All season long the biggest topic of debate is what is wrong with the once explosive Titans ground game. Is it the offensive line or is it Chris Johnson? Many critics and members of the media have put the majority of the blame on Chris Johnson. If anyone else has been paying attention though, in order for CJ to run, he must have solid blocking up front. There has been anything but solid blocking up front. The O-line tends to lack the nastiness that is required to block for a back that defenses specifically key in on to shut down. Instead, it seems as if the line is just going through the motions, and at the same time getting dominated. The Titans know what kind of weapon they have in their own backfield, but guess what, so does the rest of the league. Therefore, the O-line needs to bring more of a swagger and attitude in order to dominate the opposing defensive line, which will open the holes for CJ to bust loose.

5. More Jamie Harper: The Titans have to be contemplating giving Harper, the biggest back on the team, more playing time. Harper had a very impressive preseason and caught the attention of a lot of fans. Right now the majority of Harper’s play is on special teams, but he does play a very limited role in the run game. Harper is a big solid back who is capable of running through tacklers to get that extra couple of yards. Although he is a big back, Harper has been able to make defenders miss in open space, allowing him to make a big play. Since the Titans’ run game ranks last in the NFL, there is no reason why Harper should not get more touches just to see what he can do to try and spark the dormant run game of the Titans. It’s worth a shot, because at this point the Titans’ ground game could not get much worse.

 

Photo by Joel West

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Five Reasons the Titans Will Make the Playoffs

October 27, 2011 by 3 Comments

The top two  teams in the AFC South met on Sunday at LP Field in Nashville to fight for first place within the division. Going into Sunday’s game the Tennessee Titans held a half game lead over the Houston Texans with a chance to solidify the top spot in the division. With the Titans coming off of a bye, everyone in the stadium was anticipating a great game, envisioning the Titans coming out on top.

The game started and both teams traded punts and in a way traded jabs. It had the feeling of a close game in the making. The Texans held just a 3-point lead after one quarter. But in the second period, former UT Volunteer Arian Foster began to take over the game. Foster completely went off playing like it was a homecoming game. On his way to helping the Texans beat the Titans, Foster became the first player in Texans franchise history to earn more than a 100 yards, both on the ground and through the air. This was a one-sided game all the way to the end and the stadium was empty by the beginning of the fourth.

However, there was a slight sliver of hope for Titans fans after Hasselbeck threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Jared Cook with a little over five minutes to go in the third. After the Titans forced a punt on the next possession there was still a little life left in the Titans, if only they could get a quick touchdown. Instead, the Titans went three and out, ending with a 41-7 humiliating defeat courtesy of the Houston Texans.

As bad as the Titans looked on Sunday they still have a great shot to make the playoffs and here are five good reasons why:

1. Parity in the AFC — This season doesn’t seem to have a standout dominant team like we have seen in the past with the Colts and the Patriots. The Colts are obviously struggling and even though the Pats have only 1 loss, there seems to be a lot of questions about their defense. Many of the so called experts have labeled the Ravens as the best team in the AFC, but after a bad loss to the Jags on Monday night the door opens up for the middle of the pack teams to gain ground in the AFC playoff hunt.

2. Matt Hasselbeck — Matt Hasselbeck is the best QB to lead the Titans since Steve McNair. After years of babysitting VY, Titan fans are now loving what they are getting out of the quarterback position so far this season. Hasselbeck brings a new leadership and fire to this team that has been missing in Tennessee for quite some time now.

3. CJ Bound To Go Off — Chris Johnson will soon bust out with a long touchdown run that will jump start the Titan’s dangerous run game… Right? It has to happen at some point for the Titans to even think about the playoffs.

4. No Peyton — No Peyton equals no Colts which equals new Division Champion, and two seemingly easy wins.

5. Long Season — The season is seven weeks in and the Titans are 3-3 with 10 games to go. There is plenty more football to be played and anything can happen throughout the course of a long season. After all, not many people thought the Titans would even have a .500 record after six games into the season, so who is to say they can’t make a run for the playoffs?

 

Photo by Joel West

Filed Under: The Big Features, Titans Tagged With: , , , ,

Prove That Chris Johnson Isn’t Finished

September 19, 2011 by 6 Comments

Man, I am really down on this guy, and not even because of his sub-par performance in game 1 and 2. His holdout really cost this team a chance at starting strong this season. I have no problem with a player holding out for a better contract and although I believe that CJ is way overrated, he did deserve a much better contract. But shouldn’t a player still practice with the team? Tell the front office that you will not play a game and sit out the preseason, but at least practice. He didn’t and it shows on the field. OK, I am biased because I don’t think he is as good as advertised, but I will gladly say that I’m wrong and eat my hat, once he produces a winning season for the Titans.

There will be many out there who will say that I am crazy, but there were quite a few boos coming from the stands this past Sunday near the end of the game when he was stopped time and again for little or no yardage. This team has become a passing team, so CJ will simply not have the attempts he needs to get back into game-shape any time soon. The team will give up on him in the coming weeks. It already happened on a crucial 4th and 1 play this past weekend. They sat CJ on the sideline and gave the ball to Javon Ringer.

My prediction for Chris Johnson in the coming weeks… He will lose his starting job to Javon Ringer. Ringer has looked fantastic nearly every time he has touched the ball this season, and he will continue to shine. The moral of the story, do your job and let the money take care of itself.

OK — now it’s your turn… you don’t don’t believe me? Then prove that Chris Johnson isn’t finished.

Story by Mike Bullard

Filed Under: The Big Features, Titans, Web Exclusives Tagged With: ,

2011 M Awards: Favorite Football Player

July 29, 2011 by 1 Comment

First place here claimed more than 45% of the vote and second place only 14%. First place played for the University of Memphis and second place played against them while at East Carolina. First place just signed a contract worth as much as $43 million and second place stands to make $800,000 this year. First place has won this award every year since its inception and second place has never come close. I can’t imagine a scenario where this year’s second place winner could take this award next year. Pre-congratulations for winning this award next year, DeAngelo!

DeAngelo Williams, Carolina Panthers, First Place: 45.70%
Chris Johnson, Tennessee Titans, Second Place: 13.75%
Michael Oher, Baltimore Ravens, Third Place: 12.37%
Best Write-in Vote: Payton (Walter, not Manning)

So what do you think, Memphis? Tell us what you think in the comments below. And look for another winner soon. Here are the winners so far…

The 2011 M Award Winners

For the first time ever the M Awards are being announced online. Check back here daily in the month of July for a new winner in MemphiSport’s annual celebration of the best in Memphis sports.

Favorite Concessions: FedExForum
Favorite Place To Tailgate: Tiger Lane
Favorite Sporting Venue: FedExForum
Favorite Race: The Grizzlies Playoff Race
Best Game: CUSA Championship Game
Most Memorable Moment: Rudy Gay Beats the Heat
Favorite Annual Event: Memphis Madness
Moment We Would Most Like To Forget: Murder of Lorenzen Wright
Best Offbeat Moment: Snoop Dogg courtside during his concert
Best Musical Performance: Yo Gotti at Memphis Madness
Best In-Game Entertainment: Memphis Tigers Dance Team
Best Place To Stock Up For The Big Game: Kroger
Best Local Sports Bar/Restaurant: Hueys
Best National Sports Bar Restaurant: Buffalo Wild Wings
Best Place To Eat Before/After The Game: Hueys
Best Place To Take The Team After A Victory: Memphis Pizza Cafe
Best Place To Play Cards: Horseshoe Casino
Best Golf Course: Mirimichi
Favorite Golf Store: Edwin Watts Golf
Favorite Sporting Goods Store: Dick’s Sporting Goods
Favorite Sports Apparel Store: Tiger Bookstore
Favorite Workout Facility: YMCA
Favorite Healthy Store: Whole Foods Market
Favorite Place To Spend A Nice Afternoon: The Memphis Zoo
Favorite Bike Shop: Peddler Bike Shop
Best Local Sports Radio Personality: Chris Vernon
Best Local Sports Radio Program: The Chris Vernon Show
Favorite Sports Talk Radio Segment: Harvard or Horn Lake Trivia
Favorite Local TV Sports Personality: Geoff Calkins
Favorite Local Sports Website: memphisroar.com
Favorite Local Sports Twitter: @aa000G9
Favorite Mascot: Super Grizz
Favorite Spirit Squad: Memphis Tigers Dance Team
Favorite Hair: The Grizzlies Playoff Beards
Favorite Fighter: Tony Allen
Favorite Golfer: John Daly
Favorite Baseball Player: Albert Pujols
Favorite Football Player: DeAngelo Williams

Click here to listen to the 2011 M Awards Nominations Special

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