Led by yet another dominating performance by the defense, the Tennessee Titans (6-2) continued their march towards playoff contention with a 20-7 victory over the Carolina Panthers (4-4).With the victory and losses by the Colts and the Jaguars, the Titans are currently in sole possession of 2nd place in the AFC South division.
The Tennessee defense, led by Albert Haynesworths dominating 7 tackle, 3 sack performance, harassed David Carr all afternoon while preventing Pro Bowl wide receiver Steve Smith from making the big plays that have made him one of the games most feared players. The timing for Haynesworths best season as a pro couldnt be better, as he will be one of the leagues most coveted defensive players in next years free agent market. In addition to Haynesworths standout performance, the Titans also received solid performances from the rest of the defensive line, with Travis LaBoy, Tony Brown and Kyle Vanden Bosch all notching a sack each.
For one drive, the Titans offense looked magnificent as it advanced the football into Panthers’ territory with Colts-like precision. Led by the legs and right arm of Vince Young, the Titans impeccably marched 52 yards down the field in 10 plays as they scored the games first touchdown on their initial possession. During the impressive drive, the inconsistencies that have been a recurring theme for the offense this season were replaced by glimpses of last season, with Young utilizing his God-given abilities to dodge and evade defenders while connecting with his receivers on crisp, precise passes.
The beauty of the first drive was soon replaced by the type of offensive performance that Titans fans have become all too familiar with this season. LenDale White was able to crack the century mark, but did so with a less than stellar 3.2 average. Vince Young threw two interceptions and finished the game with only 110 passing yards. As a whole, the Titans offense committed 4 turnovers on the day but fortunately, the Panthers were unable to take advantage of them. Of course, an analysis of the offense would be incomplete without mentioning yet another dropped pass from the infamous Ben Troupe, who continues to be the anti-Frank Wycheck in this years Titans offense.
Despite the inconsistent performance from the offense, the Titans were able to ride the coattails of the defense in yesterdays defeat of the Panthers. As long as the defense continues to play at its current level, the Titans will have a good opportunity to win football games. However, if the Titans expect to accomplish the lofty goals they have set for themselves, Vince Young and the offense will need to produce more illustrious drives that resemble the Titans first possession of yesterdays win.
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