It’s been often said that winning is contagious.
Add the Tennessee Titans to the list of those who subscribe to that belief.
Led by the exploits of Chris Johnson and an opportunistic defense, the Titans won their second consecutive game as they defeated San Francisco 34-27.
After falling behind 17-10 at intermission, the Titans coasted to victory in the second half via CJ’s exciting scampers and a defense that, despite giving up 358 net yards, forced four 49er turnovers.
Additional thoughts about the Titans’ second consecutive victory…after the jump.
The defense steps up again
For the second straight week, Chuck Cecil’s troops played an integral role in a Tennessee Titan victory.
The pass-rush often made life miserable for 49er QB Alex Smith, who was sacked four times by the Titan defense. As mentioned in the beginning of this piece, the opportunistic Titan D forced four turnovers, including Cortland Finnegan’s dagger/INT touchdown return.
After playing miserably for the most part during the team’s six-game losing streak, the unit as a whole has played markedly better since the bye week.
Instead of being torched by opposing signal-callers as a result of depending on rookie corners, the return of Finny and the acquisition of Rod Hood has stabilized a Titan secondary that often resembled burnt toast during the 0-6 start.
Kudos to Chuck Cecil and the Titan defensive staff for hanging in there despite the morbid beginning to the ’09 season.
Just Manage, Vince!
For the second consecutive week, Vince Young’s efficient play contributed to a Titan victory.
Once again, VY looked extremely comfortable out there. He completed timely passes with his arm while also scoring a touchdown with his vaunted legs.
However, his most important statistic wasn’t the amount of yards he threw for or his touchdown scamper: it was his goose-egg in the turnover department.
While he hasn’t set the world on fire with his statistics, even Stevie Wonder can see that VY’s presence has served as a spark for a Titan team that at 0-6, was in desperate need of one. He’s sustaining drives by completing most of his passes while also giving opposing defenses something extra to prepare for due to his running ability.
After all of the drama he’s been through over the last year or so, it’s nice to see VY performing well when his number is called.
Final random thoughts
-No offense to Nick Harper, but Rod Hood deserves to start alongside Finny at the CB position for the remainder of the season. With two interceptions in two weeks, Hood has been a solid mid-season pickup.
-Speaking of Finny, it’s a joy to see him healthy again. His tenacity and playmaking abilities were surely missed when he was out with a bum hammy.
-CJ’s speed is a sight to behold. It’s amazing that despite opposing defenders having the angle, Johnson is still able to out-run them for the most part.
He’s got serious jets, folks.
-Nice performance by Justin Gage today, who reeled in 4 catches for 97 yards. He really climbed the ladder on a completion that helped set up the Titans in the redzone on one possession.
-Memo to “The Freak” and Kyle Vanden Bosch: Thanks for the memories, but clearly, the team’s present and future at the DE position is in the hands of William Hayes and Jacob Ford.
The Hayes/Ford duo should be a joy to watch for the remainder of this year and beyond. As for KVB and Kearse, there’s probably a good chance that neither will be around after 2009.
That’s enough from me: What are your thoughts regarding the Titans’ victory over the Niners?
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