Despite blowing a seemingly insurmountable 18-point second half lead, the Tennessee Titans kept their slim playoff hopes alive with their 27-24 OT win over a very resilient Miami Dolphins ballclub. After his botched interception attempt put the Dolphins in position to tie the game in regulation, Michael Griffin redeemed himself with an overtime INT that led to “Mr. Reliable” Rob Bironas kicking the game-winning 46-yarder in the extra period. More thoughts on today’s Titan victory…after the jump. Opportunistic Titan defense saves the day On paper, allowing Chad Henne to throw for 349 yards hardly qualifies as a dominating performance. Overall, the Dolphin offensive attack gained a net total of 468 yards on the afternoon. Fortunately for the Titans, Chuck Cecil’s troops made some plays when they were needed the most. Henne was intercepted three times, including the aforementioned Griffin pick that effectively sealed the game for the Titans. At the conclusion of a few other drives where Miami was moving the football, timely turnovers also saved the day as the Dolphins were unable to capitalize on some scoring opportunities. As we’ve witnessed time and time again, unlike their predecessors, the 2009 rendition of the Tennessee Tyrants have hardly resembled the dominating defenses we’re accustomed to seeing around these parts. However, especially during the team’s renaissance, the ability to force turnovers has compensated for the unit’s inability to dominate opposing offenses. The bend-but-don’t-break approach…the defense’s modus operandi in 2009. A few thoughts on Vince Young’s resilient performance Vince started the day off on the wrong note, with his interception leading to a Dolphin field goal. However, for the remainder of the contest, VY was his usual efficient self, completing 14/27 passes for 236 yards and 3 scores. After all of the success he’s been having during his “Vin-aissance” it’s nice to know that he’s able to bounce back from some bad throws and decisions and continue to lead this team to victory. Prior to this season, one of his weaknesses was his inability to let a mistake go, which inevitably led to more mistakes. This year, VY knows how to let the past stay in the past while moving forward. He’s realizing that to become a successful QB in this league, you have to possess a short memory. Final random musings Kudos to Chris Johnson for going over the century mark in rushing yards once again. Today was a far from dominating performance and his fumble was costly, but it’s hard to knock a guy when he’s still able to come up with 159 total yards on offense. Justin Gage impressed with both of his receptions resulting in touchdowns. As I mentioned in a recent article, I’d rather see Kenny Britt in the starting lineup but I have no problem whatsoever with Gage remaining an integral part of the team’s passing attack. He’s been a great rags-to-riches story since being signed off the free agent scrap heap a few years ago, so it’s nice to see Gage making some plays out there. Stephen Tulloch was all over the field today en route to accumulating 12 tackles while assisting on another. He’s a promising young LB with a ton of speed, and it’s pretty clear that making him the starter while jettisoning Ryan Fowler was undoubtedly the right decision. Due to his shoddy play as of late, we’ve been giving veteran Nick Harper a tough time. However, despite still giving up some plays on the afternoon, Harper did come up with an INT and nine tackles. Of course, I’m still a firm believer in the notion that Harper should be benched in favor of Rod Hood, who has been missing in action over the last several weeks as a result of being a consistent name on the team’s weekly inactive list lately. It’s going to be fun watching Gerald McRath develop in the next few years. He’s a guy who has impressed since the preseason on special teams, and due to injuries, is stepping up with some solid play at the LB position. Speaking of LB injuries, I’d like to extend a get well soon to veteran stalwart Keith Bulluck, who left today’s contest due to what’s being called a sprained knee. Knee injuries are never a good thing, so here’s to hoping Mr. Bulluck will back on the field shortly. That’s all from me, folks: What are your thoughts/impressions on today’s Tennessee Titan win?
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