The Titans were still alive in the playoff picture when they left the field in Houston with a 23-22 win over the Texans. Later developments and tiebreakers knocked them out despite a 9-7 record.

Stars of the Game
Offense: Donnie Avery
The seldom used speedster had a big day. His first catch as a Titan was a touchdown, and he added two more catches for a total for 45 yards.

Defense: Jurrell Casey
The defensive tackle had two sacks, two tackles for loss and 2 QB hurries.

Special Teams: Brett Kern
If you want to see examples of the "coffin corner kick," then watch the replay of this game. Kern pinned the Texans in the shadow of their goal posts all day.

Difference Maker: Nate Washington His 92 receiving yards gave him his first 1,000 yard season in his career.

Unsung Hero: Rob Bironas
Last week Bironas set an NFL record when he hit a 40-plus yard field goal in the ninth consecutive game. He extended it to ten games Sunday.

Stats of the Game
4 Punts by Kern downed inside the 20-yard line (out of six total)
9 Yards, average advantage in starting field position by the Titans
1 Number of Kern's punts that were returned


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-- CHARLIY NASH
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To stay alive in the playoff picture the Tennessee Titans needed to win their last two games, and watch a complex set of dominoes fall into place. Getting that first win would not be an easy task with the Jacksonville Jaguars tough defense intent on playing the role of Grinch, and Maurice Jones-Drew poised to run over the defense like a reindeer over grandma.

The Titans never trailed in this game and looked better prepared from the beginning. Jacksonville's offense struggled early and didn't convert a first down until 3:10 remained in the first quarter. The Titans offense relied heavily on passing, using the run only to keep the Jaguars off balance and to use up the clock near the end of the game. The perception that the Jacksonville defense was strong against the run and weak against the pass proved to be true, as Titans QB Matt Hasselbeck threw for 350 yards. TE Jared Cook had a phenomenal day with eight catches for 169 yards, including a 55-yard touchdown catch where he just left the defense in his wake.

The Titans defense did a good job on the dangerous Jones-Drew. He ran for 103 yards and a touchdown, but they held him to only one run of over 20 yards, and stopped him for a loss four times.

The other major factor in this game was field position. Brett Kern did a masterful job of punting, and the kick coverage teams kept the Jaguars pinned in their own end. The Titans were able to start their drives with better field position, largely because none of Marc Mariani's kick and punt returns were called back because of penalties.

So now the Titans have completed one necessary step, they've defeated the Jaguars. The Jets' loss Sunday also helps their playoff chances. The playoffs are almost in reach, but the Houston Texans (and other complex mathematical formulas) still stand in their way.

Stars of the Game
Offfense: Jared Cook
Cookie had a huge day. He caught all eight passes thrown his way to pick up 169 yards and a touchdown. When Matt Hasselbeck needed a big play, he went to Jared.

Defense: Derrick Morgan
He had seven tackles including one for loss on Jones-Drew, a pass defended, and a quarterback hurry.

Special Teams: Patrick Bailey
Bailey was signed for his kick/punt coverage ability and he had three special teams tackles, keeping Jacksonville from having good starting position.

Difference Maker: Michael Griffin
The big defensive play of the day was his interception in the end zone when the Jaguars were threatening to score.

Unsung Hero: Rob Bironas
A pair of 50-plus yard field goals were the margin of victory.

Stats of the Game
0 Penalties by the Titans 5 Tackles for loss by the Titans (4 on Jones Drew) 9 Consecutive games in which Rob Bironas has hit a field goal of 40+ yards

Locker Room Quotes
LB Akeem Ayers
on Maurice Jones-Drew: "He's got a nice size for a back. He's a smaller back, but at the same time he's a physical runner, especially when he's running downhill. He does that good. He gets the ball, he can put the team on his back and run it every play."
on the success of the defense against MJD:: "We did what we talked about. We talked about gang tackling, and we talked about everybody just doing their job and just playing as a team and just getting to the ball and flying around."
on the overall performance of the defense: "Overall we did a good job. Of course there were some mistakes here or there, things a little bit we could have done better, overall I thing we did a pretty good job. We pretty much stuck to what we said we wanted to do earlier in the week."

DT Jurrell Casey
on stopping Jones-Drew: "We knew we had to get to him, and that's what we did today. We had great guys out there who were ready to gang tackle and we just came out and were physical, and we knew they war going to pound the ball at us today."
on why it's hard to bring MJD down: "He's got a low center of gravity. He's a smaller guy, so he ain't going to meet your pads. If try to you go up there and tackle him by yourself it's tough to get him down."

LB Tim Shaw
on kick coverage: "Rob [Bironas] hung the ball up there for us and we had a good plan to go cover it and we had guys who were being aggressive, that's what it takes. They're one of the best kick return teams in the league, so I'm proud of the way our guys covered today."
on punts: "Again it starts with Brett [Kern] putting the ball there and our guys went after it and got it. At the end of the day it's about attitude; if I beat my guy and we all beat our guys it's a good game for us."

DT Karl Klug
on sack of Blaine Gabbert: "That was a coverage sack, that was good."
on the defense against Jones-Drew: "He still had 100 yards, but I think we contained him as best we could."
on the win: "We stay alive for next week. Playoff chances are still alive for us, that's all you can ask for."

Marc Mariani:
on how field position factored into the game: "We know the Jags are a running and grinding team. We know our possessions would be limited. We knew the field position is a huge part of this battle when we play them whenever you play them. Te be able to do what we wanted to do in the game plan we needed decent field position, don't want bad spots starting drives, we put a good plan together and the special teams went out with a few new faces and executed and overall I'm happy. Standing back there in the punts I was as comfortable as ever, so I think as a unit we are getting better every week. We're out there trying to make plays."
on no penalties on returns: "How about that. That is huge. I didn't even think of that until just now. Like I say, we're getting better. We've got guys working hard out there, obviously doing things right. Even though it's Week 16 we're still trying to get better. It's a building block towards next week when we have another battle."

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-- CHARLIY NASH
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The Titans already had a difficult task going against the high-scoring New Orleans Saints. The hill got a little steeper when injuries forced them to leave cornerback Jason McCourty and linebackers Barrett Ruud and Patrick Bailey inactive. Over the course of the game, quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, running back Javon Ringer, safety Anthony Smith, linebackers Gerald McGrath and Akeem Ayers, and at the end of the game, receiver Nate Washington joined the ranks of the injured. Still the Titans kept the Saints score low, and had the opportunity to win at the end.

Hasselbeck was injured when a pass was blocked by a defensive lineman. As the ball hung in the air he lunged toward it and immediately pulled up his leg in obvious pain. Rookie Jake Locker then came in for his most extensive playing time of the season. On his second series he led a drive to set up a tying field goal. The Saints answered, and the half ended with New Orleans leading 6-3.

In the second half Locker gave the Titans a brief lead with a spectacular running (and leaping) touchdown, extending his arm to keep the ball in bounds. New Orleans then found its rhythm and scored two touchdowns. Locker then put together a quick strike touchdown drive, bringing the deficit to five points. The defense responded and stopped the Saints, forcing them to punt.

During the next drive, Locker was hit from behind as he threw. Hasselbeck had to return for one play, then literally hop off the field as Locker returned to the huddle. The Titans got near the red zone, then made the controversial decision to throw a pass to the end zone on third and inches instead of picking up the first down. After the pass was broken up they were unsuccessful in gaining the needed distance on fourth down and turned the ball over to the Saints.

But they still had time, and they still had a tough defense. They got the ball back and stared working their way down the field. Finally with 27 seconds left Locker hit Nate Washington with a pass that went 40 yards, giving a first and goal at the five. Washington injured his ankle and back on the play, but managed to stand at the line long enough foe Locker to spike the ball. Chris Johnson then carried Washington off the field so medical personnel didn't need to come out, preventing time from being run off the clock. (It was his best carry of the day.)

There was time for two shots at the end zone. The first was broken up. Locker was scrambling to find an open receiver when he was sacked, ending the game.

Playoffs are still a remote possibility, but only as a wild card team and only with a lot of help. This game goes in the books as a loss, but the Titans went up again one of the big boys today, and the Saints know they were lucky to escape with a win.

Stars of the Game
Offense: Jake Locker
He came off the bench and put together three scoring drives. His rushing touchdown was highlight material, and he put the team in a position to win.

Defense: Karl Klug
The quiet man had two sacks, one of them killed a drive (and looked like it was going to be the turning point of the game).

Special Teams: Marc Mariani
Another day of good returns from Mariani. On one kick return he faked a lateral which completely froze the New Orleans coverage team.

Unsung Hero: Chris Johnson
His quick thinking in helping Nate Washington get off the field meant the difference between having seven seconds on the clock and having two seconds on the clock.

Locker Room Quotes
CB Alterraun Verner
on it being a frustrating game: "Definitely frustrating. I'm proud of the team, we fought all the way to the end."
on the quick TD firing up the defense: "Yes, we were fired up the whole time because we knew what type of offensive challenge this was with Drew Brees and company, so we were fired up the whole game, so I think that's why we were playing good, at least when we got into the red zone and we took great pride in keeping them out. We know that they're a high scoring high powered offense and so we tried our best in that they got their yardage, they got their points because they're a good team, but I think that overall we did enough to try to get us a win. That's what the whole football team did."
on the number of injuries: "We were dropping like flies it seemed like. There were some people I didn't even know got hurt and just just seen them out of uniform. It was definitely crazy. That just shows the character of this team that we have people try to step up and make plays. Jake Locker is a big, big name, one of them who came up big. Nate's been playing hurt, we had some linebackers go down and people stepped up. That's why I'm ultimately proud of this team."

WR Nate Washington
on being helped off the field by Chris Johnson: "I owe a lot of credit to Chris, CJ. He came up to me, grabbed me up and made sure I knew I had to get off the field. It was just so difficult for me at the time. That's what we need, we need to be able to to pick each other up and that's exactly what he did."
on the previous play: "I knew right then that I had to get up, I knew time was short. At the same time my ankle was hurting so bad. Somebody had hit me in my back and I started having back spasms. I have to be better.I have to do better. I could have did a better job looking back at it. I wish I could have stayed in. At the same time, I'm proud of our effort today."

LB Colin McCarthy
on performance of defense: "I think defensively we played okay. We didn't play our game. There's some third downs cost us. We've got to get off the field. They were able to convert on those. A couple big plays and they came out with the win."
on the first TD pass to Colston: "I'll take the blame for that. We're in two coverage and I've got to get back there and make the play. I saw him run a little hitch route and then he stopped and I took my eyes back, but I needed to get back there."
on the injuries at linebacker: "I think some guys had the opportunity to step up. [Tim] Shaw came in and did a great job for us. You know, it's football. Guys are going to get dinged up, get hurt, and when guys step up then they come in and play."

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C.J. Spiller of the Bills had one of the best days of his career and scored a spectacular touchdown by recovering his own fumble while just barely staying in bounds. But Chris Johnson led the Titans to victory with two touchdowns and 153 yards rushing.

The first series for the Bills was a good indication of the frustration they would face much of the day. Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick threw three passes; two were knocked down by the Titans' defensive line and the third was broken up by cornerback Cortland Finnegan. They were then forced to punt to Marc Mariani who gave the Titans excellent field position.

The Titans' offense had difficulty finding a rhythm early, and had to settle for a field goal. Spiller scored his highlight-reel touchdown to give Buffalo the lead. That's when the Tennessee offense really came alive.

A quick scoring drive capped by a 48-yard run by Johnson gave the Titans the lead they never gave up. On their next drive the Bills had a touchdown nullified by a penalty. They then tried to convert on fourth down; Fitzpatrick was stripped of the ball by linebacker Colin McCarthy who then recovered the fumble. Six plays later the Titans turned that into another touchdown.

Johnson finished the day with 153 yards and two touchdowns.

There are some major injury concerns as cornerback Jason McCourty left the game with a concussion and receiver Nate Washington injured his left ankle. The Titans are already thin at both positions.

Stars of the Game
Offense: Chris Johnson
CJ now has Titans' fans wondering "what if." His performance Sunday and last week is what we kept hoping to see.

Defense: Colin McCarthy
I should start calling him "future Pro-Bowler", because this kid has turned out to be the steal of the draft. He again led the team in tackles and had one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries.

Special Teams: Marc Mariani
He had punt returns of 21, 26 and 23 yards and a return of a short kick that gave the team the ball on the 25-yard line.

Difference Maker: Defensive Line
The big guys up front knocked down four passes, two of the on the Bills' opening drive.

Unsung Hero: Michael Griffin
Even though one of his two forced fumbles was recovered for a Bills score, I've got to give him credit for the strips.

Stats of the Game
68 Rushing yards by Chris Johnson in the first quarter; not long ago he wasn't getting that in a game
81.8 percent Titans; league-leading success rate when going for it on fourth down (up from 80 percent before the game)
4 Passes batted down by defensive linemen
17 Players who caught passes on both teams

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You expect certain things in a game played during a steady rainfall: Fumbles, players falling down, injuries and dropped passes. We got all of that in Nashville on Sunday, along with the most hurdling of defenders I've seen in a single game, and something totally unexpected: Chris Johnson's best running performance of the season.

For most of the game it looked like the Titans could do everything but score. Their only touchdown of the first half came from beautifully executed play on a kick return. Marc Mariani caught the ball at the goal line then ran it up the left side line. Just as he was about to be hit he reached backwards to hand the ball to Tommy Campbell who reversed the field and sprinted 84 yards untouched to score.

Throughout the game the Titans were able to run the ball well, and did a good job of containing Tampa's dangerous running back LaGarrette Blount until late in the game. The problem for both teams was turnovers. The light rain contributed to eight fumbles.

Several players were injured during this game. Tight end Jared Cook was helped off the field after being leveled on an incomplete pass, but after the gem said he was fine. Campbell was slammed to the ground while blocking the gunner on a punt and taken to the locker room for evaluation -- the early report in a sprained shoulder.

After Tampa took a 17-10 lead in the third quarter by scoring on an interception return, the whole game took on a new level of intensity. The crowd had thinned out as the rain continued to fall, but the people who remained were remarkably loud. A 52-yard field goal closed the score to 17-13. On their next possession the Titans got down to the 2-yard line and decided to go for the touchdown rather than an easy field goal. Matt Hassellbeck had plenty of time to look for an open receiver and Damien Williams made one of his signature back of the end-zone catches to give the Titans the lead.

Tampa then got an excellent kick return with about three minutes left in the game they seemed to be in a position to tie the game or retake the lead. That's when rookie linebacker Colin McCarthy made the big defensive play of the day. He picked off a pass and resisted the urge to try for a return, instead securing the ball and lying down on it. This gave the offense a chance to come in and use up the clock, and force Tampa to burn its timeouts. The ensuing drive resulted in another field goal which gave Tennessee a six point lead, forcing Tampa to try of a touchdown with 1:44 left and no timeouts.

Tampa made the last drive interesting. The Bucs drove 55 yards down the field. But the game came down to a fourth and one play, and the Titans' defense got the stop.

Before this season started many experts said that the rebuilding Tennessee Titans would be lucky to get six wins. With five games left on the schedule they've already achieved that, and should be able to add a few more.

Stars of the Game
Offense: Chris Johnson
He didn't get into the end zone, but 190 yards! That's more than his first five games. Maybe the solution to the running game problems is a sprinkler system.

Defense: Dave Ball
Two sacks, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, a tackle for loss and a QB hurry.

Special Teams: Tommy Campbell
His perfectly executed play on the kick return got the Titans on the board and provided a big momentum lift.

Difference Maker: Colin McCarthy
Once again he led the team in tackles. His interception in the fourth quarter set up the drive that shut the door on the Bucs.

Unsung Hero: Ahmard Hall
One catch and one carry, but both for first downs.

Stats of the Game
8 Total number of fumbles (including those recovered by the same team)
9 Number of turnovers
5 Players who left the game due to injury (whether they returned or not)
8.3 Average yards per carry by Chris Johnson

Locker Room Quotes
LB Colin McCarthy
on the win: "It was a great win for us, as far as bouncing back after last week and the defense not finishing, and in the fourth quarter to finish them and get the interception. And then lastly, on that last drive they were driving in to score and [Jason Jones] on fourth did a great job getting in there forcing them to fumble the football. Getting this win is great for us, and playing 60 minutes to the finish is what we wanted to do."
on the mood of the team: "We've been up and down, our main thing is trying to stay consistent. Next week we've just got to win one game. We'll go to Buffalo with a mindset to just win one game, and from there we'll take it from there."

WR Damian Williams
on his thoughts trying to get open in end zone: "I came out of my break and I was wide open, but Matt couldn't see me, and I was just dying to get into his vision. I knew I was open I was just dying to get into his vision, luckily he stayed with it and kept working."
on if he was sure he was in bounds: "I knew I was in during the play, but when I watched the replay I was kind of nervous. From that angle it did look like I stepped out."

TE Jared Cook
on his injury: "I'm doing fine. It just knocked me dizzy a little bit."
on the flow of the game: "It was a tough game. It was hard fought from the first to the last snap. It was a hard fought game by both sides, a lot of turnovers by both sides, we fought it out."

DE Dave Ball
on the last defensive series: "The last series was just basically do or die for both teams and it was great of our offense to bleed the clock and take away all of their time outs. They had some good runs, so we were fortunate that they only had 1:40 with no time outs. We just made the big plays when it counted, it came down to inches out there and we were able to make a big play."
on his performance: "They gave me a full frontal lobotomy which helped, they infused some of Deacon Jones frozen stem cells into my brain, which is good. So you know I kind of feel good."

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