Young leads Titans on 99-yard drive and into the playoff hunt
Very few people (if any) expected last year's top seed in the AFC to begin the season with an 0-6 record.
As many (i.e., few) expected the Titans to rattle off five consecutive wins after benching Kerry Collins in favor of Vince Young, who owner Bud Adams wanted to see inserted as the team's starter.
Five weeks later, however, it was Young's 99-yard drive to win the game against Arizona yesterday that has them only one game out of the wildcard with five games to go.
Young hit rookie receiver Kenny Britt, who was the Titans' first-round pick, on a 10-yard touchdown pass with time expiring for the game-winner.
"Once you see Vince scramble around, you never know if he's going to run it or throw it," Britt said. "You just have to stay alive, and that's what I did."
If you missed it, here's the drive:
As it stands, the Broncos (7-4) and Jaguars (6-5) currently hold the AFC wildcard spots. Tied with the Jags are the Steelers and Ravens.
But then it's the 5-6 Titans tied with the Texans, the Dolphins (their week 15 opponent) and the Jets.
With five games to go, the Titans play two tough teams -- Indianapolis (this week) and San Diego -- and two bad teams -- St. Louis and Seattle -- in addition to Miami.
Not to be forgotten, Titans RB Chris Johnson has been the league's best running back as he has seven rushing touchdowns during the team's winning streak. And he's rushed for 125+ yards in six consecutive games.
That said, VY passed for a career-high 387 yards and it was his arm that led this run-first team to victory. It's a QB not named Manning that's making coach Jeff Fisher "feel like a winner."
If the Titans, who are as hot as any team lately, can knock off the unbeaten Colts, who clinched the division yesterday, this team just may become the first 0-6 team to make the playoffs.
Whether the Titans make the playoffs or not, who would have expected that "playoffs" and "Titans" would be used in the same sentence this late in the season?
