Titans' Lucky Charm Comes Through Again
by Max - 11/01/2006
This past Sunday I had the pleasure of watching the Houston-Tennessee game in Nashville. I have attended one game annually for the past six years at LP Field. This date best fit into my busy schedule and the game certainly did not disappoint.
The stadium is in a unique setting along the Cumberland River and offers great seating, regardless of which level you're on. The Titans have won five of the six games I've attended and have covered the spread the last three years while I have been working for Doc's Sports. It has grown into a good luck charm and I will be betting on them again next season.
For the victory, we would like to send personal congratulations to QB David Carr and his horrendous performance on the field. Carr single-handily lost the game for the Texans. He committed three turnovers and his fumble right before the first half ended changed the entire complexion of this game. The Texans were trailing 7-3 and were at midfield when Carr looked for a long completion to get the team into field goal range. Instead he was sacked, with the ball coming loose. It was picked up by Tony Brown, who took it 40 yards to the house to give the Titans a 14-3 halftime lead.
Tennessee would not look back from there and, despite a late effort by backup QB Sage Rosenfels, they held on for the 28-22 victory. After the game, coach Gary Kubiak said that Carr would remain the starting quarterback for this team and that is beyond my comprehension. He looked terrible in this game, was sacked four times, and continues to not get any distance with his passing attempts. The only reason he will keep his job for another week is because he was a No. 1 overall pick in the draft and his inflated salary demands that he sees action.
Carr continues to get sacked numerous times each game and seems afraid to just throw the football away for fear of a lower QB rating. If a quarterback gets sacked, it does not have the same negative effect on his rating that an incomplete pass does. This is his fifth year under center and his team has shown no improvement. They must be kicking themselves for not drafting a quarterback this year. Most of the blame lies with his lineman, but I put plenty of it solely on the shoulders of Carr. A journeyman backup outplayed him last week and I would venture to guess he'd be on a short leash when the Texans travel to the Meadowlands to take on the Giants.
You realize the powers I have as a good luck charm when a team is outgained in total yards, 427-197, yet at one point in the game held a 28-10 lead. Tennessee is still a team to fade in the upcoming weeks if opponents can follow one simple formula: do not turn the football over. Make the Vince Young go the length of the field and you should have no problem collecting your winning tickets on single-digit spreads.
Young has potential to be a solid quarterback in the NFL, but I would imagine the Titans are scratching their heads for not drafting Matt Leinart with the No. 3 pick. Leinart has shown he has the ability to move his team down the football field through the air and Young has yet to display that talent. Young is still at least two years away from being a dependable quarterback and it will be interesting to see if coach Jeff Fisher will be around to see him blossom. He is the only coach this franchise has had in Nashville and it would be an embarrassment to blame him for the rebuilding struggles of the Titans.
In closing, my annual trip to Nashville was successful, as the Titans not only won but I was able to tour the Country Music Hall of Fame as well. The Titans have either won or covered every game that I have attended at LP Field, so you will want to be on the lookout in 2007 when I test fate yet again and make my annual trip to The Music City. History will likely repeat itself and I would like you to be along for the ride with the collection plate.
We have had back-to-back impressive weeks and this weekend it is all about the revenge factor, as at least three of our plays will feature big-time revenge teams. Doc's is your place for all your successful plays and we would like you to come aboard with one of our many packages that we are currently offering.
Free Pick: Take North Carolina State +6 over Georgia Tech.