NASHVILLE, Tenn. – For nearly three seasons, the Tennessee Titans have waited for Jared Cook to consistently perform up to his potential.

Now Cook has put together the best two games of his career, with 169 yards receiving in the last game to set a new team record for most yards receiving by a tight end.

He’s also just 73 yards shy of Frank Wycheck’s franchise record of 769 yards receiving by a tight end going into Sunday’s game at Houston (10-5).

“We know what a good player he is. I think since the first day (offensive co-ordinator) Chris Palmer came in here and in the first press conference, I think he is the first guy he talked about,” Titans coach Mike Munchak said of Cook. “I think there has been an emphasis to try to get him the ball.”

In last week’s 23-17 win over Jacksonville, Cook had eight catches for 169 yards including a 55-yard touchdown. That bumped aside Casper who had 150 yards receiving Nov. 30, 1980, against Cleveland for the then-Houston Oilers. That also marked Cook’s second straight 100-yard receiving game and put him over 1,000 yards receiving for his career.

Cook has 45 receptions for the season. His biggest challenge since being drafted out of South Carolina is being an up-and-down player. He has 17 catches the past two weeks, but none in either of the two previous games.

“There are going to be roller coasters in seasons, you just got to roll with it,” Cook said. “Sometimes the offence expects to do great things, but sometimes we don’t. You’ve just got to keep riding the roller coaster.”

The tight end is just happy that things are finally going well for him.

“It feels good,” he said. “Hopefully, this is kind of a preview of what’s to come for the offence. It feels good to be out there and offence is clicking and everybody is catching balls.”

As for why Cook has been so inconsistent, that appears to remain a bit of a mystery.

“Things are trending the way where it’s either feast of famine with him more so than anything,” Munchak said. “It just a multiple of factors … and it doesn’t mean that we are not trying to get him the ball. There could be things about what Cookie is doing and what he is not doing, the quarterback getting a read wrong, how they are covering, it’s all of those things going into the equation.”

Titans quarterback Matt Hasselbeck agreed, saying it was good to see Cook involved in the game from start to finish against the Jaguars.

“It was nice to see Jared Cook come out and play so well,” Hasselbeck said. “He’s always been kind of a big-play threat for us in a way, but he consistently played well for us in that game, catching the ball, pass blocking, all of it. That was great to see. He’s a matchup problem for a lot of people.”

The Titans (8-7) hope to keep up that trend Sunday at Houston. They must win to maintain their playoff hopes and need help from later games to earn a playoff berth.

They head into the game relatively healthy.

Defensive end Jason Jones remains in a walking boot with a high ankle sprain and is doubtful. But running back Chris Johnson (right ankle), receiver Lavelle Hawkins (ankle), tight end Daniel Graham (illness), defensive tackle Shaun Smith (knee) and linebacker Gerald McRath (knee/ankle) all practised fully Friday and are questionable.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP)—For nearly three seasons, the Tennessee Titans have
waited for Jared Cook to consistently perform up to his potential.

Now Cook has put together the best two games of his career, with 169 yards
receiving in the last game to set a new team record for most yards receiving by
a tight end.

He’s’ also just 73 yards shy of Frank Wycheck’s franchise record of 769
yards receiving by a tight end going into Sunday’s game at Houston (10-5).

“We know what a good player he is. I think since the first day (offensive
coordinator) Chris Palmer came in here and in the first press conference, I
think he is the first guy he talked about,” Titans coach Mike Munchak said of
Cook. “I think there has been an emphasis to try to get him the ball.”

In last week’s 23-17 win over Jacksonville, Cook had eight catches for 169
yards including a 55-yard touchdown. That bumped aside Casper who had 150 yards
receiving Nov. 30, 1980, against Cleveland for the then-Houston Oilers. That
also marked Cook’s second straight 100-yard receiving game and put him over
1,000 yards receiving fo rhis career.

Cook has 45 receptions for the season. His biggest challenge since being
drafted out of South Carolina is being an up-and-down player. He has 17 catches
the past two weeks, but none in either of the two previous games.

“There are going to be roller coasters in seasons, you just got to roll
with it,” Cook said. “Sometimes the offense expects to do great things, but
sometimes we don’t. You’ve just got to keep riding the roller coaster.”

The tight end is just happy that things are finally going well for him.

“It feels good,” he said. “Hopefully, this is kind of a preview of what’s
to come for the offense. It feels good to be out there and offense is clicking
and everybody is catching balls.”

As for why Cook has been so inconsistent, that appears to remain a bit of a
mystery.

“Things are trending the way where it’s either feast of famine with him
more so than anything,” Munchak said. “It just a multiple of factors … and
it doesn’t mean that we are not trying to get him the ball. There could be
things about what Cookie is doing and what he is not doing, the quarterback
getting a read wrong, how they are covering, it’s all of those things going into
the equation.”

Titans quarterback Matt Hasselbeck agreed, saying it was good to see Cook
involved in the game from start to finish against the Jaguars.

“It was nice to see Jared Cook come out and play so well,” Hasselbeck
said. “He’s always been kind of a big-play threat for us in a way, but he
consistently played well for us in that game, catching the ball, pass blocking,
all of it. That was great to see. He’s a matchup problem for a lot of people.”

The Titans (8-7) hope to keep up that trend Sunday at Houston. They must win
to maintain their playoff hopes and need help from later games to earn a playoff
berth.

They head into the game relatively healthy.

Defensive end Jason Jones remains in a walking boot with a high ankle sprain
and is doubtful. But running back Chris Johnson (right ankle), receiver Lavelle
Hawkins (ankle), tight end Daniel Graham (illness), defensive tackle Shaun Smith
(knee) and linebacker Gerald McRath (knee/ankle) all practiced fully Friday and
are questionable.

INDIANAPOLIS — The Colts avoided their first 0-16 season thanks to a quarterback who was trying to prevent his second.

Dan Orlovsky, who closed out the NFL’s only 0-16 season with Detroit in 2008, threw one touchdown pass and the key block to spring an 80-yard touchdown run Sunday and lead the previously winless Colts to a 27-13 win over playoff hopeful Tennessee.

It was the franchise’s first win in 14 years without Peyton Manning, and all it took was 14 tries and three quarterbacks.

Players and coaches celebrated by throwing their arms in the air, and Orlovsky got to close it out by taking the traditional kneel downs for the first time in his NFL career.

“I’m happy for a lot of people on this team, for a lot of people in this organization,” Orlovsky said. “It’s a lot better than the feeling we’ve had lately.”

Indianapolis (1-13) had been waiting for what seemed like an eternity, 50 weeks, since their previous win, also at home against the Titans.

For Orlovsky, the drought was even longer. The seven-year veteran was 0-9 in his previous NFL starts. He didn’t have to do too much Sunday, going 11-of-17 for 82 yards with one touchdown, but he didn’t turn the ball over.

And though the numbers looked nothing like Manning’s, they were good enough to get a win.

“I think in my career, I’ve learned not to take them [wins] for granted,” Orlovsky said, drawing polite laughter.

Donald Brown added a career-high 161 yards rushing, including a late 80-yard TD run for Indy.

The Colts will need their offense to keep playing like this in the final two games, too, after team vice chairman Bill Polian announced Manning would not be back this season, though he has started throwing to his teammates.

For Tennessee, the loss is a devastating blow.

Had Tennessee (7-7) closed out the season with three wins, it might have been able to reach the postseason without any help. Now the Titans will probably need to win their last two games and get help from some others to make it.

But Tennessee had only itself to blame for this one.

Matt Hasselbeck was 27-of-40 for 223 yards with no TDs and two interceptions before being lifted in favor of rookie Jake Locker. Chris Johnson ran 15 times for 55 yards. The Titans lost a fumble and muffed a kickoff out of bounds at their own 1-yard line.

“I never would have expected us to come out, and they’re playing like the team going to the playoffs and we’re the team that’s 0-13,” coach Mike Munchak said. “We just weren’t playing well at all. The intensity wasn’t there at the start.”

Nor was it there at the end.

Locker’s 7-yard TD pass to Nate Washington with 3:43 to go, got Tennessee within one score as tense Colts fans began to wonder if this one would slip away, too.

On the Colts’ next play, the Titans appeared to have Brown corralled in the backfield. But when Brown reversed field and got away from the defenders. Orlovsky jumped in front of the man closest to him, providing enough of an obstacle to give Brown a wide-open lane on the edge. All Brown had to do was outrun the defense 80 yards to the end zone.

The play tied Tom Matte’s record for the franchise’s longest run, set Oct. 12, 1964, against St. Louis.

Brown then enjoyed an overdue celebration with Orlovsky in the end zone.

“The O-line did a great job; somebody came free, the running back’s job is to make him miss. Dan threw a great block, Reggie threw a great block and I think [Jacob] Tamme was running down there, too,” Brown said. “It was just an all-out great effort by the guys on offense.”

Sunday’s game had a totally different complexion from the first 13.

Indy spent the past nine weeks fighting for a lead, any lead. After playing more than 500 minutes from behind or tied, the Colts finally took the lead on Adam Vinatieri’s 47-yard field goal.

The Colts gave it right back just before halftime when Rob Bironas made his second field goal to give the Titans a 6-3 lead. It didn’t last long.

Orlovsky hooked up with Reggie Wayne for an 18-yard TD that made it 10-6 early in the third quarter. The Colts never trailed again.

Jacob Lacey, the oft-criticized cornerback, returned an interception 32 yards for a touchdown to give the Colts a 17-6 lead.

On the ensuing kickoff, Marc Mariani tried to field the bouncing ball in the end zone, but kicked it out of bounds inside the Titans 1. That mistake and Brown’s 39-yard run, set up Vinatieri for a 40-yard field goal to make it 20-6 with 12:53 to play.

Locker gave the Titans a chance with his TD pass, but Orlovsky and Brown took it away with run that ended Indy’s chase of 0-16 and the first 0-14 mark in franchise history.

“It means a lot, but we’re a proud ballclub so one game out of 13 or 14, we still have a ways to go,” defensive end Robert Mathis said. “Everybody held the fort today. We just kept chopping wood and the tree fell today.”

By Rick Stroud and Stephen F. Holder, Times Staff Writers

In Print: Monday, November 28, 2011

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Bucs DT Albert Haynesworth had been looking forward to his return to Nashville, where he spent the first seven seasons of his NFL career. In fact, he still has pretty important ties to the area. • “(Saturday) I got to see my kids, and they’re getting huge,” he said. “I really miss them.” • But Haynesworth made it clear he was in town on business. • “Coming here to play in front of the Titans fans was great, but it would have been even better for me if we would have gotten a win here,” he said. • Haynesworth finished with four tackles, including two for losses. He consistently helped collapse the pocket around QB Matt Hasselbeck and made penetration into the backfield on running plays. On one, when he decked RB Javon Ringer for a loss, Haynesworth got up from the pile and pumped his fists. That drew some mild boos from the Titans fans, who surely recall his decision to leave the team as a free agent in 2009. • Still, Haynesworth’s recollections remain fond. • “I appreciate the memories,” he said.

Clearwater Central Catholic grad and Titans rookie Colin McCarthy faced the team he grew up watching in the bay area. • And in this interesting situation, McCarthy made it known he is the Titans’ middle linebacker of the future. Having started in place of injured former Bucs MLB Barrett Ruud (groin), McCarthy led the Titans with 10 tackles (seven solo), a pass defensed and an interception of Bucs QB Josh Freeman. • Dropping into coverage in his Cover 2 zone — the deep middle of the field — McCarthy read Freeman’s eyes and jumped in front of a pass intended for TE Kellen Winslow, robbing the Bucs of a key fourth-quarter possession. • “What went through my mind was, ‘Just catch it! Just catch it!’ ” McCarthy said afterward. • McCarthy said Tennessee defensive coordinator Jerry Gray had been prepping him all last week to cover throws to Winslow down the middle. • “We’d seen it on film,” McCarthy said. “So, the biggest thing is if they throw it to you, don’t drop it.” • Freeman said there was a miscommunication between he and Winslow, though Freeman wasn’t specific. Whether Winslow ran a different route than Freeman expected wasn’t clear, but Freeman’s decision to throw the ball with McCarthy lurking wasn’t smart in either case. • “It’s just something that, at that point in the game, can’t happen,” Freeman said. “Looking back, we had our timeouts, we had plenty of time.”

Old friend outdoes Morris

. When Bucs coach Raheem Morris played at Irvington (N.J.) High School, he played for coach Chet Parlavecchio, left, probably never dreaming that they would one day face each other on opposite sidelines of an NFL field. But it happened, and it was an important subplot Sunday. As it turns out, it was Parlavecchio, a special teams assistant with the Titans, who cooked up a beautifully timed reverse on a first-quarter kickoff return that resulted in a touchdown.

“I got outdone by my high school head coach,” bemoaned Morris afterward. “Unbelievable, isn’t it?”

On the play, Bucs kickoff specialist Mike Koenen and his cover men were attempting a right-side kickoff, putting the ball near the Bucs sideline. That’s where KR Marc Mariani fielded it at the goal line and worked his way up the field. The Bucs had a wave of cover men converging to pin him against the sideline when he did the unexpected. At the Tennessee 16, Mariani stealthily handed the ball to DB Tommie Campbell, who was heading in the opposite direction. By the time the Bucs found the ball, they were in a footrace that they would lose, resulting in an 84-yard touchdown return for Campbell.

“It was a great call because nobody saw it,” Bucs LB Adam Hayward said. “We were all running to where the ball was. We had no idea.” The play was called 37 Special.

“Once I got past the safety, I knew I had it,” Campbell said.

“They’ve done a lot of tricks, but nothing like that,” said Hayward, Tampa Bay’s special teams captain. “We were expecting something else. It was perfect timing. It was a good call because we had people coming across the field (in the opposite direction) and they just walled us off.” And, for that, Morris can thank his old friend, Coach Parlavecchio.

. The Bucs offense seemed to have major issues finding the end zone, so Tampa Bay needed its defense to help show the way.

That’s where CB Aqib Talib came up big, intercepting Tennessee QB Matt Hasselbeck in the third quarter and returning the ball 27 yards for a momentum-shifting touchdown. It was Talib’s second interception of the season, and both times he has returned them for touchdowns.

The play gave the Bucs a 17-10 lead, but it didn’t hold up.

“We got turnovers, but we didn’t get enough to win,” Talib said.

Talib dived underneath intended receiver Nate Washington, then stopped, cut and hightailed it to the end zone.

Talib had another stellar day, adding three tackles, a pass defensed and a forced a fumble by RB Chris Johnson (which SS Sean Jones recovered).

RB LeGarrette Blount had his second consecutive 100-yard rushing performance Sunday, but it wasn’t one that the second-year player is likely to celebrate. • Moments after the game, when coach Raheem Morris was asked about Blount, he succinctly summed up the day of his battering-ram ball carrier, who fumbled twice. • “LeGarrette went out and ran the ball well, but you have to hang on to the football at all costs,” Morris said. “When you’re carrying that football, you’re carrying the whole team on your back.” • Blount rushed for 103 yards on 20 carries, a 5.2-yard average. He also caught three passes for 56 yards, including a short reception in which he rumbled 35 yards. • A subdued Blount, who had his third 100-yard game of the season, had few answers afterward. • “We just didn’t hold on to the ball tight enough,” he said. “We didn’t hold on to the ball the way we were taught.”

Johnson awakens against Bucs D

. Titans RB Chris Johnson had run for 4,598 yards in his three previous seasons. Yet, this season, he had not flirted with the sort of rare numbers he had since 2008 — until Sunday. The Orlando native had the third-best effort of his career, running for 190 yards on 23 carries, dazzling with his precise, quick cutting and rapid acceleration that left the Bucs exasperated.

The Bucs seemed to have Johnson under wraps in the first half, when they gang-tackled him, dropped him for losses and generally limited his effectiveness, holding him to 46 yards at halftime. Then, everything changed.

“The way he is, he can make up for (negative plays),” said Bucs DT Albert Haynesworth, a former teammate of Johnson’s. “He’s Chris Johnson. You don’t really come in and try to stop him. You just want to contain him. That was kind of the plan.”

The Bucs could’ve limited Johnson by limiting his opportunities, but that would have required getting defensive stops and finishing drives on offense. In the late going, they did neither.

“He got too many yards,” coach Raheem Morris said. “He had a couple breakout runs. He’s a great running back. Make no mistake about it. When great running backs get that many carries and that many touches, you get a chance to be explosive and (he’s) going to be. The only way to stop him is to get him off the football field.”

The Bucs entered the game with the NFL’s 31st-ranked defense. They didn’t help their ranking with Sunday’s performance, giving up 352 yards.

Quick hits

. DT Brian Price, who has been hampered by injuries, sprained his ankle in the second quarter and was seen in the locker room on crutches. The severity of the injury is unknown.

. Rookie DE Da’Quan Bowers made his first start, replacing injured Michael Bennett, and had one tackle.

. CB Ronde Barber‘s forced fumble, which led to a Bucs touchdown, was his first of the season and the 14th of his career.

. DE Adrian Clayborn‘s third-quarter sack was his fifth of the season, a team high.

. After recording just one TD reception in the first nine games, WR Mike Williams has now scored in back-to-back weeks and has 14 in his career.

Slipping and sliding

. The Nashville area was bracing for a cold front that was expected to drop more than an inch of rain. Mother Nature did not disappoint. The playing surface at LP Field was covered by a tarp before kickoff. But with rain falling consistently, it didn’t take long for the conditions to affect the game. There were nine combined turnovers, including six lost fumbles (four by the Bucs). At times, ball carriers lost their footing when trying to plant on the wet turf, which had been resodded just last week. “I think there were some good hits where the ball was going to come out,” Titans coach Mike Munchak said. “But I think the weather ends up being the main reason for it. … It adds to it. It was definitely the first time we have played in that weather.” Said Bucs coach Raheem Morris: “Obviously there was a lot of rain. But it’s football. That’s what we play this game for. Nobody wants to play in pretty (weather) all the time. It’s about the elements. That’s why we play, and that’s what we signed up for. I actually enjoyed it. I want to play more games like that.”

[Last modified: Nov 27, 2011 10:32 PM]

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Mike Munchak has no explanation for exactly why the Tennessee Titans have won 13 of their past 14 games against the NFC.

Luckily for Tennessee, Atlanta and Tampa Bay are up next.

The Titans (5-4) have won two of three overall after a 30-3 rout of Carolina on Sunday to stay 1 1/2 games behind the Houston Texans (7-3) in the division.

Their defense smothered Cam Newton and the rest of the Panthers’ offense, while Chris Johnson ran for a season-high 130 yards. They even got a touchdown on a punt return.

“I hope it continues,” Munchak said Monday of the Titans’ success against the NFC. “We’d like to see that happen. It’s hard to figure out why that is, but I hope the pattern stays the same. … Going to Atlanta’s going to be a great challenge.”

With the win in Carolina, the Titans are 27-10 against the NFC since realignment in 2002, and that’s the second-best interconference winning rate in the NFL in that time at 73 percent behind only New England (33-5, 86.8 percent) with Pittsburgh at 72.4 percent (27-10-1).

Munchak has been preaching that the stretch run offers a fresh start for a team still set on winning the AFC South. The Titans are a win away from matching the six victories of last season, and this team won only once in the final nine games in a finish that led to the decision to cut Vince Young and part ways with coach Jeff Fisher.

The new coach said he never set a number for wins in his first season except enough to win the division.

“That’s our goal, that’s been our goal,” Munchak said. “I don’t know how many that’s going to take. Obviously, it’s going to take a lot more than we have right now. We’re in position to be able to do that so we just got to look at it that way that there’s no number. Just whatever number gets us into the playoffs.”

Munchak has encouraged his Titans to forget about the stats and rankings built up through the first eight games. The Titans seem to have seized upon this idea that they can start fresh despite being last in the NFL in rushing and other struggles.

“The biggest thing is we do have seven more, and we have to take them one at a time,” receiver Damian Williams said.

“I’ve told a couple people that before I don’t remember too many 12-4 teams not making the playoffs. If we go one at a time and keep doing what we’re doing and play our best football at the end of the season, I think we’ll have a good shot.”

The Titans spoke while Texans coach Gary Kubiak announced a significant foot injury to his starting quarterback Matt Schaub.

But the Titans can be encouraged by their own play in Carolina. Johnson had 177 yards from scrimmage as the offense finally looked to be in synch running the ball with the offensive line opening big holes for him.

“You watch the tape, yeah that’s us,” Munchak said. “That’s how we block. That’s how we play.”

Williams had 107 yards receiving off five catches to give Tennessee a 100-yard receiver and 100-yard rusher for the first time this season. Matt Hasselbeck threw a touchdown pass in his ninth straight game, his longest such streak to start a season in his career.

The defense had a season-high five sacks and held the Panthers to 279 yards, looking more like the unit that was the NFL’s stingiest in points allowed early in October while starting 3-1. The Titans did it despite starting three rookies on defense with a fourth, tackle Karl Klug, getting plenty of work as well.

Marc Mariani, a Pro Bowl returner as a rookie, also pitched in with his first touchdown this season off a 79-yard punt return.

The Titans had nine penalties for 92 yards, but Munchak noted they didn’t have any offsides, false starts, illegal motions. He used video of the penalties they were flagged for as teaching moments trying to clean up those mistakes.

“You get a chance to run the ball, it’s good for everybody,” Munchak said.