ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Tennessee Titans cornerback Jason McCourty has sustained a concussion and his return his questionable after being shaken up making a tackle late in the first quarter against the Buffalo Bills.

McCourty was hurt when he and linebacker Akeem Ayers teamed up to tackle Bills tight end Lee Smith. McCourty lay on the field for several minutes before eventually getting up on his own and walking off to the Titans’ sideline with 3:18 left.

He was then escorted by a Titans trainer to the locker room at the end of the quarter.

The Titans announced the second-year starter had a concussion.

McCourty was replaced by Chris Hawkins.

Buffalo rookie cornerback Aaron Williams left in the third quarter after hurting his right knee on a third down play from the Bills 14. Williams was on the other side of the field when Tennessee’s Lavelle Hawkins caught a 5-yard pass, and limped off after being attended to. The Bills said he was out for the rest of the game.

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At some point, Titans defensive end Derrick Morgan would love to know what it feels like to be healthy for an extended period of time, maybe even — gasp — for an entire season.

In the meantime, neither Morgan nor the Titans are willing to lower expectations for the 2010 first-round pick.

He’ll go into Sunday’s game at Buffalo with just two sacks in his 10 games, which are not the kind of numbers forecast for Morgan when the Titans made him the 16th overall selection last year.

“No doubt, (the pass rush) is why he was drafted here, and no doubt, we’d like to have more of that out of him,” defensive line coach Tracy Rocker said. “But the big goal here is winning, and I think he gives us a great chance to win here. He’s going to help us down the stretch.

“We all want everything right now, and a lot of times we don’t get things we want right now. But he’s working hard for us. So maybe we’ll just get out the voodoo dolls and try to get him well.”

Morgan, 22, might just be willing to consider radical forms of healing at this point.

He went on injured reserve just five games into his rookie season after tearing an ACL. He rehabbed throughout the lockout and training camp, but still didn’t feel right.

It turned out he needed follow-up arthroscopic surgery after a stitch came loose inside the knee. That procedure kept him out of the first game and left him at less than 100 percent the next week.

Morgan did feel good for a stretch of games — even totaling six of his team-leading 12 quarterback pressures during one two-week period — but then sprained an ankle Nov. 20 against Carolina.

That left the gimpy Morgan with the tough call of whether to play Sunday in a critical game against Tampa Bay.

“It’s a hard decision in those situations and you have to level with yourself: Am I going to make it worse or is it something I can push through,” Morgan said. “I didn’t practice until Friday, but I felt like it was something I could still push through.”

Unfortunately for Morgan, he didn’t make an impact on the stat sheet in the win over the Buccaneers, failing to post a tackle or quarterback pressure in a limited number of snaps.

“I was trying and doing what I can to make plays, but I probably shouldn’t have played last week,” Morgan said. “I was trying to push through it, but as the game went on, the ankle wasn’t doing so good.”

Morgan might have to play through some pain again this week, as he was limited in practice Wednesday. Assuming he’s healthy enough to play, however, the Titans will be looking for results.

“We have high expectations, so when we put anyone on the field, you don’t take health into consideration,” Coach Mike Munchak said. “You expect a high level of play from guys or otherwise we wouldn’t have them on the field.

“If we thought he was limited to where he couldn’t help us win, (we’d sit him). So we expect the most out of him. We expect him to make plays. That’s why he’s playing.”

Munchak does understand the Titans might not see the best of Morgan until next season, since at that point he will have had even more time to recover from the ACL as well as an entire offseason with the club in its conditioning program.

“I know it’s frustrating for him and he knows that, too,” Munchak said. “It’s not like he’s complaining about it, but I’m sure he’s not as healthy as he’d like to be. Usually they say that after an ACL injury, the third year, which would be next year for him, would be the year he’d feel most healthy.”

Until then, Morgan said he would do what he can to help a pass rush that has recorded just 21 sacks this season — the seventh-worst total in the NFL.

“I’m probably my own biggest critic. I’m doing what I can to make plays,” Morgan said. “But I have high expectations of myself. I’m doing everything I can to exceed those expectations.”

At some point, Titans defensive end Derrick Morgan would love to know what it feels like to be healthy for an extended period of time, maybe even — gasp — for an entire season.

In the meantime, neither Morgan nor the Titans are willing to lower expectations for the 2010 first-round pick.

He’ll go into Sunday’s game at Buffalo with just two sacks in his 10 games, which are not the kind of numbers forecast for Morgan when the Titans made him the 16th overall selection last year.

“No doubt, (the pass rush) is why he was drafted here, and no doubt, we’d like to have more of that out of him,” defensive line coach Tracy Rocker said. “But the big goal here is winning, and I think he gives us a great chance to win here. He’s going to help us down the stretch.

“We all want everything right now, and a lot of times we don’t get things we want right now. But he’s working hard for us. So maybe we’ll just get out the voodoo dolls and try to get him well.”

Morgan, 22, might just be willing to consider radical forms of healing at this point.

He went on injured reserve just five games into his rookie season after tearing an ACL. He rehabbed throughout the lockout and training camp, but still didn’t feel right.

It turned out he needed follow-up arthroscopic surgery after a stitch came loose inside the knee. That procedure kept him out of the first game and left him at less than 100 percent the next week.

Morgan did feel good for a stretch of games — even totaling six of his team-leading 12 quarterback pressures during one two-week period — but then sprained an ankle Nov. 20 against Carolina.

That left the gimpy Morgan with the tough call of whether to play Sunday in a critical game against Tampa Bay.

“It’s a hard decision in those situations and you have to level with yourself: Am I going to make it worse or is it something I can push through,” Morgan said. “I didn’t practice until Friday, but I felt like it was something I could still push through.”

Unfortunately for Morgan, he didn’t make an impact on the stat sheet in the win over the Buccaneers, failing to post a tackle or quarterback pressure in a limited number of snaps.

“I was trying and doing what I can to make plays, but I probably shouldn’t have played last week,” Morgan said. “I was trying to push through it, but as the game went on, the ankle wasn’t doing so good.”

Morgan might have to play through some pain again this week, as he was limited in practice Wednesday. Assuming he’s healthy enough to play, however, the Titans will be looking for results.

“We have high expectations, so when we put anyone on the field, you don’t take health into consideration,” Coach Mike Munchak said. “You expect a high level of play from guys or otherwise we wouldn’t have them on the field.

“If we thought he was limited to where he couldn’t help us win, (we’d sit him). So we expect the most out of him. We expect him to make plays. That’s why he’s playing.”

Munchak does understand the Titans might not see the best of Morgan until next season, since at that point he will have had even more time to recover from the ACL as well as an entire offseason with the club in its conditioning program.

“I know it’s frustrating for him and he knows that, too,” Munchak said. “It’s not like he’s complaining about it, but I’m sure he’s not as healthy as he’d like to be. Usually they say that after an ACL injury, the third year, which would be next year for him, would be the year he’d feel most healthy.”

Until then, Morgan said he would do what he can to help a pass rush that has recorded just 21 sacks this season — the seventh-worst total in the NFL.

“I’m probably my own biggest critic. I’m doing what I can to make plays,” Morgan said. “But I have high expectations of myself. I’m doing everything I can to exceed those expectations.”

By Rick Stroud, Times Staff Writer

In Print: Sunday, November 27, 2011

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At 22 years old, they might not let you change lug nuts during the Daytona 500 on your first day with the pit crew. You might not get to anchor SportsCenter on Super Bowl Sunday.

But start every game at middle linebacker for the Bucs?

Now we’re talking.

At least that was the discussion coach Raheem Morris and general manager Mark Dominik had about rookie Mason Foster in April.

Do they attempt to re-sign steady Barrett Ruud to a one-year contract and let him mentor the third-round pick from Washington? Or throw Foster to the Lions (and Vikings and Bears)?

“A lot of people are going to say, ‘Man, you’re only 22 years old. You’re a rookie. There’s no way you’re going to be able to make those checks and lead the defense,’ ” Foster said. “But at the same time, nothing is impossible. I have a lot of confidence in myself, and I love a challenge.”

Same discussion, different team.

The Titans, whom the Bucs face today, used a fourth-round pick on Miami middle linebacker Colin McCarthy, a former Clearwater Central Catholic star.

But instead of baptizing McCarthy by fire, the Titans signed Ruud to a one-year, $4 million contract.

“We needed some leadership on defense, and Barrett’s been a really good fit for us,” Titans coach Mike Munchak said of Ruud, who spent six seasons with the Bucs.

“He’s a smart player who runs well and can stay on the field every play. He’s a guy that has come in and really quarterbacked the defense well. We’ve had four rookies start at the same time on defense, and Ruud’s done a great job of keeping us together.”

Ruud, 28, fought through a shoulder injury in the preseason to start the first eight games for the Titans this season, recording 63 tackles, three passes defensed, one quarterback hurry and an interception that helped finish off the Colts on Oct. 30. A groin strain prevented him from playing two weeks ago against Carolina. He aggravated the injury last week against Atlanta and will sit out today’s game.

In his first start for Ruud, against Carolina, McCarthy recorded 12 tackles, including two for losses, and a quarterback pressure. After replacing Ruud against Atlanta, McCarthy forced a fumble and led the Titans with 10 tackles.

McCarthy, 23, credits Ruud for his development, particularly film study.

“Barrett’s been playing great,” McCarthy told Titansonline.com. “He’s great to learn from. I think that’s the biggest thing as far as being a younger guy. He’s a guy that’s been around the game. He knows how to study. He knows how to prepare.”

The Titans are tied for seventh in scoring defense at 19.5 points per game. The Bucs are 29th at 26.8.

“I feel like I have a welcome-to-the-NFL moment every week,” Foster said. “I’m facing so many different backs every week and so many different schemes. Against the Texans, you’re going to face zone schemes where offensive linemen are climbing up. You go against the Saints, and you’re playing against a quarterback like Drew Brees and you’re going man-to-man against (running back) Darren Sproles, a super fast guy.

“You learn from your mistakes. Go in there, mess it up and you’ll be better able to handle it next time.”

Foster has played better than Tampa Bay expected. He leads the team in tackles with 73 and has two sacks and a forced fumble despite trying to play two games with sprained ankles. In fact, the Bucs planned on using him only in their base defense. But an injury to Quincy Black early forced him into duty on passing downs, and he hasn’t come off the field except for injury.

“Pretty much, Mason’s playing quarterback for the defense,” Morris said. “He’s making every single call. He’s making every single check. And that’s tough to do.

“It’s hard for me to look at him sometimes and get mad at him when he does make a small mistake in games. You’ve got to go and learn through fire.”

Ruud, who led the Bucs in tackles for four straight seasons, never got enough credit for his football IQ, Morris said.

“He was far beyond,” Morris said. “You’re talking about having the ability to call one defense and have it turn into three different things by the time he was done. He didn’t get enough credit for that. You have to talk about his ability to run a defense, to be that leader.”

Two teams, two approaches.

But you get the feeling both are happy with the results.

[Last modified: Nov 26, 2011 06:57 PM]

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Carolina Panthers’ Cam Newton, center, is sacked by Tennessee Titans’ Colin McCarthy, left, and Karl Klug, right, during the third quarter of an NFL football game in Charlotte, N.C., Sunday, Nov. 13, 2011.

Carolina Panthers’ Cam Newton, center, is sacked by Tennessee Titans’ Colin McCarthy, left, and Karl Klug, right, during the third quarter of an NFL football game in Charlotte, N.C., Sunday, Nov. 13, 2011.

The Tennessee Titans still are trying to find their way as a defense, and they know very well their challenge is to put together another stingy performance for a second straight week.

The Titans stymied Cam Newton, forcing his worst performance as a rookie, and held Carolina to its first game without a touchdown this season.

Next up is Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons.

Titans coach Mike Munchak said Wednesday that’s the NFL, where there’s never any long stretches to enjoy playing well for long.

“Our defense no doubt played well against an offense that was playing really well at that time,” Munchak said. “This week is a veteran group that everyone gave a great chance to win the NFC, and they are a little disappointed at how they are playing at 5-4 … We need to win, they need to win, and defense is obviously going to be a big part of that.”

The Titans (5-4) came up with a season-high five sacks by six players, forced two turnovers and allowed a season-low in points in the 30-3 win — even with three rookies starting and a fourth subbing in. Jurrell Casey, a third-round pick out of Southern California, has started every game, with Karl Klug, a fifth-round pick out of Iowa, rotating in at tackle every week. Akeem Ayers, the second-round pick from UCLA, also has started every game at linebacker.

Colin McCarthy, the fourth-rounder out of Miami, got his first NFL start at middle linebacker with veteran Barrett Ruud out due to a groin injury. McCarthy lined up everyone and had a team-high eight tackles with a hit on Newton.

“A lot of the rookies now are knowing what to do and know their jobs,” defensive tackle Sen’Derrick Marks said.

The Titans held Carolina to 279 yards, well below what the NFL’s fifth-best offense had been cranking out.

Safety Michael Griffin credited the rookies’ strong play, along with having safety Chris Hope back. The 10-year veteran broke his left arm Oct. 2, and the Titans eased him back onto the field in Carolina, where he intercepted a tipped pass to keep the Panthers out of the end zone. Griffin said Hope’s return allowed the Titans to put six defensive backs on the field and use more of their playbook in confusing Newton.

Atlanta coach Mike Smith said he noticed how many different looks the Titans showed Carolina, which makes more work for an offense preparing for Tennessee. Doing that with four rookies at times is even more impressive.

“It says a lot about that rookie class that there are some good football players, and it says a lot about coach (Jerry) Gray and his staff to be able to be that multiple with four young players,” Smith said of the Titans’ defensive coordinator.

But the Titans have been up and down this season. They ranked first in the NFL in fewest points allowed in early October, then gave up 79 points and 949 yards combined in consecutive losses to Pittsburgh and Houston. They know too well how inconsistent they’ve been.

Cornerback Jason McCourty said he thinks the performance in Carolina helped the defense’s confidence, especially in how the hard work preparing and watching film turns into results on game day. A strong performance by the line is a big help, too, and the Titans know Ryan has been sacked 20 times through nine games.

“We tell those guys all the time they have a performance like that, five sacks and pressuring the quarterback, it makes our job easier,” McCourty said. “We know it starts up front with them. When they have a good game, they make us look good.”

Notes: Ruud (groin) practiced Wednesday after sitting out last week’s game. LB Gerald McRath (hamstring) did not practice along with DE Dave Ball (concussion). … The Titans practiced indoors due to heavy rain that ended just before practice. Munchak said they will be outside Thursday.

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Follow Teresa M. Walker on Twitter at www.twitter.com/teresamwalker