HOUSTON — The Tennessee Titans and Houston Texans have different
objectives in mind heading into today’s regular-season finale.

For the Titans (8-7), the goal is clear-cut — win at Reliant
Stadium and then hope for the magic combination of losses involving
Cincinnati, Denver, Oakland and the New York Jets to earn their
first playoff berth since 2008.

And that would set up a rematch with the Texans in the first
round of the postseason right back in Houston.

“If we don’t take care of our business, there will be no
scoreboard watching,” kicker Rob Bironas said. “We’ll be on the
couch watching — for all of January.”

For the Texans (10-5), the incentive is more intangible —
regaining the momentum they seem to have lost in two consecutive
defeats after reeling off seven straight wins to clinch their first
AFC South title.

Houston has nothing at stake in terms of postseason positioning.
The Texans are locked into the No. 3 seed in the AFC, and will host
a game on the first weekend of the playoffs, no matter what
happens.

But no one in the locker room wants to go into the franchise’s
first postseason game riding a losing streak.

“This game is more important than most people will ever know,”
defensive end Antonio Smith said. “You think that since it doesn’t
hurt us or help us as far as the playoff run, that it doesn’t
matter.

“You’ve got to be firing on all cylinders when you go into the
playoffs,” he said. “If not, man, ain’t no telling what will
happen.”

The Texans kick-started their regular season with a 41-7 victory
in Nashville on Oct. 23. They stayed in first place for the rest of
the regular season, despite playing most of their games without
star receiver Andre Johnson.

The five-time Pro Bowl selection has been practicing this week,
and coach Gary Kubiak expects Johnson to play in the finale.
Johnson sat out six games with a right hamstring injury that
required minor surgery, started the next two games and then
strained his left hamstring. He’s been sidelined for the last three
games, and he’s eager to see some action on Sunday, just so he can
regain some stamina and timing.

“I’m excited,” Johnson said. “I feel like I haven’t played
football all year. It’ll be fun to get back out there and run
around a little bit.”

Houston also hopes to have defensive coordinator Wade Phillips
back calling the plays, but from the press box instead of on the
sideline. Phillips, 64, returned to practice this week after
undergoing kidney and gall bladder surgery on Dec. 15.

“It’s awesome to have him back,” rookie outside linebacker
Brooks Reed said. “He just has that personality where no matter
what goes wrong, he’s always calm and I think that is kind of
contagious throughout.”

The Titans, meanwhile, only have flickering playoff hopes
because of a 23-17 victory over Jacksonville last week. They lost
to the previously winless Colts on Dec. 18, a setback that now
looms large.

And they also remember how the Texans manhandled them on their
home field, holding Tennessee to 148 yards and 11 first downs.
Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck conceded that the Titans took their
divisional rivals too lightly the first time around.

“I think we probably underestimated how good they were
physically,” Hasselbeck said. “They’re one of the premier teams in
the NFL this year and it just hasn’t been the case sometimes in the
past.

“They were fantastic that game we played against them here,” he
said. “They were making plays all over the field in all phases and
they really took it to us. I think that’s probably the toughest
game we’ve played this year in terms of just, we were feeling one
thing and they really disrupted what our thoughts were and took it
to us.”

Chris Johnson rushed for only 18 yards in that game, but he’s
had three 100-yard games since, all Tennessee victories. Johnson
needs only 14 yards rushing on Sunday to reach 1,000 yards for the
fourth consecutive season.

“We’re fully aware that he can just break out any time,” Reed
said, “and we just need to secure edges and just make sure he
doesn’t get out in too many open spaces because that’s where he’s
dangerous.”

The Texans’ running backs dominated the earlier meeting.

Arian Foster and Ben Tate both went over 100 yards, and Foster
also had 100 yards receiving. Foster, named to the Pro Bowl for the
second straight season, has seven 100-yard games this year and has
topped 100 yards rushing in Houston’s last two season finales, both
victories.

HOUSTON – The Tennessee Titans and Houston Texans have different objectives in mind heading into Sunday’s regular-season finale.

For the Titans (8-7), the goal is clear-cut — win at Reliant Stadium and then hope for the magic combination of losses involving Cincinnati, Denver, Oakland and the New York Jets to earn their first playoff berth since 2008.

And that would set up a rematch with the Texans in the first round of the post-season right back in Houston.

“If we don’t take care of our business, there will be no scoreboard watching,” kicker Rob Bironas said. “We’ll be on the couch watching — for all of January.”

For the Texans (10-5), the incentive is more intangible — regaining the momentum they seem to have lost in two consecutive defeats after reeling off seven straight wins to clinch their first AFC South title.

Houston has nothing at stake in terms of post-season positioning. The Texans are locked into the No. 3 seed in the AFC, and will host a game on the first weekend of the playoffs, no matter what happens.

But no one in the locker room wants to go into the franchise’s first post-season game riding a losing streak.

“This game is more important than most people will ever know,” defensive end Antonio Smith said. “You think that since it doesn’t hurt us or help us as far as the playoff run, that it doesn’t matter.

“You’ve got to be firing on all cylinders when you go into the playoffs,” he said. “If not, man, ain’t no telling what will happen.”

The Texans kick-started their regular season with a 41-7 victory in Nashville on Oct. 23. They stayed in first place for the rest of the regular season, despite playing most of their games without star receiver Andre Johnson.

The five-time Pro Bowl selection has been practicing this week, and coach Gary Kubiak expects Johnson to play in the finale. Johnson sat out six games with a right hamstring injury that required minor surgery, started the next two games and then strained his left hamstring. He’s been sidelined for the last three games, and he’s eager to see some action on Sunday, just so he can regain some stamina and timing.

“I’m excited,” Johnson said. “I feel like I haven’t played football all year. It’ll be fun to get back out there and run around a little bit.”

Houston also hopes to have defensive co-ordinator Wade Phillips back calling the plays, but from the press box instead of on the sideline. Phillips, 64, returned to practice this week after undergoing kidney and gall bladder surgery on Dec. 15.

“It’s awesome to have him back,” rookie outside linebacker Brooks Reed said. “He just has that personality where no matter what goes wrong, he’s always calm and I think that is kind of contagious throughout.”

The Titans, meanwhile, only have flickering playoff hopes because of a 23-17 victory over Jacksonville last week. They lost to the previously winless Colts on Dec. 18, a setback that now looms large.

And they also remember how the Texans manhandled them on their home field, holding Tennessee to 148 yards and 11 first downs. Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck conceded that the Titans took their divisional rivals too lightly the first time around.

“I think we probably underestimated how good they were physically,” Hasselbeck said. “They’re one of the premier teams in the NFL this year and it just hasn’t been the case sometimes in the past.

“They were fantastic that game we played against them here,” he said. “They were making plays all over the field in all phases and they really took it to us. I think that’s probably the toughest game we’ve played this year in terms of just, we were feeling one thing and they really disrupted what our thoughts were and took it to us.”

Chris Johnson rushed for only 18 yards in that game, but he’s had three 100-yard games since, all Tennessee victories. Johnson needs only 14 yards rushing on Sunday to reach 1,000 yards for the fourth consecutive season.

“We’re fully aware that he can just break out any time,” Reed said, “and we just need to secure edges and just make sure he doesn’t get out in too many open spaces because that’s where he’s dangerous.”

The Texans’ running backs dominated the earlier meeting.

Arian Foster and Ben Tate both went over 100 yards, and Foster also had 100 yards receiving. Foster, named to the Pro Bowl for the second straight season, has seven 100-yard games this year and has topped 100 yards rushing in Houston’s last two season finales, both victories.

The New Orleans Saints’ last three games have been high profile victories over the Atlanta Falcons, New York Giants and Detroit Lions. But this week’s road game against the Tennessee Titans has quietly turned into an equally tough test.

For one thing, the Saints have struggled on the road this year, posting a 3-3 record, and this will be their first road game in four weeks. For another, the Titans (7-5) have won three of their last four games, with dangerous tailback Chris Johnson finally getting hot over the last few weeks. And Titans quarterback Matt Hasselbeck certainly won’t be intimidated by the Saints defense after he picked them apart during last season’s playoffs as the quarterback of the Seattle Seahawks.

“It’s a combination of all those things,” Saints linebacker Scott Shanle said when asked which threat looms largest. “I think playing the last two games the way we’ve played, at home, in the environment, having our fans behind us, and now you’ve got to leave that atmosphere and go play on the road against a good team, against a really good running back, and they’ve been playing solid defense as well. So that’s just the challenge of getting away from home, where it’s felt comfortable, we’ve been playing well. Now we have to go back and see if we can do it away from home.”

Safety Malcolm Jenkins agreed that all of those factors will keep the Saints’ attention this week.

“Hasselbeck, we all know what he’s capable of, especially from last year. Chris Johnson is coming on real hot lately. And that team has been playing well in the last couple of weeks,” Jenkins said. “They’re a hot team and going into their house playing on the road, especially after the last four games have been emotional games, some real intense games. It will be a challenge for us to continue with that intensity, continue with that same focus to go on the road and try to get a win.”

Two of the Saints losses this season were outdoor games – at Tampa Bay and at Green Bay. But Jenkins said he’s not worried about this team coming out flat again this season.

“I think we’ll do a good job,” Jenkins said. “I know from the leadership on this team and from the coaches, we’ll do a good job of getting guys emotionally ready for this game. It’s too late in the season to really have one of those lulls as far as what we’re trying to accomplish and our focus. I think we know what’s on the line, we know what’s at stake, and we’ll continue to show up.”

bucs Report

By Tom Jones, Times Staff Writer

In Print: Sunday, November 27, 2011

The poll

What did you think of coach Raheem Morris’ decision to try an onside kick against the Packers with the Bucs down by two and 4:25 remaining in the game?

Total: 494 votes

By the numbers

0-6 Bucs’ record at Tennessee

3-2 Record of Titans quarterback Matt Hasselbeck against the Bucs (all while with the Seahawks)

77.3 Rushing yards per game for the Titans, worst in the NFL

133.5 Rushing yards per game allowed by the Bucs, 22nd in the NFL

95-68 Record of country singer Faith Hill in predicting the winner of NFL games this season for the Nashville Tennessean, including 5-9 last week; for today, she picks the Titans

What they’re saying

Against the Packers, LeGarrette Blount finally had a run reminiscent of his rookie season, breaking seven tackles on his way to a 54-yard TD run. The Bucs have underperformed this season but have a chance to get back on track … with games against the Titans, Panthers and Jaguars.

Brian Billick Fox Sports

With the continued slippage of Chris Johnson, who is on pace to rush for just 814 yards, the arrival of LeGarrette Blount as Tampa Bay’s featured back is noteworthy. Remember, the Titans signed the 6-foot, 247-pound Blount as an undrafted rookie prior to the 2010 season but later put him on waivers, hoping to move him to the practice squad only to have the Bucs grab him. Think Blount would be a nice alternative to Johnson now?

David Climer Nashville Tennessean

The picks

At some point if you’re Raheem Morris, you’ve benefited from GM Mark Dominik spending four top-55 picks in the last two drafts on defense, you’re a defensive guy yourself, you see your defense has allowed 102 more points than Houston this season and 75 more points than Cleveland … I mean, don’t you walk into your Saturday night meeting before this game and say to your D, “Fellas, are you kidding me?” Bucs, 24-16.

Peter King Sports Illustrated

It seems as though it is something of a moral victory for the Buccaneers — hanging with Green Bay to the bitter end. But moral victories don’t make four-game losing streaks disappear. Neither do defenses that allow 123 points during the streak. Titans, 24-23.

Gerry Dulac Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Fantasy owners who have stuck with maddening Chris Johnson could be rewarded here. The Bucs’ run defense has been the worst in the league the past four games, allowing 162 yards per. Titans, 24-20.

Greg Cote Miami Herald

Bucs vs. Titans

1 p.m., LP Field, Nashville

TV/radio: Ch. 13; 620-AM, 103.5-FM

Line/over-under: Titans by 3½; 43

Hated it: 75 percent

Loved it: 25 percent

[Last modified: Nov 26, 2011 05:20 PM]

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Copyright 2011 St. Petersburg Times

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP)—The Cincinnati Bengals are on a roll unlike anything
seen by this franchise since 1988 with five straight wins, and coach Marvin
Lewis says it doesn’t matter.

“Half of these guys weren’t even alive 23 years ago,” Lewis said.

Rookie Andy Dalton(notes) threw for three touchdowns and 217 yards, and the
Cincinnati Bengals rallied from a 10-point deficit and beat the Tennessee Titans
24-17 Sunday for their fifth straight victory.

The Bengals (6-2) last won five in a row in 1988 when they took the AFC
championship and went to their second Super Bowl. They also improved to 4-1 on
the road with the rookie quarterback leading the Bengals to 17 unanswered points
as he tossed TD passes to three different receivers.

“Our quarterback has done a nice job,” Lewis said. “It was loud out
there, louder than we expected. I think he’s done a nice job of handling that.
He doesn’t get unnerved, he just keeps coming back and just playing.”

Tennessee (4-4) has lost two of three to wrap up a three-game homestand.
Chris Johnson had 110 yards from scrimmage, but the Titans blew a 17-7 halftime
lead when the offense shut down in the second half.

Tennessee managed just 95 yards in the final 30 minutes with 30 on the final
play that came up well short of the end zone. The Titans also held the ball just
4 minutes, 38 seconds of the fourth quarter in what coach Mike Munchak called a
very disappointing loss.

“We didn’t make a play the whole second half, and then the defense took
their turn and we couldn’t make a stop,” Munchak said.

Cincinnati came in with the fourth-stingiest defense in the NFL, and the
Bengals helped shut down the Titans in the second half. Carlos Dunlap(notes) had two
sacks, and Nate Clements(notes) stripped the ball for the lone turnover. Clements
forced Titans tight end Jared Cook(notes) to fumble at the end of an 8-yard gain to
give Cincinnati the ball at the Tennessee 20 with 3:49 left.

Mike Nugent(notes) kicked a 36-yard field goal for the final margin.

Tennessee got the ball back with one last shot, but struggled with two
10-second runoffs and no timeouts. Lavelle Hawkins(notes) was tackled after a 30-yard
gain to the Cincinnati 32 after time expired with Johnson nearby ready for a
lateral.

“I guess he just didn’t see me,” Johnson said.

Now the Bengals head into the toughest part of their schedule two wins ahead
of their total of last season. Cincinnati faces the Steelers twice and the
Ravens once in its next four games.

“We’re at where we want to be now, and that’s in the thick of things in our
division,” said Bengals rookie receiver A.J. Green(notes), who caught seven passes for
83 yards.

“We’ve got some division games coming up that are going to be tough, but I
feel like this team right here is going to fight and compete in every game.”

They took over after halftime, outgaining Tennessee 97-8 in total offense in
the third quarter. Dalton took advantage of a defensive pass interference play
to set up his second TD pass, a 15-yarder to Jerome Simpson(notes).

The rookie QB from Texas Christian then drove the Bengals 75 yards using up
6 minutes, 55 seconds before finding Andre Caldwell(notes) for a 5-yard TD with 10:52
left and a 21-17 lead that Cincinnati never lost.

“We’re doing whatever we have to do to win the game, and that’s the biggest
thing for the season,” Dalton said.

Johnson ran pretty well at times and finished with 64 yards rushing and 46
yards receiving. But the Titans wasted their best field position at the
Cincinnati 49 on the opening possession of the third quarter.

In a sign of how much they would struggle, they wound up going backward with
a penalty and went three-and-out.

The Titans had all the momentum at halftime after scoring two touchdowns in
the second quarter. Matt Hasselbeck(notes) was 10 of 13 for 117 yards with a 143.3
passer rating in the quarter, tossing an 8-yard TD pass to Damian Williams(notes) where
the second-year receiver tapped his toes in at the back of the end zone before
falling out.

Hasselbeck then found Hawkins in the back right corner for a 16-yard TD pass
8 seconds before the half for a 17-7 lead.

Notes: The Bengals missed scoring a defensive TD for a fourth straight week
when officials overruled a call that Hasselbeck’s pass was backward when Dunlap
knocked it down and recovered it in the end zone. Replay showed Hasselbeck’s
pass was going forward when Dunlap hit it. … The Titans are 5-3 against
Cincinnati since moving to Tennessee, but the Bengals have won two straight in
Nashville. … Titans DE Dave Ball(notes) had a concussion. Munchak said WR Nate
Washington(notes) hurt his hip, and Hawkins dislocated a finger before returning to the
game. TE Jared Cook hurt his lower leg on the fumble.

Rookie Andy Dalton threw for three touchdowns and 217 yards, and the Cincinnati Bengals rallied from a 10-point deficit and beat the Tennessee Titans 24-17 Sunday for their fifth straight victory.

The Bengals (6-2) last won five in a row in 1988 when they took the AFC championship and went to their second Super Bowl. They also improved to 4-1 on the road with the rookie quarterback leading the Bengals to 17 unanswered points as he tossed TD passes to three different receivers.

“Our quarterback has done a nice job,” Lewis said. “It was loud out there, louder than we expected. I think he’s done a nice job of handling that. He doesn’t get unnerved, he just keeps coming back and just playing.”

Tennessee (4-4) has lost two of three to wrap up a three-game homestand. Chris Johnson had 110 yards from scrimmage, but the Titans blew a 17-7 halftime lead when the offense shut down in the second half.

Tennessee managed just 95 yards in the final 30 minutes with 30 on the final play that came up well short of the end zone. The Titans also held the ball just 4 minutes, 38 seconds of the fourth quarter in what coach Mike Munchak called a very disappointing loss.

“We didn’t make a play the whole second half, and then the defense took their turn and we couldn’t make a stop,” Munchak said.

Cincinnati came in with the fourth-stingiest defense in the NFL, and the Bengals helped shut down the Titans in the second half. Carlos Dunlap had two sacks, and Nate Clements stripped the ball for the lone turnover. Clements forced Titans tight end Jared Cook to fumble at the end of an 8-yard gain to give Cincinnati the ball at the Tennessee 20 with 3:49 left.

Mike Nugent kicked a 36-yard field goal for the final margin.

Tennessee got the ball back with one last shot, but struggled with two 10-second runoffs and no timeouts. Lavelle Hawkins was tackled after a 30-yard gain to the Cincinnati 32 after time expired with Johnson nearby ready for a lateral.

“I guess he just didn’t see me,” Johnson said.

Now the Bengals head into the toughest part of their schedule two wins ahead of their total of last season. Cincinnati faces the Steelers twice and the Ravens once in its next four games.

“We’re at where we want to be now, and that’s in the thick of things in our division,” said Bengals rookie receiver A.J. Green, who caught seven passes for 83 yards.

“We’ve got some division games coming up that are going to be tough, but I feel like this team right here is going to fight and compete in every game.”

They took over after halftime, outgaining Tennessee 97-8 in total offense in the third quarter. Dalton took advantage of a defensive pass interference play to set up his second TD pass, a 15-yarder to Jerome Simpson.

The rookie QB from Texas Christian then drove the Bengals 75 yards using up 6 minutes, 55 seconds before finding Andre Caldwell for a 5-yard TD with 10:52 left and a 21-17 lead that Cincinnati never lost.

“We’re doing whatever we have to do to win the game, and that’s the biggest thing for the season,” Dalton said.

Johnson ran pretty well at times and finished with 64 yards rushing and 46 yards receiving. But the Titans wasted their best field position at the Cincinnati 49 on the opening possession of the third quarter.

In a sign of how much they would struggle, they wound up going backward with a penalty and went three-and-out.

The Titans had all the momentum at halftime after scoring two touchdowns in the second quarter. Matt Hasselbeck was 10 of 13 for 117 yards with a 143.3 passer rating in the quarter, tossing an 8-yard TD pass to Damian Williams where the second-year receiver tapped his toes in at the back of the end zone before falling out.

Hasselbeck then found Hawkins in the back right corner for a 16-yard TD pass 8 seconds before the half for a 17-7 lead.

Notes: The Bengals missed scoring a defensive TD for a fourth straight week when officials overruled a call that Hasselbeck’s pass was backward when Dunlap knocked it down and recovered it in the end zone. Replay showed Hasselbeck’s pass was going forward when Dunlap hit it. … The Titans are 5-3 against Cincinnati since moving to Tennessee, but the Bengals have won two straight in Nashville. … Titans DE Dave Ball had a concussion. Munchak said WR Nate Washington hurt his hip, and Hawkins dislocated a finger before returning to the game. TE Jared Cook hurt his lower leg on the fumble.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

NASHVILLE, Tenn.—The Cincinnati Bengals keep rolling, and Andy Dalton’s confidence seems to be growing with each win.

Dalton threw for three touchdowns and 217 yards, and the Cincinnati Bengals rallied from a 10-point deficit and beat the Tennessee Titans 24-17 Sunday for their fifth straight victory.

The Bengals (6-2) last won five in a row in 1988 when they took the AFC championship and went to their second Super Bowl. They also improved to 4-1 on the road with the rookie quarterback leading the Bengals to 17 unanswered points as he tossed TD passes to three different receivers.

Tennessee (4-4) has lost two of three to wrap up a three-game homestand. Chris Johnson had 110 yards from scrimmage, but the Titans blew a 17-7 halftime lead when the offense shut down in the second half.

Tennessee managed just 95 yards in the final 30 minutes with 30 on the final play that came up well short of the end zone.

Cincinnati came in with the fourth-stingiest defense in the NFL, and the Bengals helped shut down the Titans in the second half. Carlos Dunlap had two sacks, and Nate Clements stripped the ball for the lone turnover. Clements forced Titans tight end Jared Cook to fumble at the end of an 8-yard gain to give Cincinnati the ball at the Tennessee 20 with 3:49 left.

Mike Nugent kicked a 36-yard field goal for the final margin.

Tennessee got the ball back with one last shot, but struggled with two 10-second runoffs and no timeouts. Lavelle Hawkins was tackled after a 30-yard gain to the Cincinnati 32 after time expired.

Now the Bengals head into the toughest part of their schedule two wins ahead of their total of last season. Cincinnati faces the Steelers twice and the Ravens once in its next four games.

They took over after halftime, outgaining Tennessee 97-8 in total offense in the third quarter. Dalton took advantage of a defensive pass interference play to set up his second TD pass, a 15-yarder to Jerome Simpson.

The rookie QB from Texas Christian then drove the Bengals 75 yards using up 6 minutes, 55 seconds before finding Andre Caldwell for a 5-yard TD with 10:52 left and a 21-17 lead that Cincinnati never lost.

Johnson ran pretty well at times and finished with 64 yards rushing and 46 yards receiving. But the Titans wasted their best field position at the Cincinnati 49 on the opening possession of the third quarter.

In a sign of how much they would struggle, they wound up going backward with a penalty and went three-and-out.

The Titans had all the momentum at halftime after scoring two touchdowns in the second quarter. Matt Hasselbeck was 10 of 13 for 117 yards with a 143.3 passer rating in the quarter, tossing an 8-yard TD pass to Damian Williams where the second-year receiver tapped his toes in at the back of the end zone before falling out.

Hasselbeck then found Hawkins in the back right corner for a 16-yard TD pass 8 seconds before the half for a 17-7 lead.

INDIANAPOLIS —
The rivalry between the Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans has been a strong one over the years.

Ever since the AFC South came into existence in 2002, only two franchises have won division titles — the Colts and the Titans.

Sunday’s meeting at LP Field (1 p.m., CBS), though, will certainly have a vastly different look and feel to it.

Both Indianapolis and Tennessee are struggling right now. The Titans boast a 3-3 record but are coming off a 41-7 home field loss to divisional leader Houston.

And the Colts are winless through seven weeks. Last Sunday’s 62-7 loss to New Orleans is still a haunting memory for coach Jim Caldwell’s team.

“All these guys are extremely competitive guys, and they don’t like being embarrassed. Nobody does. That certainly was indeed the case [against the Saints], so I think we’ll use that as an opportunity for us to add a little fuel to the fire and see if we can get better,” Caldwell said earlier this week.

“Also, I think our guys are intrinsically motivated as well. We understand where we are, we understand that it’s been very difficult, we haven’t performed well and we have to do better.”

That’s putting it mildly.

The Colts need a win this weekend in the worst way, if only to reaffirm to themselves that the franchise has the talent and fortitude to get the job done.

“We’re going to fistfight until the day ends. I’ve got faith in the guys that I play with,” center Jeff Saturday said Monday.

“I’ve got faith in the coaching staff that we’re going to put together a good plan and we’ll come back against Tennessee and put forth a good effort.”

Defensive end Dwight Freeney says talk only goes so far. It’s time for everybody to perform.

“We’re not, obviously, in a great place at all. And 0-7 is horrible. No one’s used to it, and it would be easy to say, ‘Hey, let’s just give up and worry about next year.’ But that’s not our mentality. That’s not going to start anytime soon of being the mentality around here,” Freeney added before heading out for Wednesday’s practice.

“Next game, Tennessee, we’ve got to get a win, and it’s going to be the same thing every week. We’re going to have to put something together, get some things moving on the right track and put some things back together, so we can get back to winning.”

• Collins goes home — Quarterback Kerry Collins, who was placed on injured reserve Tuesday, has returned to his home in Nashville. Collins has been sidelined for the past four games due to concussion issues.

Caldwell said the decision to place the former first-round draft pick on IR wasn’t a difficult one.

“It was kind of a constant evaluation, constant diagnosis and consulting with his medical situation. After everything was all said and done, [we] sat down to see where we were,” the Colts coach said Wednesday.  “It was the best solution for this particular point in time.

“He’s had a long, good career, a great career, actually, playing as long as he’s played.  I don’t think anyone wants to see their career end that way.  It wasn’t easy.”

Caldwell said that Collins hasn’t made an official decision to retire for a second time. He walked away from the game after the 2010 season but was lured back as a stop-gap replacement for quarterback Peyton Manning, who had neck surgery in early September.

“He was going home to spend a little time with his family right now,”  the coach said.  “I’m not certain exactly [what will happen].  I’ll let him talk about that aspect of it.  I won’t speak for him in that regard.  He went home to be with his wife and daughter, who he hasn’t seen in a little while.” 

• Roster move — Indianapolis added fullback Fui Vakapuna to the practice squad. Vakapuna is in his third NFL season after being selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the seventh round of the 2009 draft.

He has spent time on both the Bengals and Arizona Cardinals practice squads.

NASHVILLE — The Tennessee Titans were hoping to make a statement Sunday when the Houston Texans visited LP Field.

With first place in the AFC South on the line, the Titans had a chance to take control of the division and set the tone in the first of a three-game homestand that could solidify Tennessee’s playoff resume.

Those hopes were dashed with a 41-7 thrashing by the Texans that pushed Houston back to the top of the division and had Tennessee’s defensive unit searching for answers in the worst home loss in LP Field history.

After holding opponents to 46 total points over the first four games, Tennessee (3-3) has surrendered 79 points in the last two games.

“We got embarrassed in our own backyard,” Titans safety Michael Griffin said. “If we walk around Nashville, we can’t hold our heads up high right now with that performance. You can’t hold your head up. You can’t walk out with a smile on your face. It’s impossible. I’d be shocked to see anybody smiling or laughing about anything right now.”

Fresh off a bye week following a 38-7 loss at Pittsburgh, the Tennessee defense got off to a good start, forcing Houston to punt on its first two possessions.

Things started to come apart on the third drive when former University of Tennessee running back Arian Foster helped fuel a 13-play, 73-yard drive that ended with a field goal by Neil Rackers.

Houston scored on five of its next six drives, doing whatever it wanted offensively. Quarterback Matt Schaub threw two second-quarter touchdown passes, one a 78-yard catch and run to Foster off play action, and Rackers added a second field goal on the final play of the half that made the score 20-0.

“It seems like no matter what we did, we couldn’t get things rolling,” Tennessee defensive end Dave Ball said. “We couldn’t get a stitch of momentum out there. Whenever you get hounded on, it’s not a good feeling. The frustration just built throughout the game.”

With a comfortable lead, the Texans leaned on its running back tandem of Foster and Ben Tate in the second half. The Titans had no answer. Foster had 115 yards on 25 carries and two second-half touchdown runs, while Tate had 104 yards rushing on 15 carries.

Houston finished with 518 total yards of offense, getting 296 yards passing from Schaub.

“We’re a terrible defense right now,” Griffin said. “The stats show it. Teams are doing as they please against our team. That is embarrassing. What we’ve put on film is who we are, but deep down within ourselves, we know that is not us because we have played better football. We need to change that.”

Tennessee cornerback Cortland Finnegan said everyone was upset following the loss, knowing they missed a chance to take control of the AFC South.

“We knew what was stake and we didn’t come with our ‘A’ game,” Finnegan said. “They did and we didn’t. We let our fans down. We let the Titan nation down. We let our family and friends down.”

Ball said there is too much football for the Titans to look ahead to their rematch in Houston the final week of the season and speculate on playoff implications.

Griffin said the focus should be on getting better as a defensive unit and preparing for the next opponent, the winless Indianapolis Colts.

“We need to get this taste out of our mouths,” Griffin said. “No team is going to look at us as a team that won three games straight. We’re a team right now, that is 0-2 against good teams. If we want to win, we have to turn this thing around. We need to stop the run, stop the pass and we can’t give up 500 yards total offense.”

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LOS ANGELES – Tennessee Titans [team stats] quarterback Matt Hasselbeck has spent much more of his NFL career under the radar than under the microscope.

In many ways he has enjoyed that, going from Seattle to Nashville and joking that sometimes feels like being enrolled in the witness protection program. But with the way Hasselbeck is playing, he can’t hide much longer.

Through the first four games, he’s looked like the smartest free-agent acquisition of the season. His Titans are 3-1 heading into Sunday’s game at Pittsburgh, and he’s second in the AFC to New England’s Tom Brady [stats] with a 104.7 passer rating. Hasselbeck has eight touchdowns, three interceptions, and has been sacked just four times.

“I’m not trying to do anything crazy, I’m just being myself,” he said in a phone interview this week. “When Coach (Mike) Munchak brought me here, he was like, ’Listen, we don’t need you to try to do anything that you’ve never done. We need you to be what you’ve been in Seattle the last 10 years. We’ve got all the other pieces.’

“There are signs around the building that just say, ’Be a pro.’ That’s all they’re looking for. I’m down with that.”

And the Titans are decidedly up. They’re coming off consecutive victories over Baltimore, Denver and Cleveland and now look to be getting star running back Chris Johnson going – he had his first 100-yard game of the season last Sunday – although they have lost top receiver Kenny Britt to a knee injury.

From the perspective of the 36-year-old Hasselbeck, everything starts with the Tennessee offensive line, which for 16 years was coached by Munchak, a Hall of Fame lineman. The line is now coached by Bruce Matthews, also among the elite linemen in Canton, and assistant Al Valero, who was with Hasselbeck in Seattle last season.

Over the past four seasons in Seattle, Hasselbeck was sacked 113 times and missed 13 games because of various injuries. The Seahawks made a lot of changes along their offensive line during that span, including using No. 1 picks on tackles the past two years. This is one quarterback who understands the value of a cohesive unit up front, and he knows his head coach feels the same way.

“This guy gets it,” Hasselbeck said of Munchak. “He gets that you can have whoever you want at wide receiver, but if you don’t have a good offensive line that’s been together, if you don’t start there, then so what?”

It doesn’t hurt Hasselbeck’s cause that Tennessee’s defense has allowed a league-low 14.0 points per game.

“Coming to Tennessee was a fantastic move for him,” NBC’s Cris Collinsworth said of Hasselbeck. “In the middle of that Ravens game, I started seeing some of the flair and the fun and the sidearm throws that have always been his trademark as a quarterback, and I was like, ’Uh oh.’ If you have this guy and he’s healthy and he’s getting protected, and Chris Johnson when he gets back up to speed … they’re going to be something.”

Hasselbeck concedes it wasn’t easy to leave Seattle – he liked playing for Coach Pete Carroll – but said the Seahawks made it clear they planned to move on without him.

“They were super honest with me when the lockout ended,” Hasselbeck said. “They called me and said, ’Hey, listen, there’s no easy way to say this: We’re going to go in a different direction.’ It was basically, we’re breaking up with you. … It’s never easy to hear that, but I appreciated the honesty. I didn’t have to read it on the ticker.”

His assumption was he’d stay in the NFC West, maybe landing in either Arizona or San Francisco. Instead, it was Tennessee that pursued him most aggressively, saying he would be more than a short-term bridge to rookie quarterback Jake Locker; someone who could start multiple seasons.

“We thought he had a lot left in the tank from watching him in the playoffs last year,” Munchak said. “We didn’t bring him in here to retire quietly. We brought him here to do exactly what he’s been doing.”