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.”

Chris Johnson and the Tennessee Titans ran by in a flash and the Buffalo Bills’ season seems to be doing the same.

Johnson ran for 153 yards and two touchdowns, including a 48-yard dash in the second quarter that gave the Titans the lead for good in Sunday’s 23-17 win over the Bills at Ralph Wilson Stadium.

The Titans finished the day with 187 rushing yards and Matt Hasselbeck completed 16-of-25 passes for 140 yards.

“At the beginning of the season the passing game carried us, but now it’s time for the running game to step it up,” said Johnson.

Rob Bironas added three field goals, including a 44-yarder in the fourth that gave the Titans a 23-10 lead.

C.J. Spiller, starting for the second consecutive week in place of the injured Fred Jackson, rushed for 80 his career-high 83 yards in the first half.

“In my first start last year, I was doing a lot of thinking in the game and I really wouldn’t let my ability take over,” said Spiller. “Now, I’m just going out there and playing football, just playing the way I always played.”

Spiller also had a 41-yard touchdown in the first quarter nullified by a holding penalty against fullback Corey McIntyre.

“I don’t know what the ref saw, but when you don’t touch a person, let him spin, and don’t even grab him,” said McIntyre. “You be the judge of that. You can call it phantom or whatever, but I know that wasn’t a hold.”

Spiller gave the Bills a 7-3 lead when he recovered his own fumble in the end zone after a 30-yard run down the left sideline.

Titans safety Michael Griffin knocked the ball out of Spiller’s grasp at the 5-yard line and the ball bounced into the end zone. Referees initially ruled Spiller recovered it out the back of the end zone for a touchback, giving Tennessee the ball at the Buffalo 20.

However, a replay challenge overturned the play to a touchdown. Tennessee (7-5), which has won three of four, took the lead on its next  drive on Johnson’s long touchdown run and the running back added a  four-yard score later in the half to make it 17-7.

“If we can run the ball that well, we become a tough team to stop,”  said Titans head coach Mike Munchak.

The Bills got closer with Ryan Fitzpatrick’s two-yard touchdown pass to Stevie Johnson on 4th down with just under three minutes to go in the fourth, but a once promising 5-2 start has turned into a five-game losing streak.

“We’ve still got resolve to go out there and win every game,” said Bills tight end Scott Chandler, had a fumble that set up an 11-play drive for Tennessee that use up more than six minutes of the clock in the third quarter capped by a Bironas field goal. “We were set up in pretty good shape and we need to get back to winning.”

Fitzpatrick finished 29-of-46 for 288 yards and Brad Smith, in his second straight start at wide receiver, caught a career-best seven passes for 72 yards. Stevie Johnson had five catches for 52 yards for Buffalo (5-7).

“I think the reason we lost was fundamentals,” said Bills head coach Chan Gailey. “You’ve got to block, you’ve got to tackle, and you’ve got to take care of the football. Those are the things that happened to us in this game that we didn’t get the job done to win and you have to do those things, fundamentally, in order to be able to win.”

Rookie Colin McCarthy, starting at middle linebacker for Tennessee in place of the injured Barrett Ruud (groin), had a team-best eight tackles, as well as a forced fumble that led to a Chris Johnson touchdown and a fumble recovery that set up a field goal.

“If you want to make a run at this thing in December you need guys to make plays and that’s what we saw today,” said Munchak.

Notebook: The game was blacked out on local TV because it failed to sell out. The announced attendance was 56,463 … Bills safety George Wilson (neck) missed his third straight game … Spiller also had a 41-yard touchdown run in the first half negated by a holding penalty against fullback Corey McIntyre … Johnson had his third 100-yard game in the last four weeks after only through the first eight games of the season … Bills LB Nick Barnett had a game-high 10 tackles and a sack.

Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck did his part in getting the
Tennessee Titans this far into the playoff hunt. Chris Johnson’s
happy to take over from here.

The Titans ground game is sprouting legs now that Johnson has
shown more signs that he’s re-emerged from what had been a
two-month slumber.

CJ rushed for 153 yards and scored twice in securing a 23-17 win
over the slumping Buffalo Bills on Sunday. It’s the third time in
four games Johnson’s had at least 100 yards, and it’s no
coincidence that the Titans have won all three times to climb into
a logjam of five teams with 7-5 records.

“At the beginning of the season, the passing game carried us,
and now it’s time for the running game to step it up,” said
Johnson, who has 486 of his 852 yards rushing in his past four
games. “The offensive line and everything is hitting on all
cylinders right now, and hopefully we can continue to keep this
momentum going.”

Johnson doubled his season touchdown total by scoring from 48
and 4 yards on consecutive possessions in getting the Titans out to
a 17-7 lead.

Rob Bironas hit three field goals, including a 44-yarder to make
it 23-10 with nine minutes left. Hasselbeck was efficient, going 16
of 25 for 140 yards passing. And the Titans defense generated two
turnovers, and forced Ryan Fitzpatrick to throw three straight
incompletions to end the Bills last drive in the final minute.

The praise was left to Johnson, who’s electric running style is
sparking the Titans’ confidence.

“That’s the CJ that I know,” cornerback Alterraun Verner said.
“If there is a time you want someone to peak, it’s now. … It’s
going to be scary when he starts having some 250-yard games. I
can’t wait for that.”

The Bills (5-7) have very little left to look forward to but
playing games for pride, in the midst of a five-game skid that has
all but mathematically knocked them out of the hunt. A month after
Buffalo was battling New England and the Jets for top spot in the
AFC East, the team’s now in attempting to hold off Miami (4-8) for
last place in the division.

“It’s disappointing. I’ve never lost five in a row,” linebacker
Nick Barnett said. “This is new territory for me and I’m sure for a
lot of guys. It doesn’t feel good. They don’t like it and I don’t
like it.”

C.J. Spiller rushed for a career-best 83 yards and scored on a
35-yard scamper in which he recovered his own fumble just before
sliding out of the end zone. Stevie Johnson made the game close,
scoring on a 2-yard touchdown catch with 2:58 remaining.

At least Johnson, this time, kept his TD celebration in check, a
week after being criticized, flagged 15 yards and fined by the NFL
$10,000 for a questionable display in a 28-24 loss to the New York
Jets.

“Last week was last week,” said Johnson, who had five catches
for 52 yards. “We moved on to the Titans and we tried to get this W
and we came up short.”

Two turnovers _ fumbles by Fitzpatrick and tight end Scott
Chandlers _ led directly to the Titans scoring 10 points.

Though the Bills’ defense limited Tennessee to converting two of
11 third-down chances, Buffalo couldn’t contain the Titans’ running
attack in allowing a season-worst 187 yards.

The Titans prepare for their next big test in hosting Drew Brees
and the NFC South-leading New Orleans Saints next week.

“We’ve got some extra studying to do,” cornerback Cortland
Finnegan said. “I might not do another interview this week, because
I’ll be watching film.”

They’ll at least have some confidence and momentum going into
that game in having strung together two straight wins for the first
time since a 3-1 start.

“A lot of these guys are growing confidence that wasn’t there
from the beginning,” receiver Nate Washington said. “We are
starting to realize we have a good chance at being a great football
team here _ not just good, but great.”

Notes: Johnson’s 48-yard TD run was his longest since scoring a
76-yard touchdown in the 2010 season opener. … Fitzpatrick’s TD
pass gave him 20 this season, becoming the first Bills player to
throw that many in consecutive years since Jim Kelly did it in
1994-95. … Washington did not finish the game to rest a sore left
ankle. Starting CB Jason McCourty’s status is uncertain after he
sustained a concussion in the first quarter. … The Bills honored
Allen Wilson, longtime beat writer for The Buffalo News, who died
Saturday of leukemia. Flowers and a framed picture of “Big Al” were
placed at his seat in the press box. Bills safety and captain
George Wilson spoke for the players in issuing his condolences,
calling the writer a “good man” and “genuine guy.”

The playoffs have just about slipped away for the Buffalo Bills after a fifth straight loss.

Chris Johnson rushed for 153 yards and two touchdowns and the Tennessee Titans beat the Bills 17-10 on Sunday.

A month ago, the Bills were playoff contenders. Now they are closer to last place than second place in the AFC East.

“I’ve never lost five in a row, ever,” Buffalo linebacker Nick Barnett said. “Pop Warner, baseball, all that stuff, so this is new territory for me and I’m sure for a lot of guys. It doesn’t feel good, and I’m sure they don’t like it and I don’t like it.”

From 5-2 to 5-7 — with the possibility of going from first to last in the division — the Bills fall has been fast and furious. A fizzling offense coupled with a defense that has plenty of holes has left the Bills staring at their 12th straight non-playoff season.

“Extremely shocked and disappointed, all those words,” said quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, who finished 29 of 46 for 288 yards. “It’s been really disappointing these last five weeks. It just seemed like when a play needed to be made we didn’t make it, and they did. That was the difference.”

A rejuvenated Johnson didn’t help matters. Held under 100 yards seven times in his first eight games, Johnson now has topped the century mark three times in his last four outings.

He scored on runs of 48 and 4 yards to match his season touchdown total. Kicker Rob Bironas did the rest, hitting three field goals, including a 44-yarder midway through the fourth quarter to put the Titans ahead 23-10.

Johnson had 106 yards in the first half.

“We were two different defenses,” Barnett said. “The first half we let (Johnson) make some big plays, and he made them.”

C.J. Spiller had a career-best 83 yards rushing and scored on a 35-yard touchdown run in his second start since Fred Jackson broke a bone in his leg. Receiver Stevie Johnson toned down his touchdown celebration after scoring on a 2-yard catch with 2:58 left to make the game close.

Johnson had been criticized for much of the past week over his celebration in a 28-24 loss to the New York Jets. Johnson was fined $10,000 by the NFL for mocking Jets receiver Plaxico Burress, pretending to shoot himself in the thigh. He was also flagged 15 yards for going to the ground in pretending to be a crashing plane.

This time, Johnson kept his arms to himself and politely handed the ball to the nearest official.

The Titans (7-5) converted two Bills turnovers into 10 points.

Rookie linebacker Colin McCarthy stripped Fitzpatrick on a fourth-and-3 scramble and recovered it at the Titans 43-yard line. Six plays later, Johnson scored on a 4-yard scamper up the middle to put Tennessee up 17-7.

McCarthy also recovered tight end Scott Chandler’s fumble at the Titans 37 to end the Bills’ first possession of the second half. That set up a time-consuming 11-play, 54-yard drive capped by Bironas hitting a 27-yard field goal to give Tennessee a 20-10 lead.

Spiller gave the Bills a 7-3 lead midway through the fourth quarter when he beat the Titans to the left corner and cut it up the sideline. He was chased down from behind by Michael Griffin, who punched the ball loose inside the 10. The ball ricocheted off Spiller’s left knee and was bouncing out of the end zone when the running back made a diving attempt to secure it before sliding out.

Officials initially ruled it a touchback, before reversing the call to a touchdown after replays showed Spiller had control of the ball while inbounds.

The Bills never regained the lead after that.

“It’s a drastic difference from where we were to where we are now,” Bills receiver Brad Smith said. “We look at ourselves in the mirror, and know it’s on us.”

Notes: Johnson’s 48-yard TD run was his longest since scoring a 76-yard touchdown in the 2010 season opener. … Fitzpatrick’s TD pass gave him 20 this season, becoming the first Bills player to throw that many in consecutive years since Jim Kelly did it in 1994-95. … The Bills honored Allen Wilson, longtime beat writer for The Buffalo News, who died Saturday of leukemia. Flowers and a framed picture of “Big Al” were placed at his seat in the press box. Bills safety and captain George Wilson spoke for the players in issuing his condolences, calling the writer a “good man” and “genuine guy.”

A month ago, the Bills were playoff contenders. Now they are closer to last place than second place in the AFC East.

“I’ve never lost five in a row, ever,” Buffalo linebacker Nick Barnett said. “Pop Warner, baseball, all that stuff, so this is new territory for me and I’m sure for a lot of guys. It doesn’t feel good, and I’m sure they don’t like it and I don’t like it.”

From 5-2 to 5-7 — with the possibility of going from first to last in the division — the Bills fall has been fast and furious. A fizzling offense coupled with a defense that has plenty of holes has left the Bills staring at their 12th straight non-playoff season.

“Extremely shocked and disappointed, all those words,” said quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, who finished 29 of 46 for 288 yards. “It’s been really disappointing these last five weeks. It just seemed like when a play needed to be made we didn’t make it, and they did. That was the difference.”

A rejuvenated Johnson didn’t help matters. Held under 100 yards seven times in his first eight games, Johnson now has topped the century mark three times in his last four outings.

He scored on runs of 48 and 4 yards to match his season touchdown total. Kicker Rob Bironas did the rest, hitting three field goals, including a 44-yarder midway through the fourth quarter to put the Titans ahead 23-10.

Johnson had 106 yards in the first half.

“We were two different defenses,” Barnett said. “The first half we let (Johnson) make some big plays, and he made them.”

C.J. Spiller had a career-best 83 yards rushing and scored on a 35-yard touchdown run in his second start since Fred Jackson broke a bone in his leg. Receiver Stevie Johnson toned down his touchdown celebration after scoring on a 2-yard catch with 2:58 left to make the game close.

Johnson had been criticized for much of the past week over his celebration in a 28-24 loss to the New York Jets. Johnson was fined $10,000 by the NFL for mocking Jets receiver Plaxico Burress, pretending to shoot himself in the thigh. He was also flagged 15 yards for going to the ground in pretending to be a crashing plane.

This time, Johnson kept his arms to himself and politely handed the ball to the nearest official.

The Titans (7-5) converted two Bills turnovers into 10 points.

Rookie linebacker Colin McCarthy stripped Fitzpatrick on a fourth-and-3 scramble and recovered it at the Titans 43-yard line. Six plays later, Johnson scored on a 4-yard scamper up the middle to put Tennessee up 17-7.

McCarthy also recovered tight end Scott Chandler’s fumble at the Titans 37 to end the Bills’ first possession of the second half. That set up a time-consuming 11-play, 54-yard drive capped by Bironas hitting a 27-yard field goal to give Tennessee a 20-10 lead.

Spiller gave the Bills a 7-3 lead midway through the fourth quarter when he beat the Titans to the left corner and cut it up the sideline. He was chased down from behind by Michael Griffin, who punched the ball loose inside the 10. The ball ricocheted off Spiller’s left knee and was bouncing out of the end zone when the running back made a diving attempt to secure it before sliding out.

Officials initially ruled it a touchback, before reversing the call to a touchdown after replays showed Spiller had control of the ball while inbounds.

The Bills never regained the lead after that.

“It’s a drastic difference from where we were to where we are now,” Bills receiver Brad Smith said. “We look at ourselves in the mirror, and know it’s on us.”

Notes: Johnson’s 48-yard TD run was his longest since scoring a 76-yard touchdown in the 2010 season opener. … Fitzpatrick’s TD pass gave him 20 this season, becoming the first Bills player to throw that many in consecutive years since Jim Kelly did it in 1994-95. … The Bills honored Allen Wilson, longtime beat writer for The Buffalo News, who died Saturday of leukemia. Flowers and a framed picture of “Big Al” were placed at his seat in the press box. Bills safety and captain George Wilson spoke for the players in issuing his condolences, calling the writer a “good man” and “genuine guy.”

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

TAMPA — There are no games in the NFL designated as Homecoming Games but Sunday’s game between the Tampa Bay Bucs and the Tennessee Titans will be like one.

Tampa Bay running back LeGarrette Blount and defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth will return to Nashville for the first time since leaving the Titans.

Tennessee also has a bit of a Tampa Bay connection with starting linebacker Barrett Ruud but his status for Sunday is uncertain because of a groin injury.

For Blount and Haynesworth, both got their start in Tennessee but are happy to be in Tampa Bay.

For Haynesworth, Tennessee was where he became a star.

A first-round pick by the Titans in 2002, Haynesworth stayed in Tennessee for seven seasons. He registered 454 tackles and 24 sacks during that span, including 144 tackles and 14.5 sacks his final two seasons with the Titans.

After spending two seasons with the Washington Redskins and half a season with the New England Patriots, Haynesworth is returning to Tennessee playing the best he has since he left the Titans.

Since coming to Tampa Bay, he has nine tackles and two quarterback pressures in two games.

“The things he’s doing for us, he does well,” said coach Raheem Morris. “We’ve got to get a better plan for him in some of our rush things and we will.”

The Titans picked up Blount as an undrafted free agent in 2010. With Chris Johnson the team’s main threat, the team was going to try to sneak Blount on the practice squad.

The Bucs, however, claimed the 6-foot, 247-pound Blount and the rest is history.

“I’m happy everything worked out the way it did,” said Blount, who rushed for 1,007 yards to lead all rookie running backs last year. “Fortunately, I came here and became the premiere starting running back so everything worked out for the best.”

If the Titans had forgotten about Blount, his 107-yard performance on Sunday against the Green Bay Packers would have raised a few eyebrows. If that didn’t, his 54-yard touchdown run in that contest grabbed their attention.

The run started simple enough. He took the handoff from quarterback Josh Freeman and headed toward the line of scrimmage.

That’s where the simple part ended.

Blount broke through a tackle at the line of scrimmage, bounced off a couple more Green Bay defenders, broke through some feeble attempts at his legs, and then fought off another would-be tackler for the score.

“Just 10 times on SportsCenter this week,” responded Tennessee quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, when asked if he saw Blount’s run. “There’s been a lot of talk with the fact that he was here. It’s been all positive.

“He’s doing a great job,” he said. “We saw him last year when Seattle played him. He made the highlight film also hurdling one of our guys※.You’re always looking for a guy to be a difference-maker or dominator in any area of the game but the running game is really important.”

That is why Blount is pleased at how things worked out.

“I was just excited I was going to get a chance to play,” he said. “I did everything I could to showcase my skills around the league in case I didn’t stay with Tennessee. Fortunately, I landed here and things have been going good for me.”

Nine area high school football players were named Tennessee Titans Mr. Football finalists on Tuesday.

Maryville’s Patton Robinette (Class AAA), CAK’s Charlie High (Class AA) and Webb’s Caleb Blance (Division II-A) will be in the running for Mr. Football Back in their respective classifications.

Maryville’s Jay Guillermo (Class AAA), Greeneville’s Terrell Rollins and Jamel Hall (Class AA), Austin-East’s Jarod Henderson (Class AA) and Webb’s Brewer Congleton (Division II-A) are finalists for Mr. Football Lineman.

West’s George Bullock is one of just three finalists up for Mr. Football Kicker, which encompasses all classifications.

Winners will be announced Monday, Nov. 28, in a banquet at the Embassy Suites Hotel and Convention Center in Murfreesboro.

Coaches and media nominated finalists at the end of the regular season. A statewide panel of sportswriters selected the winners based on regular-season performances, academics and character.

Robinette, a 6-foot-4 senior quarterback at Maryville and North Carolina commitment, completed 75.2 percent of his passes in the regular season and led the Rebels to a 10-0 mark. He threw for 15 touchdowns and rushed for nine more. Robinette also ran for 565 yards on 55 carries.

High, the CAK junior quarterback, posted massive numbers in his first season as a starter. He completed 72 percent of his passes for 3,388 yards, 42 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He also ran for four scores.

Blance, who has led Webb to consecutive Division II-A state titles the last two seasons, rushed for 1,414 yards and 13 touchdowns during this regular season on 119 carries.

Rollins, a 6-foot, 270-pound defensive tackle at Greeneville, racked up 18 tackles for loss and 74 tackles in 10 games. Greeneville’s starting defense was not scored upon the last 19 quarters of the regular season.

Hall, a 6-1, 250-pound defensive end, had 47 tackles, eight tackles for loss and four sacks in the first 10 games for Greeneville.

Henderson, Austin-East’s 6-3, 235-pound senior linebacker, led the Roadrunners with 89 tackles in the regular season. He had 10 tackles for loss and three interceptions. He returned two for touchdowns.

Guillermo, a 6-3, 290-pound senior Clemson commitment, is the nation’s top-ranked center according to ESPN. He amassed 52 pancake blocks, and he has already committed to playing in the Under Armour All-American Bowl.

Congleton, a 6-1 junior middle linebacker and offensive guard, is a two-year starter on each side of the ball. He piled up 119 tackles in the regular season, recovered two fumbles, made eight tackles for loss and picked off two passes.

Bullock, from West, is a 6-2, 190-pound senior kicker and Tennessee commitment. He booted 40 of 52 kickoffs for touchbacks and went 5-for-8 on field goals.

Since the Mr. Football award was introduced in 1986 in Tennessee, some 42 players from the PrepXtra coverage area have been honored as winners, including six last season.

2011 Tennessee Titans Mr. Football finalists

Mr. Football Back Finalists

Class A

Jajuan Lankford, South Pittsburg

Jacob Tucker, Perry County

Tyler Warbritton, Huntingdon

Class AA

Charlie High, CAK

Dalton Boles, West Greene

Ladarius Vanlier, Maplewood

Class AAA

Patton Robinette, Maryville

Brian Kimbrow, Memphis East

I’Tavius Mathers, Blackman

Division II-A

Caleb Blance, Webb School of Knoxville

Josh Kimberlin, SBEC

Lee Mayhall, USJ

Division II-AA

Corn Elder, Ensworth

C.J. Beathard, BGA

Jordan Wilkins, St. Benedict

Mr. Football Lineman Finalists

Class A

Coltin Blevins, South Pittsburg

Tyler Coen, Gordonsville

Boston Ray, Wayne County

Class AA

Terrell Rollins, Greeneville

Jarod Henderson, Austin-East

Jamel Hall, Greeneville

Class AAA

Jay Guillermo, Maryville

Brett Dillard, Mt. Juliet

Andrew Jelks, Henry County

Division II-A

Brewer Congleton, Webb School of Knoxville

Chase Henley, USJ

Brandon Hill, St. George’s

Division II-AA

Woody Baron, Brentwood Academy

Barrett Gouger, Baylor

Graham Shuler, Brentwood Academy

Mr. Football Kicker

George Bullock, Knoxville West

Henrique Ribeiro, Baylor

Landon Foster, Independence

By TERESA M. WALKER
AP Sports Writer

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Mike Munchak and the Tennessee Titans are choosing to be optimistic midway through the season, seeing the eight remaining games as a chance to go streaking toward the playoffs.

First, they better figure out how to stop the rollercoaster ride of the first eight games.

The Titans (4-4) have lost 3 of 4, wasting a 3-game homestand with a 24-17 loss to Cincinnati in which they blew a 10-point halftime lead. Now it only gets tougher with 5 of their final games on the road starting Sunday with a visit to Carolina (2-6).

Munchak said Monday this loss hurts because they had been in position to win and didn’t at home.

“There were still a lot of good things in that game. We have eight football games to play. A lot can happen in this league,” Munchak said.

The Titans started the season 3-1, and Munchak said they’re sitting here miserable at 4-4.

“We don’t by any means feel sorry for ourselves. We know we’ve got to play better. We see what we’re capable of in flashes, but it’s just not consistent. And that’s what’s happening now. We’re not consistently doing things that we can to put us in winning position,” Munchak said.

It helps that the AFC’s best teams are 6-2, and Houston is 6-3 in the AFC South.

“Nobody is out of reach,” right guard Jake Scott said. “There’s nobody running away with it. On the other side, there’s not that many teams out of it completely. It’s going to be very interesting in the AFC going down the next two months.”

Before the Titans can make a run at even another winning streak, they need to string together consecutive drives, quarters and halves. They blew a 17-7 halftime lead by being held to only 95 yards total offense by Cincinnati in the final 30 minutes Sunday.

On the plus side, the Titans showed signs of life in the running game really for the first time all season. Chris Johnson had 55 yards on nine carries for an average of 6.1 yards per carry with a long of 20 where the 3-time Pro Bowler flashed some of his trademark speed. He also had two catches for 22 yards in the first half.

Munchak said Johnson probably was excited seeing bigger holes.

But Johnson got his hands on the ball only seven more times in the second half and had just 9 more yards rushing on five carries. He never had a carry in the fourth quarter even though the Titans trailed only 21-17 when they got the ball back with 10:52 left.

Munchak credited the Bengals with keeping eight players at the line to stop Johnson, and the Titans couldn’t take advantage of the stack near the line through the air. Matt Hasselbeck finished with 272 yards passing, but only 106 in the second half.

It only got worse inside the final 2 minutes with tight end Jared Cook having a sore knee. Nate Washington caught a pass and went down with a bruised hip, forcing a 10-second runoff since Tennessee had no timeouts. Lavelle Hawkins returned after having an open dislocated finger, but couldn’t lateral the ball to keep the final play alive.

“It’s frustrating when you don’t continue to make plays,” Munchak said. “We have to put ourselves in position.”

The defense had its own struggles. The Titans held Cincinnati to 139 yards in the first half, then couldn’t get off the field in the second half. One play summed up Tennessee’s struggles when safety Michael Griffin and cornerback Jason McCourty crashed into each other trying to defend a pass to A.J. Green, knocking them to the ground for a few minutes.

The challenge gets tougher. After Carolina, the Titans visit Atlanta with a home game against Tampa Bay squeezed between another road game at Buffalo.

Dropping two home games puts the pressure on them to make those up on the road, according to Scott.

“I think we’re a good enough team to do that,” Scott said. “We just have to do that.”

Notes: Munchak said S Chris Hope will practice Wednesday for the first time since breaking his left forearm Oct. 2 at Cleveland. Munchak also said Cook (bruised knee), Washington and Hawkins may be limited a bit Wednesday.

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

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Mike Munchak and the Tennessee Titans [team stats] are choosing to be optimistic midway through the season, seeing the eight remaining games as a chance to go streaking toward the playoffs.

First, they better figure out how to stop the rollercoaster ride of the first eight games.

The Titans (4-4) have lost three of four, wasting a three-game homestand with a 24-17 loss to Cincinnati in which they blew a 10-point halftime lead. Now it only gets tougher with five of their final games on the road starting Sunday with a visit to Carolina (2-6).

Munchak said Monday this loss hurts because they had been in position to win and didn’t at home.

“There were still a lot of good things in that game. We have eight football games to play. A lot can happen in this league,” Munchak said.

The Titans started the season 3-1, and Munchak said they’re sitting here miserable at 4-4.

“We don’t by any means feel sorry for ourselves. We know we’ve got to play better. We see what we’re capable of in flashes, but it’s just not consistent. And that’s what’s happening now. We’re not consistently doing things that we can to put us in winning position,” Munchak said.

It helps that the AFC’s best teams are 6-2, and Houston is 6-3 in the AFC South.

“Nobody is out of reach,” right guard Jake Scott said. “There’s nobody running away with it. On the other side, there’s not that many teams out of it completely. It’s going to be very interesting in the AFC going down the next two months.”

Before the Titans can make a run at even another winning streak, they need to string together consecutive drives, quarters and halves. They blew a 17-7 halftime lead by being held to only 95 yards total offense by Cincinnati in the final 30 minutes Sunday.

On the plus side, the Titans showed signs of life in the running game really for the first time all season. Chris Johnson had 55 yards on nine carries for an average of 6.1 yards per carry with a long of 20 where the three-time Pro Bowler flashed some of his trademark speed. He also had two catches for 22 yards in the first half.

Munchak said Johnson probably was excited seeing bigger holes.

But Johnson got his hands on the ball only seven more times in the second half and had just 9 more yards rushing on five carries. He never had a carry in the fourth quarter even though the Titans trailed only 21-17 when they got the ball back with 10:52 left.

Munchak credited the Bengals with keeping eight players at the line to stop Johnson, and the Titans couldn’t take advantage of the stack near the line through the air. Matt Hasselbeck finished with 272 yards passing, but only 106 in the second half.

It only got worse inside the final 2 minutes with tight end Jared Cook having a sore knee. Nate Washington caught a pass and went down with a bruised hip, forcing a 10-second runoff since Tennessee had no timeouts. Lavelle Hawkins returned after having an open dislocated finger, but couldn’t lateral the ball to keep the final play alive.

“It’s frustrating when you don’t continue to make plays,” Munchak said. “We have to put ourselves in position.”

The Titans (4-4) have lost three of four, wasting a three-game homestand with a 24-17 loss to Cincinnati in which they blew a 10-point halftime lead. Now it only gets tougher with five of their final games on the road starting Sunday with a visit to Carolina (2-6).

Munchak said Monday this loss hurts because they had been in position to win and didn’t at home.

“There were still a lot of good things in that game. We have eight football games to play. A lot can happen in this league,” Munchak said.

The Titans started the season 3-1, and Munchak said they’re sitting here miserable at 4-4.

“We don’t by any means feel sorry for ourselves. We know we’ve got to play better. We see what we’re capable of in flashes, but it’s just not consistent. And that’s what’s happening now. We’re not consistently doing things that we can to put us in winning position,” Munchak said.

It helps that the AFC’s best teams are 6-2, and Houston is 6-3 in the AFC South.

“Nobody is out of reach,” right guard Jake Scott said. “There’s nobody running away with it. On the other side, there’s not that many teams out of it completely. It’s going to be very interesting in the AFC going down the next two months.”

Before the Titans can make a run at even another winning streak, they need to string together consecutive drives, quarters and halves. They blew a 17-7 halftime lead by being held to only 95 yards total offense by Cincinnati in the final 30 minutes Sunday.

On the plus side, the Titans showed signs of life in the running game really for the first time all season. Chris Johnson had 55 yards on nine carries for an average of 6.1 yards per carry with a long of 20 where the three-time Pro Bowler flashed some of his trademark speed. He also had two catches for 22 yards in the first half.

Munchak said Johnson probably was excited seeing bigger holes.

But Johnson got his hands on the ball only seven more times in the second half and had just 9 more yards rushing on five carries. He never had a carry in the fourth quarter even though the Titans trailed only 21-17 when they got the ball back with 10:52 left.

Munchak credited the Bengals with keeping eight players at the line to stop Johnson, and the Titans couldn’t take advantage of the stack near the line through the air. Matt Hasselbeck finished with 272 yards passing, but only 106 in the second half.

It only got worse inside the final 2 minutes with tight end Jared Cook having a sore knee. Nate Washington caught a pass and went down with a bruised hip, forcing a 10-second runoff since Tennessee had no timeouts. Lavelle Hawkins returned after having an open dislocated finger, but couldn’t lateral the ball to keep the final play alive.

“It’s frustrating when you don’t continue to make plays,” Munchak said. “We have to put ourselves in position.”

The defense had its own struggles. The Titans held Cincinnati to 139 yards in the first half, then couldn’t get off the field in the second half. One play summed up Tennessee’s struggles when safety Michael Griffin and cornerback Jason McCourty crashed into each other trying to defend a pass to A.J. Green, knocking them to the ground for a few minutes.

The challenge gets tougher. After Carolina, the Titans visit Atlanta with a home game against Tampa Bay squeezed between another road game at Buffalo.

Dropping two home games puts the pressure on them to make those up on the road, according to Scott.

“I think we’re a good enough team to do that,” Scott said. “We just have to do that.”

Notes: Munchak said S Chris Hope will practice Wednesday for the first time since breaking his left forearm Oct. 2 at Cleveland. Munchak also said Cook (bruised knee), Washington and Hawkins may be limited a bit Wednesday.

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

The confident Cincinnati Bengals keep building momentum with every win. The Tennessee Titans have been so up and down with Chris Johnson and their running game that they’re just trying to find their way forward.

Something will give Sunday.

The Bengals (5-2) can win a fifth straight game for their longest streak since 1988 when they went to their second Super Bowl with coach Sam Wyche. This is the franchise that has been 6-2 only twice since then in 2005 and 2009, when they won the AFC North both times for their only two winning records in the past 20 years.

“We knew we were going to be a good team,” Cincinnati center Kyle Cook said. “If we could come together as a team and have good second halves and not make the same mistakes we had last year, we kind of knew we could be in this position or even better.”

Cincinnati is tied with Baltimore a half-game behind Pittsburgh in the AFC North thanks to winning four straight, including last week’s 34-12 victory at Seattle. But the Bengals beat teams in that streak currently with a combined 9-21 record, and the schedule only gets tougher after Sunday with games against Pittsburgh, at Baltimore, Cleveland, at Pittsburgh and Houston.

“We can’t be satisfied with where we are, and we know that,” said Bengals rookie quarterback Andy Dalton. “The last game we played wasn’t perfect. There’s a lot of room for improvement and a lot of room to get better. It’s about taking the mistakes that we made in the last game and getting better from it.”

The game also features the return of Adam “Pacman” Jones to Tennessee to play the team that drafted him sixth overall in 2005. But Jones hurt a hamstring returning a punt in Seattle, so he may only stand on the sideline.

The Titans (4-3) wrap up a three-game homestand and are coming off a 27-10 win over Indianapolis.

They also have a big win over Baltimore. Being outscored 79-24 in consecutive losses before beating the Colts has them still tweaking their defense against the run and looking to run for more than 68.9 yards per game – if only to stop all the questions about why Johnson can’t run anymore.

“The inconsistency is probably the part that we are most frustrated with, and we hope that part is behind us and that we come out and play a game,” Titans coach Mike Munchak said. “It’s going to be a big game for us. Last week, we thought was a huge game for us because we couldn’t afford to lose that game, and this one is even bigger because one to show that we can take the next step up now, and we can win a game against a team that is a very good football team.”

Running won’t be easy against Cincinnati. The Bengals rank second in the NFL, giving up 85.4 yards rushing per game. They also are allowing only 17.6 points per game, fourth-stingiest in the league.

“We know that, which makes it fun,” Munchak said. “It makes it exciting, and we will be ready for the challenge. We will see on Sunday how we do and we are looking forward to obviously, playing a lot better than we have.”

The Bengals have been winning even with a rookie quarterback passing to rookie top target A.J. Green. There’s also the running of Cedric Benson, who returns from his one-game suspension for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy.

Titans cornerback Cortland Finnegan has been impressed with Dalton, who is completing 64.4 percent of his passes for 760 yards with seven touchdowns and three interceptions away from Cincinnati.

“He’s excellent at what he does. He gets the ball out fast,” Finnegan said. “He’s three-stepping, he can put the ball on a dime on the deep ball. A.J. Green’s dynamic. They’ve got a really good football team.”

Cincinnati is protecting Dalton well, too, allowing one sack in the past two games and 12 this season.

“I think a lot of people expect us to be a run-only type team with having a young quarterback and young receivers,” Cincinnati left tackle Andrew Whitworth said. “I think teams are doing a great job of crowding the box and making it tough to run the ball, but we can still do it and we just have to do it more effectively and more efficiently. But we’re on our way.”

The Bengals did give up a season-high 350 yards passing to Seattle, and Matt Hasselbeck is playing pretty well for Tennessee with an 89.2 passer rating. The Titans are 4-1 when Hasselbeck has a passer rating of 90 or higher, and he has thrown six TDs in his two previous games against Cincinnati.

“Matt has really solidified that position for them,” Cincinnati coach Marvin Lewis said. “They’ve played very, very efficiently and well offensively in all of their wins.”

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AP Sports Writer Joe Kay in Cincinnati contributed to this report.

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