NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A person familiar with the situation says the Tennessee Titans will be visiting with four-time NFL MVP Peyton Manning in his search for a new team.

ESPN.com first reported Titans coach Mike Munchak will meet with Manning after a session with Miami coach Joe Philbin.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on Monday about Manning’s meeting with the Titans on the condition of anonymity because the location and time of that meeting remains confidential.

Titans owner Bud Adams made it known Sunday he will do whatever it takes to sign Manning to get back to the playoffs and win his team’s first Super Bowl. Adams told The Tennessean he had talked to Manning’s agent, Tom Condon, asking for a visit with the quarterback.

Manning has plenty of connections to Tennessee.

He starred at the University of Tennessee, leading to his first name becoming a popular choice for newborns in this state. His wife is from Memphis, and Manning already knows the Titans’ facility a bit, having practiced against Tennessee a few years ago when the Colts came to town for some joint practices.

Munchak also was a teammate of Archie Manning in 1982 and briefly in 1983 with the then-Houston Oilers. Munchak just hired Dennis Polian — son of former Colts General Manager Bill Polian — as his assistant.

But the biggest key is Adams, the 89-year-old billionaire who wants back in the playoffs. His Titans have been only twice since 2004 with both trips in 2007 and 2008 lasting only one game each. A meeting with Manning could come in Houston where Adams still lives after relocating his Oilers to Tennessee in 1997.

“I want Manning,” Adams told The Tennessean. “I’d love to see him in Titan blue after watching him so many years with the Colts. … I want him. I am ready to do what it takes to get him aboard, and I think he’d be the guy to get us into the playoffs.”

The Titans already have veteran Matt Hasselbeck, signed to a three-year contract last July, and Jake Locker, picked with the No. 8 overall selection in the 2011 draft. But Hasselbeck is due $5.5 million in salary this year after getting a chunk of his deal last season.

So far, Manning has met only with the Denver Broncos and Arizona Cardinals.

He was expected to be heading back to Florida, but did not show at the Dolphins’ headquarters Monday despite reports he would meet with the team.

Dolphins owner Stephen Ross arrived at the team complex at midmorning, and several players — including quarterback Chad Henne — showed up around the same time to work out. Henne is a free agent and not expected back this season.

A media stakeout at the complex began when a local TV station camera crew arrived at 4 a.m. Half a dozen TV cameras and a handful of reporters eventually gathered across the street. They weren’t allowed on the team’s property, but a Dolphins official brought out water, pizza and napkins.

Curious motorists occasionally pulled up to ask for an update.

Manning spent nearly 6 1/2 hours at the Arizona Cardinals’ headquarters and training facility on Sunday in meetings designed to lure the superstar to the desert.

The session followed a meeting of nearly six hours Manning had at the Broncos’ facility in Denver on Friday night. The two sessions showed that, for the time being at least, Arizona and Denver seem to be the top two contenders.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A person familiar with the situation says the Tennessee Titans [team stats] will be visiting with four-time NFL MVP Peyton Manning in his search for a new team.

ESPN.com first reported Titans coach Mike Munchak will meet with Manning after a session with Miami coach Joe Philbin.

The person spoke to The Associated Press Monday about Manning’s meeting with the Titans on the condition of anonymity because the location and time of that meeting remains confidential.

Titans owner Bud Adams made it known Sunday he will do whatever it takes to sign Manning to get back to the playoffs and win his team’s first Super Bowl. Adams told The Tennessean he had talked to Manning’s agent, Tom Condon, asking for a visit with the quarterback.

Manning has plenty of connections to Tennessee.

He starred at the University of Tennessee, leading to his first name becoming a popular choice for newborns in this state. His wife is from Memphis, and Manning already knows the Titans’ facility a bit, having practiced against Tennessee a few years ago when the Colts came to town for some joint practices.

Munchak also was a teammate of Archie Manning in 1982 and briefly in 1983 with the then-Houston Oilers. Munchak just hired Dennis Polian — son of former Colts general manager Bill Polian — as his assistant.

But the biggest key is Adams, the 89-year-old billionaire who wants back in the playoffs. His Titans have been only twice since 2004 with both trips in 2007 and 2008 lasting only one game each. A meeting with Manning could come in Houston where Adams still lives after relocating his Oilers to Tennessee in 1997.

“I want Manning,” Adams told The Tennessean. “I’d love to see him in Titan blue after watching him so many years with the Colts. … I want him. I am ready to do what it takes to get him aboard, and I think he’d be the guy to get us into the playoffs.”

The Titans already have veteran Matt Hasselbeck, signed to a three-year contract last July, and Jake Locker picked with the No. 8 overall selection in the 2011 draft. But Hasselbeck is due $5.5 million in salary this year after getting a chunk of his deal last season.

So far, Manning has met only with the Denver Broncos and Arizona Cardinals.

He was expected to be heading back to Florida, but did not show at the Dolphins’ headquarters Monday despite reports he would meet with the team.

Dolphins owner Stephen Ross arrived at the team complex at midmorning, and several players — including quarterback Chad Henne — showed up around the same time to work out. Henne is a free agent and not expected back this season.

A media stakeout at the complex began when a local TV station camera crew arrived at 4 a.m. Half a dozen TV cameras and a handful of reporters eventually gathered across the street. They weren’t allowed on the team’s property, but a Dolphins official brought out water, pizza and napkins.

Curious motorists occasionally pulled up to ask for an update.

A person familiar with the situation says the Tennessee Titans will be visiting with four-time NFL MVP Peyton Manning in his search for a new team.

ESPN.com first reported Titans coach Mike Munchak will meet with Manning after a session with Miami coach Joe Philbin.

The person spoke to The Associated Press Monday about Manning’s meeting with the Titans on the condition of anonymity because the location and time of that meeting remains confidential.

Titans owner Bud Adams made it known Sunday he will do whatever it takes to sign Manning to get back to the playoffs and win his team’s first Super Bowl. Adams told The Tennessean he had talked to Manning’s agent, Tom Condon, asking for a visit with the quarterback.
Manning has plenty of connections to Tennessee.

He starred at the University of Tennessee, leading to his first name becoming a popular choice for newborns in this state. His wife is from Memphis, and Manning already knows the Titans’ facility a bit, having practiced against Tennessee a few years ago when the Colts came to town for some joint practices.

Munchak also was a teammate of Archie Manning in 1982 and briefly in 1983 with the then-Houston Oilers. Munchak just hired Dennis Polian — son of former Colts general manager Bill Polian — as his assistant.
But the biggest key is Adams, the 89-year-old billionaire who wants back in the playoffs. His Titans have been only twice since 2004 with both trips in 2007 and 2008 lasting only one game each. A meeting with Manning could come in Houston where Adams still lives after relocating his Oilers
to Tennessee in 1997.

“I want Manning,” Adams told The Tennessean. “I’d love to see him in
Titan blue after watching him so many years with the Colts. … I want him. I am ready to do what it takes to get him aboard, and I think he’d be the guy to get us into the playoffs.”

The Titans already have veteran Matt Hasselbeck, signed to a three-year contract last July, and Jake Locker picked with the No. 8 overall selection in the 2011 draft. But Hasselbeck is due $5.5 million in salary this year after getting a chunk of his deal last season.
 

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – After Wednesday’s announcement that the Indianapolis Colts released Peyton Manning, there are reports that 12 teams have expressed interest- including the Tennessee Titans.

To this point, the Titans have said they are happy with their quarterback situation.

ESPN reported that Tennessee is among the teams at least inquiring about Manning. They could make an announcement Thursday to either dispel or confirm rumors. 

It comes after some Tennessee fans have started an online effort to bring Manning here.   They are putting up billboards and a website asking him to consider the Titans.

Manning was released by the Colts Wednesday after 14 years. He was sidelined all last season due to a neck injury.

The four-time MVP and Super Bowl winner was a former quarterback at the University of Tennessee.

Four Tennesseans were recognized by the Tennessee Titans for the volunteer work during 2011 on Monday.

Sue Hillman of Murfreesboro was the 2012 Titans Community Quarterback Award. As the winner, Hillman earned a $10,000 grant from Titans owner Bud Adams and the Tennessee Titans Foundation for her charity, the Catholic Charities of Tennessee.

“It is wonderful, it is wonderful,” said Hillman who has been a volunteer with Catholic Charities of Tennessee since 1990.

Hillman told Nashville’s News 2 she has provided temporary foster care to over 100 babies.

“It is a humbling experience. Something I never dreamed that we would ever get to a 100 babies. It is a real honor to help the charities,” she said.

War World II veteran Jack Taylor won second place for his volunteer work with Forever Young Senior Wish.

His non-profit organization was awarded a $5,000 grant.

“The organization has taken over 200 men to Washington D.C. to see the World War II memorials and all the memorials,” said Taylor, who began volunteering with Forever Young after he took a trip with the organization.

Volunteers Nancy Little and Carrie Goodwin were both awarded $2,500 for their charities.

Each of the volunteers was nominated as outstanding volunteers and the winners were determined by a group of judges.

With so many great volunteers across the state, the Titans Community Quarterback Award is one way for the team to give back.

“It is something that Mr. Adams is always focused on; giving back to the community for all that they do for the Titans organization and this great state of Tennessee,” explained Tennessee Titans Executive V.P. of Administration and Facilities Don MacLachland.

This year’s winning volunteers were awarded a total of $20,000 from the Tennessee Titans Foundation which has awarded $253,000 since the program began in 2000.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP)—The Tennessee Titans have decided not to retain
secondary coach Marcus Robertson and assistant secondary coach Curtis Fuller.

Robertson worked as the secondary coach for three seasons and has spent 19
total years with the organization. He played for 10 seasons as a safety for the
Oilers and Titans and was part of the squad that reached the 2000 Super Bowl.

Fuller spent one season with Tennessee.

Titans coach Mike Munchak says he respects both men but wanted to move in a
different direction. He says the process to replace the pair “might take some
time.”

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Titans will spend the off-season thinking of the three games that cost them a playoff berth and looking ahead to a promising second season under coach Mike Munchak.

Just how many are back for 2012 remains to be seen with contracts of more than 20 Titans expiring. With Munchak taking over a team that went 6-10 and didn’t have an off-season due to the lockout, the Titans have high expectations for what’s next.

“Who would have thought we’d be 9-7?” fullback Ahmard Hall said Monday after the Titans cleaned out lockers. “Who would give us a chance to be 9-7? Munch is building something great here, and everybody wants to be a part of that.”

Hall is among those whose contracts are up, meaning the Titans have plenty of personnel work ahead.

For a franchise that got rid of a quarterback and head coach a year ago, handling a secondary where four defensive backs are pending free agents should be much easier. Defensive captain and cornerback Cortland Finnegan and safeties Chris Hope, Michael Griffin and Jordan Babineaux all are up with no contract talks since Finnegan bolted training camp in August.

Finnegan doesn’t sound as if he expects to be back, though he hopes to return after six seasons in Tennessee.

“Coach Munchak is building something really special around here,” Finnegan said. “He plans to talk to everyone. We’ll see what the future holds.”

Munchak said the salary cap will decide how many players they keep. He hopes they keep as many as possible in free agency along with another crop of rookies to go with a promising draft class where three started on defence.

“You got a nice little core here, so I think it’s something we can build on,” Munchak said. “I think that’s part of the excitement of selling to the guys that are in this room is that yeah, 9-7 was OK. It wasn’t quite good enough this year, but a lot of good things happened at 9-7 that we’re excited about as an organization, as a team and that we can build on.”

The Titans finished the season beating the Houston Texans 23-22, missing out on their first playoff berth since 2008 when the Jets lost to Miami and Denver lost to Kansas City. That left Tennessee tied with Cincinnati but losing the head-to-head tiebreaker due to a Nov. 6 loss to the Bengals where the Titans blew a 10-point lead in losing 24-17.

“Hopefully the lesson we learned is you can’t hope that someone else can do your job for you,” Munchak said. “We had to earn our way in, and we didn’t.”

Tennessee also lost its opener 16-14 in Jacksonville and became the first team to lose to the previously winless Colts 27-13 on Dec. 18 when a win would have put the Titans into the AFC’s sixth and final playoff spot.

At least Munchak has his quarterbacks in veteran Matt Hasselbeck and Jake Locker going into a full off-season to push for the starting job. Hasselbeck started all 16 games and became the first quarterback for this franchise not named Warren Moon to throw for at least 3,500 yards. He finished with 3,571 yards passing with 18 touchdown passes and 14 interceptions. Locker threw for four TDs with a 99.4 passer rating coming off the bench in five games.

Munchak said the quarterbacks will compete again with the player who should start being an obvious decision when the time comes.

He plans on keeping his co-ordinators, giving Chris Palmer to work on an offence that ranked 17th in the NFL in passing even though top receiver Kenny Britt tore his right ACL in September.

The biggest focus will be on a run game that ranked 31st in the league averaging a measly 89.9 yards.

Chris Johnson ran for a career-low 1,047 yards after missing the pre-season before getting his new contract extension. He has plenty of incentives in that deal to spend plenty of time working in the Titans’ off-season program, and he said the Titans simply need to improve their execution.

A full off-season will help Jerry Gray’s defence too.

“We were limited in what we could do because guys were learning it on the run,” Finnegan said. “That’d be huge for this defence.”

A fourth rookie, Karl Klug, led Tennessee with seven sacks, and the Titans ranked eighth in the NFL in points allowed per game. But Tennessee still must find a way to tighten up a run defence gashed for big runs far too often, leading to a No. 24 ranking giving up 128.3 yards per game.

Notes: The Titans will pick 20th in April’s draft. … The Titans’ 2012 home schedule features visits from Houston, the Colts and Jaguars in the AFC South along with the Patriots, the Jets, the Steelers, Chicago and Detroit. Tennessee will visit its AFC South divisional rivals along with trips to Minnesota, Green Bay, Miami, San Diego and Buffalo after finishing second in the division.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP)—The Tennessee Titans will spend the offseason
thinking of the three games that cost them a playoff berth and looking ahead to
a promising second season under coach Mike Munchak.

Just how many are back for 2012 remains to be seen with contracts of more
than 20 Titans expiring. With Munchak taking over a team that went 6-10 and
didn’t have an offseason due to the lockout, the Titans have high expectations
for what’s next.

“Who would have thought we’d be 9-7?” fullback Ahmard Hall said Monday
after the Titans cleaned out lockers. “Who would give us a chance to be 9-7?
Munch is building something great here, and everybody wants to be a part of
that.”

Hall is among those whose contracts are up, meaning the Titans have plenty
of personnel work ahead.

For a franchise that got rid of a quarterback and head coach a year ago,
handling a secondary where four defensive backs are pending free agents should
be much easier. Defensive captain and cornerback Cortland Finnegan and safeties
Chris Hope, Michael Griffin and Jordan Babineaux all are up with no contract
talks since Finnegan bolted training camp in August.

Finnegan doesn’t sound as if he expects to be back, though he hopes to
return after six seasons in Tennessee.

“Coach Munchak is building something really special around here,” Finnegan
said. “He plans to talk to everyone. We’ll see what the future holds.”

Munchak said the salary cap will decide how many players they keep. He hopes
they keep as many as possible in free agency along with another crop of rookies
to go with a promising draft class where three started on defense.

“You got a nice little core here, so I think it’s something we can build
on,” Munchak said. “I think that’s part of the excitement of selling to the
guys that are in this room is that yeah, 9-7 was OK. It wasn’t quite good enough
this year, but a lot of good things happened at 9-7 that we’re excited about as
an organization, as a team and that we can build on.”

The Titans finished the season beating the Houston Texans 23-22, missing out
on their first playoff berth since 2008 when the Jets lost to Miami and Denver
lost to Kansas City. That left Tennessee tied with Cincinnati but losing the
head-to-head tiebreaker due to a Nov. 6 loss to the Bengals where the Titans
blew a 10-point lead in losing 24-17.

“Hopefully the lesson we learned is you can’t hope that someone else can do
your job for you,” Munchak said. “We had to earn our way in, and we didn’t.”

Tennessee also lost its opener 16-14 in Jacksonville and became the first
team to lose to the previously winless Colts 27-13 on Dec. 18 when a win would
have put the Titans into the AFC’s sixth and final playoff spot.

At least Munchak has his quarterbacks in veteran Matt Hasselbeck and Jake
Locker going into a full offseason to push for the starting job. Hasselbeck
started all 16 games and became the first quarterback for this franchise not
named Warren Moon to throw for at least 3,500 yards. He finished with 3,571
yards passing with 18 touchdown passes and 14 interceptions. Locker threw for
four TDs with a 99.4 passer rating coming off the bench in five games.

Munchak said the quarterbacks will compete again with the player who should
start being an obvious decision when the time comes.

He plans on keeping his coordinators, giving Chris Palmer to work on an
offense that ranked 17th in the NFL in passing even though top receiver Kenny
Britt tore his right ACL in September.

The biggest focus will be on a run game that ranked 31st in the league
averaging a measly 89.9 yards.

Chris Johnson ran for a career-low 1,047 yards after missing the preseason
before getting his new contract extension. He has plenty of incentives in that
deal to spend plenty of time working in the Titans’ offseason program, and he
said the Titans simply need to improve their execution.

A full offseason will help Jerry Gray’s defense too.

“We were limited in what we could do because guys were learning it on the
run,” Finnegan said. “That’d be huge for this defense.”

A fourth rookie, Karl Klug, led Tennessee with seven sacks, and the Titans
ranked eighth in the NFL in points allowed per game. But Tennessee still must
find a way to tighten up a run defense gashed for big runs far too often,
leading to a No. 24 ranking giving up 128.3 yards per game.

Notes: The Titans will pick 20th in April’s draft. … The Titans’ 2012 home
schedule features visits from Houston, the Colts and Jaguars in the AFC South
along with the Patriots, the Jets, the Steelers, Chicago and Detroit. Tennessee
will visit its AFC South divisional rivals along with trips to Minnesota, Green
Bay, Miami, San Diego and Buffalo after finishing second in the division.

Houston Texans quarterback T.J. Yates (13) greets Tennessee Titans running back Jamie Harper (23) after an NFL football game on Sunday, Jan. 1, 2012, in Houston. The Titans defeated the Texans 23-22.

(AP Photo by Dave Einsel)

HOUSTON — The Tennessee Titans’ regular-season finale came down to a 2-point conversion. Their playoff hopes officially ended a few hours later.

Matt Hasselbeck threw two touchdown passes, and Tennessee staved off Houston’s last-minute rally in a 23-22 victory Sunday.

Tennessee (9-7) earned its first winning record since 2008 in Mike Munchak’s first season, but its postseason fate depended on the outcome of later games in Cincinnati, Oakland and Denver.

When the Broncos lost to Kansas City, the Titans were knocked out of playoff contention.

“We knew that was the situation we were in, and we could only do what we could do,” Hasselbeck said. “We were focused on taking care of business and handling the things that we could control. Finishing 9-7 is something we can be proud about whether we get the help or we don’t.”

The Titans got some early help when the New York Jets lost in Miami, but then had to sweat out the final two minutes when Ahmard Hall fumbled, and Jake Delhomme drove Houston for a touchdown with 14 seconds left.

The Texans (10-6) were locked into the No. 3 seed in the AFC playoffs before the game began. They will play Cincinnati (9-7) next weekend in the franchise’s first postseason game. Houston beat the Bengals 20-19 on Dec. 11.

With their position secured and nothing to lose but more players to injury, coach Gary Kubiak called for a 2-point conversion to avoid overtime and win the game in regulation.

“You would never go for 2 there in any other situation,” Kubiak said. “But where we were physically, at the end of the game, I had a tight end [Garrett Graham] playing linebacker. Our team, I had to get them to next week.”

But tight end Joel Dreessen was flagged for illegal motion, and then backup center Thomas Austin flipped the snap over Delhomme’s head and the game was over.

The victory turned out to mean nothing for the Titans.

Tennessee needed the Bengals to lose to Baltimore and victories by Oakland and Denver to earn a playoff berth. And that would’ve landed the Titans right back in Houston next week to play the Texans.

But a 27-13 loss in Indianapolis two weeks ago proved costly, and the Titans will sit out the playoffs for the third straight season.

“We knew that after we lost to the Colts, which was kind of a low point for us, at that point we were 7-7,” Hasselbeck said. “Coach Munchak came and said: ‘Hey, there’s a lot of things this season that could have gone better, that we could have done better, but we didn’t. That’s in the past and there’s nothing we can do about that.”

The Texans, meanwhile, will head into the franchise’s first postseason on a three-game losing streak and new concerns about their quarterback.

Rookie starter T.J. Yates left the game after one series and was replaced by the 36-year-old Delhomme. Kubiak said Yates had a bruised left shoulder but could’ve returned if necessary.

“Obviously, I didn’t want him to go back in the game,” Kubiak said. “We’ll know better where we’re at [Monday], at this point.”

Delhomme, signed Nov. 29 in the wake of season-ending injuries to starter Matt Schaub and backup Matt Leinart, completed 18 of 28 passes in his first action since December 2010.

Johnson ran for 61 yards to go over 1,000 for the fourth consecutive season, and Rob Bironas kicked three field goals for Tennessee.

“It was an interesting ending,” Munchak said. “Our goal was to come in here and win this game. We did that. We’re 9-7 and that’s all we can control.”

Yates was sacked on Houston’s first snap by Jurrell Casey and Derrick Morgan. He completed passes to Dreessen and James Casey for first downs, before Ben Tate and Derrick Ward started alternating touches for the rest of the drive.

Tate plowed into the end zone with 5:15 left in the first quarter, but Yates came off the field favoring his left shoulder and went to the locker room.

Yates jogged back to the Houston sideline for the start of the second quarter. But after Bironas kicked a 21-yard field goal, Delhomme returned for the Texans’ next possession.

Titans defensive end Dave Ball sacked Delhomme and knocked the ball loose, and safety Chris Hope recovered at the Texans 33. Hasselbeck threw a 25-yard pass to Jared Cook, then found Donnie Avery in the corner of the end zone to move Tennessee in front.

Hasselbeck completed 22 of 35 passes for 297 yards without an interception.

Delhomme threw a 16-yard pass to Andre Johnson to get Houston moving again. Johnson caught two passes and sat out the second half after missing the previous three games with a strained left hamstring.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

They head into the game relatively healthy.

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