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Tennessee defense falls flat

info — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 21:30:15 +0000

By MICHEAL COMPTON, The Daily News, mcompton@bgdailynews.com/783-3247
Monday, October 24, 2011 11:12 AM CDT

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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Ahmard Hall Suspended Four Games For Banned…

info — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 04:52:25 +0000

By Brian McIntyre

– Contributor

Tennessee Titans fullback Ahmard Hall has been suspended four games for violating the league’s performance-enhancing drug policy.

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Sep 3, 2011 – Tennessee Titans fullback Ahmard Hall has been suspended four games for violating the NFL’s policy against performance-enhancing substances, the team announced on Saturday.

The 31-year-old fullback served in the Marines in Afghanistan before playing college football at the University of Texas. Signed by the Titans as an undrafted free agent in 2006, the 5-foot-11, 241-pound Hall has started 33 of 73 games over the last five seasons, paving the way for 1,000-yard rushers Travis Henry (2006), LenDale White (2007), and Chris Johnson, who topped 2,000 yards in 2009 and just scored a four-year, $53.5 million contract extension.

Hall’s suspension will cost him $200,000 of his $850,000 base salary in 2011.

The Titans had known that a suspension was possible and acquired fullback Quinn Johnson from the Green Bay Packers for an conditional draft choice.

“As for Ahmard, we have known that a suspension was a possibility for some time and we have used the preseason to identify players that would fit the mold of what we needed if Ahmard had to miss games,” Titans general manager Mike Reinfeldt said. “Johnson is a traditional, downhill, blocking fullback who we think will fill that need. He is a former fifth round pick, who has done a nice job over the last two years for Green Bay.”

Hall will miss games against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Baltimore Ravens, Denver Broncos and Cleveland Browns. Hall will be eligible to return to the Titans on October 3, with the Titans facing the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 5.

For more reaction on today’s roster cuts and the Hall suspension, visit Music City Miracles.

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Karl Klug shines for Tennessee Titans

info — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 00:16:07 +0000

Add Karl Klug’s name to list of rookies from the University of Iowa that are making a strong impression in NFL preseason camps.

Klug, a defensive tackle from Caledonia, Minn., has performed well enough in practice for the Tennessee Titans to where he’s now rotating in with the first-team defense.

Karl Klug, right, will meet a Wisconsin offensive line that weighs an average of 320 pounds. Klug, a 270-pound senior defensive tackle, has gained 65 since arriving at Iowa. (Matthew Holst/Press-Citizen)

“Klug got in and he’s looking really good, making a lot of plays,” TitanInsider.com quoted Tennessee coach Mike Munchak as saying after Tuesday’s practice. “He’s very good with his hands and makes things happen.”

Klug started his last two seasons at defensive tackle for Iowa, earning second-team all-Big Ten honors as a senior in 2010.

Tennessee selected him the fifth round, making Klug one of six players from the 2010 Iowa team to be taken in the 2011 NFL draft.

Two of Klug’s former Iowa teammates, defensive end Adrian Clayborn and safety Tyler Sash, also have performed well as rookies in preseason camp for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New York Giants, respectively.

Clayborn is pushing for a starting position in Tampa Bay and Sash also has worked with his team’s first-team defense.

Klug was soft-spoken and humble at Iowa and nothing seems to have changed based on how he’s handling his early success with the Titans.

“I feel like I’ve been doing all right, I guess, but there’s a lot of work left to do,” Klug told TitanInsider.com. “There’s a lot of camp, but the preseason games are going to determine a lot.”

Klug is surprised to be working with the first-team defense this soon.

“I guess I wasn’t really expecting that,” he said. “You’ve just got to take it as is, and just keep working really.”

The Tennessee coaches considered moving Klug, who weighed around 270 pounds as a senior at Iowa, to defensive end because he is considered small as a tackle by NFL standards.

But now they’ve decided to leave Klug inside.

“I was indifferent,” Klug told TitanInsider.com. “I was told I was going to play end, but the fact that I’m going to play tackle, and the three technique, that’s pretty cool. I played it in college and I’m used to that.”

Klug also drew praise from Tennessee defensive line coach Tracy Rocker for not only his performance, but also for how he approaches each practice.

“Playing the three-technique he’s shown that he can hold the point of attack and then he can also create off the one-on-one move in pass protection,” Rocker said. “And the thing is he’s been business-like every day in practice.

“There are not a lot of missed assignments and he’s taking coaching. It’s been enjoyable to watch.”

Tags: football, Hawk, Karl Klug

Category: Iowa Hawkeyes Football

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Tennessee defense falls flat

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