WRAPPING UP WEEK 1 | TENNESSEE TITANS
Raiders at Titans
Score: Titans 38, Raiders 13
The storyline: The Titans, after starting last season with losses in their first six games, turned in a dominant, complete performance in the 2010 regular-season opener, pulling away quickly from the Oakland Raiders for a one-sided victory at LP Field in Nashville.
Key moment: The Titans played well enough in all phases that the game wasn't ever seriously in doubt. After the Raiders took an early 3-0 lead, Tennessee outscored the Raiders 24-3, but late in the first half, Titans running back Chris Johnson – a 2,000-yard rusher last season – had rushed 12 times for 36 yards. With the Titans facing 1st-and-10 at their 24 after a Raiders punt, Johnson took a handoff and scored on a 76-yard touchdown run to give Tennessee a 24-3 lead with 2:43 remaining in the second quarter. Johnson has rushed for more than 100 yards in 12 consecutive games, two shy of the NFL record.
Key stat: The Titans were the picture of a balanced, efficient offense on Sunday. They rushed for 205 yards, with Johnson rushing for 142 yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries. As impressive was the performance of quarterback Vince Young, who completed 13 of 17 passes for 154 yards and two touchdowns, including an early 56-yarder to wide receiver Nate Washington that gave Tennessee an early 7-3 lead.
Where they stand: The Texans' victory moved them into first place in the AFC South. The Colts, having lost to the Houston Texans on Sunday, are alone in last place a game behind Jacksonville, Houston and Tennessee. The Texans have the strongest position after Week 1, having a division victory, but considering the Colts have rarely been out of first place since the division's 2002 inception, a share of first place is significant for any of the other three teams. The Titans won the division in 2008 and 2002, the only two seasons the Colts have not won the division.
Notable: After spending the off-season focused on improving the defense, Tennessee played impressively in that area on Sunday. They registered four sacks on Raiders quarterback Jason Campbell and allowed just 106 first-half yards.
Quick quote: "It is very important – the fact that we came out and set the tone on defense and the offense did their thing, but we can't be satisfied. We've got Pittsburgh coming up. It's a big game for us. It's at home and the fans were great today causing false starts. It's a big game for us."
--- Titans' Cornerback Cortland Finnegan
Tennessee Titans Week 1 Wrap Up
Sep 13, 2010 – 10:57 AM
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