HPF:Gameday preview -Vday

[Wolf]

October 26, 2006
V-Day
by Jimmy Mohr
HoustonProFootball.com

For many Houston football fans, October 29th has been marked on their calendars ever since the Texans shocked the football world by passing on Vince Young and selecting Mario Williams with the first overall pick. (For still more, they have a date scheduled next year when the Texans face the Saints.) Adding insult to injury for the David Carr-dissenters and UT alums, Young fell directly into the lap of none other than Bud Adams and the team formerly known as the Houston Oilers. He has quickly become “The King” in Nashville and will be looking to defeat his (former) hometown team this week. David Carr has other ideas as the two face off at LP Field.

In their dismantling of the Jaguars last Sunday, the Texans put together one of their best performances in their history. The win also meant that after just six games, they already matched their win total for all of last season and defeated a team with a winning record for the first time since defeating Jacksonville in 2004. Most importantly, they now have momentum as they face the daunting task of playing three straight on the road. By defeating Tennessee this Sunday, it would mark the Texans’ first win streak since December of ‘04 when they beat the Bears and Jags back-to-back on the road. Coincidentally, that victory in Jacksonville was also their last road win; they are 0-10 since.

http://www.houstonprofootball.com/pr...06/week07.html

[Wolf]

Jeff Fisher’s team is coming off their bye week that followed their first win of the season over the Redskins. A win this week would give the Titans their first win streak since the final week of 2003 and square Vince Young’s record as their starter at 2-2. The game plan will be kept simple for their rookie QB, but it will also include plays that utilize his running ability. In his three starts, Young has yet to show much with his legs, rushing the ball just 16 times for only 55 yards. He did have an impressive 19-yard scamper for a touchdown against the Colts but hasn’t flashed the brilliance on the ground that he did in Austin. He’s also been fumble-prone, coughing up the ball five times in as many games.

hmmm

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Match-Ups to Watch

DC vs. VY
This is the first opportunity for both of these players to prove to the armchair quarterbacks who was right on draft day. David Carr has the most to lose considering he is in his fifth year and Young is only a rookie; duplicating his performance from last week will at least quiet the Young-lovers temporarily. As for VY, he has a chance to beat his hometown team; the same one that passed him up in the draft. He can also prove that the Richard Justice’s and John McLain’s of the sports world weren’t crazy when they labeled him the second coming. He certainly will be up for this game and the key for him will be to keep his emotions in check and play within the gameplan Norm Chow orchestrates for him.

Wali Lundy vs. Travis Henry
Last week, Lundy finally duplicated the success he had in the preseason. This week, he faces a Titans defense that allows a league worst 164.5 yards per game. They also have surrendered 10 TDs and nine runs of 20-plus yards. If Kubiak gives Lundy the bulk of the carries, he could become the first Texan RB this year to reach the century mark. Domanick Davis was the last, achieving the feat last December against these same Titans (139 yards). Tennessee will counter with six-year veteran Travis Henry. His explosive output the last two games has catapulted the Titans from 30th in the league in rushing to 14th. This week, if he can surpass 100 yards on the ground, he will have done so in three consecutive games for the first time in his career. He will also have taken an immense amount of pressure off of Vince Young.
Chad Stanley vs. Craig Hentrich
These two punters rank near the bottom (29th and 31st) in average yards per punt (gross and net). Although, in defense of Hentrich, 13 of his 36 punts have pinned his opponent inside the 20. With a rookie QB, the Titans will need all the help they can get from their punter to keep the field position tipped in their favor. Of Hentrich’s seven punts two weeks ago in the team’s lone victory, three of them put the Redskins inside their own 18-yardline with each subsequent drive failing to lead to points. On the flip side, the further Young has to go to reach paydirt, the more likely the drive will stall. VY has led his team to a score on 6 out of 19 drives that have started inside his own 30

[aj.]

Along those same lines, with all the focus on individual players, I'd like to see a good all-around team effort today to remind people that it takes more than 1 guy out of 22 - on either side of the ball - to win games. Like I always tell the cadre to new titan fans who live in Houston area. I follow players I like, absolutely, but I root for my home team first and foremost (like they will too when they start winning).