Titans tune-up for final preseason game

Titans tune-up for final preseason game
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August 28
Nashville City Paper


"Tonight's preseason finale against the Green Bay Packers means different things to different people with the Tennessee Titans.

For Vince Young and the offense, it is the chance to have one last tune-up and perhaps the chance to finally find some rhythm in the passing game before the regular season begins Sept. 7 against Jacksonville. Tonight's game starts at 6 p.m. on Channel 2.

"We want to eliminate penalties, move the ball down the field and clean up some things in our offense that we want to clean up," said Young, who has struggled along with the first-team offense, which has not scored a touchdown in three preseason games.

Titans coach Jeff Fisher echoed that in talking about preparation for the Packers.

"I want to minimize mistakes. I want to eliminate the needless penalties that took place last week, those that didn't have anything to do with the play," Fisher said. "I want to see some execution. I want to see some younger guys step up a little bit in different areas."

Fisher also wants to use the game as preparation for going through halftime and coming out to play the third quarter. Titans starters have not played in the second half of any of the three previous preseason games.

The Titans starters will play through the first half and for a series or two in the third quarter to get themselves acclimated to that cooling down period at halftime and restarting for the second half.

"I think it's unfair to ask players, especially young players, to play in the first half or in the second half and not go through the halftime experience," Fisher said. "It is unique. You're warmed up, you play, you're emotional. When you come in at halftime you go through adjustments and have to get yourself back ready to play and that's the primary reason for playing the first series of the third quarter."

Some of the other Titans players are more eager to simply finish the preseason and begin preparation full-time for the regular season and the opener against the Jaguars.

"There's definitely a lot that helps us in preseason, but sometimes after you go through two weeks of camp and you go through preseason games for six weeks of camp total, you start getting like, 'Let's get to this first week already,'" said running back LenDale White, who will split first-team carries with rookie Chris Johnson. "But right now, we've got to play them and go hard. You can't let your guard down at all, because they're going to be coming to hit you.""

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