Titans withstand whipping winds

Titans withstand whipping winds

By GARY ESTWICK • Staff Writer • September 14, 2008

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CINCINNATI — This game will go down as one of the wackier in Titans history.

But first, the positive impact the wind gusts formerly known as Hurricane Ike had on Sunday afternoon’s game at Paul Brown Stadium: Craig Hentrich booted a punt 70 yards in the third quarter, pinning Cincinnati at its own two.
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Then the bad: On an earlier attempt, Hentrich watched the wind whip the football above his head, forcing him to jump just to get his hands on it. The play ended with the Titans losing possession in their own territory. “It was just survival,” Hentrich said of playing special teams in inclement weather.

Now the trashy: Swirling winds of more than 30 mph plagued Tennessee’s 24-7 victory, carrying away downfield passes, kicking nets, paper, plastics, one flag girl during the halftime show and nearly a Titans defensive end. “Me and my two percent body fat,” Jevon Kearse said, “I was getting blown all over the place.”

Swirling winds knocked over a trash bin behind the Cincinnati sideline. Later, it tossed the debris in the air, forcing Brandon Johnson, Rashad Jeanty and Keith Rivers to evacuate the Bengals bench.

After Titans defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth told reporters the wind blew trash in players’ eyes, he was told that linebacker Keith Bulluck claimed to have been hit by a pretzel.

“I saw a beer bottle come by my head when we were down by the goal line,” Haynesworth countered. “I thought that was weird, but I’m not sure if the wind caught that.”

The Titans found more success under the difficult situations.

Bulluck blocked and recovered a Kyle Larson punt in the end zone to seal the victory. Coach Jeff Fisher opted to keep the regular defense on the field to pressure Larson.

Titans kicker Rob Bironas made his lone field goal attempt, converting from 34 yards in the third quarter.

“I played it just inside the right upright, and it came back just inside the left,” Bironas said. “We just tried to prepare for what the ball was doing, crossed our fingers and did it.”

Luckily for the Titans, Cincinnati kicker Shayne Graham missed a 37-yard try.

Both quarterbacks refrained from throwing deep down the middle, opting for short passes in the flat or longer passes near the sideline.

“In the middle of the field, it was all right to left,” Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer said. “Once you got down to the end zones, it felt like it was just coming in off the river and swooping in a circular, clockwise motion. But it was so gusty, it was never consistent.”

Titans quarterback Kerry Collins had his share of problems with the wind, too.

“I’ve played a few games with some bad (wind) conditions when I was with the Giants, but I don’t remember it being as bad as this,” he said. “It was borderline impossible to throw the ball where I really wanted to throw it.”