The NFL preseason kicked off last night with a Titans victory over the Bills, 21-18. The score was of little interest, as with most preseason games; But some storylines did come from it. First, Vince Young looks done. He was 5-for-10 with a pick and a TD: The TD came when a backup corner bit on a fake and Young threw to a wide-open receiver, and he threw the interception to an even more wide-open defensive back. Not good. Trent Edwards fed Terrell Owens the ball twice while they were on the field. And Chris Johnson and LenDale White had a lousy 2.4 yards per carry.
The big excitement of the game came at the end of the Titans’ first possession: A fake Statue of Liberty play out of a punt that saw the punter keep the ball and run 40 yards for a touchdown. Not sure why the Titans would show that at the end of their first preseason drive, but I have to believe we’ll see some trickery during the season that will pay that off.
The last little tidbit from the game: Why do teams and the League insist on wearing throwback jerseys? They look terrible. The Titans aren’t even the Oilers anymore, yet there they are with an oil derrick on the side of their helmets. Harrumph.
on Aug 10th, 2009 at 12:09 PM
The trick play was awesome. Al Michaels said that Jeff Fisher has wanted to run that since 1999 but does not want his regular punter to get hurt. So they had a rookie punter in and Fisher went for it. My guess is that will have other teams more aware of this play and the punt rush may not be as strong.
As for the throwbacks it’s the 50the anniversary of the AFL and all original AFL teams will wear these twice. The Titans were the Houston Oilers, hence the unis.
on Aug 10th, 2009 at 1:46 PM
Vince Young? Done? I don’t know about that. I’d take him for my team over Brady damn Quinn.
on Aug 10th, 2009 at 6:56 PM
Bravo Ron, bravo!
I thought Young was injured. He’s still better than fleshbot Quinn.
on Aug 10th, 2009 at 7:16 PM
Buzinski has this right, Cyd. The league is honoring history with the throwbacks. Uniforms change, not always for the better (i.e. new Rams, new Bucs, new Chargers). I don’t know whether you’re an old curmudgeon, or a young curmudgeon, but you’re a curmudgeon nonetheless, and an elitist easterner at that.
on Aug 10th, 2009 at 9:23 PM
You liked the orange crap the Bucs used to wear over the sharp pewter and gold they wear now, Don???????
And I agree with Jim… the Titans are never one to shy away from trickery as it is (they opened a game against the Colts a couple years ago with an onside kick, just as an example), and this play just reinforces that in peoples minds.