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Feb. 12, 2008
Overview: The Titans grabbed the final playoff spot in the AFC, thanks to a vastly improved defense. After losing three straight games to fall to 6-5, the Titans won four of their last five games, and they led at halftime at San Diego in the wild-card round before falling 17-6. The offense did just enough to win 10 games, but it did not do enough to save offensive coordinator Norm Chow’s job. Mike Heimerdinger, who ran the Titans’ offense from 2000-04, is charged with helping QB Vince Young become a better passer.
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Date
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Opponent
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Spread
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Result
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09/09/07
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at Jacksonville
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+8
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13-10
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09/16/07
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Indianapolis
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+7
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20-22
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09/24/07
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at New Orleans
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+4½
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31-14
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BYE WEEK
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10/07/07
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Atlanta
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-7½
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20-13
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10/14/07
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at Tampa Bay
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+2½
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10-13
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10/21/07
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at Houston
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+2
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38-36
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10/28/07
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Oakland
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-7
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13-9
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11/04/07
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Carolina
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-5½
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20-7
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11/11/07
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Jacksonville
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-4½
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13-28
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11/19/07
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at Denver
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+1
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20-34
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11/25/07
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at Cincinnati
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pk
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6-35
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12/02/07
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Houston
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-3½
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28-20
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12/09/07
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San Diego
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+1½
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17-23 (OT)
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12/16/07
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at Kansas City
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-3½
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26-17
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12/23/07
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NY Jets
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-8
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10-6
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12/30/07
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at Indianapolis
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-4
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16-10
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01/06/08
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at San Diego
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+10½
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6-17
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Team MVP: All of the candidates are on defense. WLB Keith Bulluck again played at a high level. DRE Kyle Vanden Bosch was dominant in December. WLB David Thornton had one of his best seasons. But DT Albert Haynesworth was indispensable to the Titans’ defense. The Titans’ three-game November losing streak came with Haynesworth out of the lineup. When he was out or limited, opponents had much more success running the ball.
Biggest surprise: The defense surrendered more yards than any other in ’06, but it was vastly improved this season, finishing as the league’s fifth-stingiest. The front seven was superb, but don’t overlook the play of CBs Cortland Finnegan and Nick Harper. Overall, it was a bounce-back year for a veteran defense and a veteran coaching staff accustomed to success.
Biggest disappointment: Young threw for more yards and completed a higher percentage of his passes than he did as a rookie. But he threw only nine TD passes and was not as effective a running threat as he had been in his first NFL season. Young was bothered by a quadriceps injury all season, and he certainly doesn’t have the pass catchers other quarterbacks have, but his play in ’07 left something to be desired.
Offseason outlook: The Titans are expected to give Haynesworth the franchise tag. They expect DE Antwan Odom to receive a big offer in free agency, so they may be in the market for a replacement. On offense, the focus will be on the passing game. The Titans will push to re-sign WR Justin Gage, but a quicker, faster complement to Gage must be added. Young’s development will be the top story line entering training camp.
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