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Kansas City, MO – Coach Jeff Fisher is confident the Tennessee Titans’ bye week won’t slow down his undefeated team.
The Titans return to the field Sunday looking to continue the best start in the franchise’s 49-year history as they visit the struggling Kansas City Chiefs.
Oddsmakers from SBG Global have made Titans -9 point spread favorites (View NFL Football odds) for Sunday’s game (Game Matchup). Current public betting information shows that 59% of bets for this game have been placed on Titans -9 (View NFL Football bet percentages).
Prior to last week’s bye, Tennessee (5-0) pushed its NFL-high winning streak to eight games – one that began last season at Kansas City – with a 13-10 road victory over Baltimore on Oct. 5.
The run is the Titans’ best since they won eight in a row from Sept. 10-Nov. 5, 2000, and now they can post their longest win streak since winning a franchise-record 11 straight from Oct. 17, 1993-Jan. 2, 1994, when the team was the Houston Oilers.
Fisher, leading the NFL’s only remaining unbeaten team, has little doubt that his players will be able to pick up where they left off two weeks ago.
"We’re not going to have any difficulty getting focused for this ball game," said Fisher, in his 10th year at the Titans’ helm. "I’m not concerned about them taking anybody lightly or taking things for granted or coming in with a lack of focus. They’re highly motivated right now.
"That’s what gotten us to this point and we’re not going to waver off of it."
Tennessee’s success is also due to a stingy defense that has held opponents to 288.6 yards per game – fourth-best in the NFL – and a league-low 11.2 points a contest while leading the NFL with 14 turnovers. That unit yielded 285 yards and had two interceptions in the win over the Ravens.
But for as many positives as they’ve had thus far, the Titans know there is still room for improvement, such as eliminating penalties. They were saddled with 10 for 78 yards last time out, and a pair of 15-yard infractions keyed Baltimore’s scoring drives.
"Even though we are 5-0, we’re always trying to find ways to get better," linebacker Keith Bulluck said. "The coaches don’t necessarily have to tell us what’s wrong. We can already figure out what’s wrong and try to get better at it."
Tennessee also looks to strengthen its offense, which has averaged 289.0 yards and was limited to a season-low 210 versus the Ravens. Quarterback Kerry Collins was intercepted twice, but went 17-of-32 for 163 yards and his 11-yard touchdown pass to Alge Crumpler with 1:56 to play was the difference.
The Titans might be able to improve their offensive production versus a Chiefs team that has allowed 396.6 yards per game – fourth-worst in the league.
Unlike Tennessee, Kansas City was dealing with several distractions during its bye week. On Tuesday afternoon, it was announced that nine-time Pro Bowler Tony Gonzalez would remain with the team, following 10 tense days in which it was thought he might be traded to a contending club.
The longtime face of the struggling franchise – and the league’s all-time leader among tight ends in receptions (841), receiving yards (10,075) and TD catches (68) – assured his teammates in a players-only meeting Wednesday that he wasn’t bitter about the outcome of the situation.
"All I want to do is play football and win football games," said Gonzalez, who has 21 catches for 193 yards and two TDs this season. "That’s what I told my teammates today. They understand it. I think the fans understand. I’ve been here 12 years. I’ve given everything I have."
Off the field, though, the Chiefs learned running back Larry Johnson is facing a charge for pushing a woman at a nightclub in February. It’s the third time he’s been charged with assaulting a woman.
Coach Herm Edwards has yet to determine if the two-time Pro Bowler would play this weekend, but the Chiefs would be weakened without Johnson, the team’s leading rusher with 417 yards.
Johnson, however, was held to two yards on seven attempts in a demoralizing 34-0 loss at Carolina on Oct. 5 in the Chiefs’ most recent outing.
Kansas City’s offense managed just 127 total yards – the team’s lowest since a loss at Cleveland on Oct. 12, 1986. Quarterbacks Damon Huard and Tyler Thigpen were sacked three times, intercepted twice and combined to go 15-for-31 for 123 yards.
The passing game, though, could get a boost from Brodie Croyle, who returns after enduring a separated shoulder in the season opener.
Since entering the NFL in 2006, Croyle has started seven of 12 appearances, and he went 11-for-19 for 88 yards in his lone game this year. Against Tennessee last season, Croyle completed 25 of 43 passes for 217 yards and two TDs, but the Chiefs lost 26-17.
Despite Kansas City struggling through its worst start since 2004, Croyle remains confident the team can salvage the rest of the season.
"We’ve had our good moments, we’ve had our bad," he said. "We just need to build off the good and be more consistent."
Top Betting Trends:
All games in this series since 1992
KANSAS CITY is 5-4 against the spread versus TENNESSEE since 1992
KANSAS CITY is 5-4 straight up against TENNESSEE since 1992
6 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL since 1992
Games over the last 3 seasons
TENNESSEE is 1-0 against the spread versus KANSAS CITY over the last 3 seasons
TENNESSEE is 1-0 straight up against KANSAS CITY over the last 3 seasons
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
All games played at KANSAS CITY since 1992
TENNESSEE is 2-1 against the spread versus KANSAS CITY since 1992
KANSAS CITY is 2-1 straight up against TENNESSEE since 1992
2 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL since 1992
Games played at KANSAS CITY over the last 3 seasons.
TENNESSEE is 1-0 against the spread versus KANSAS CITY over the last 3 seasons
TENNESSEE is 1-0 straight up against KANSAS CITY over the last 3 seasons
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
Key Player Injuries
TENNESSEE
No significant injuries.
KANSAS CITY
[LB] Napoleon Harris missed last game, "?" – Undisclosed – 10/05/08
[LB] Donnie Edwards missed last game, "?" – Foot – 10/05/08
(!) [QB] Brodie Croyle is upgraded to probable – Shoulder – 10/07/08
[WR] Kevin Robinson expected to miss at least six weeks. – Knee – 08/27/08
[LT] Branden Albert missed last game, "?" – Elbow – 10/05/08
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Posted: 10/15/08 7:39 PM