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In a recent radio appearance on “The Big Show” on Sports 790 in Houston, Kevin Walter offered a pretty reasonable review of Titans cornerback Cortland Finnegan.

Finnegan prides himself on being an irritant. In the Titans’ loss at Houston last season, he prompted Andre Johnson to take several swings at him as they lined up across from each other.

Said Walter:

“Even before last year, before the whole fight with him and Andre -- years before that -- he’s been pushing people around. He’s pushed me in the back. But you know what? He runs away, he’ll run away from it. You go to talk to him, he’ll kind of hide by his guys. Then after the game he talks to you like nothing’s going on. Like. ‘Hey man, how are you doing?’ Seems like a nice guy after the game.

“But he’s the type of guy, you see him on film and you’re like 'what is he doing, why is he playing like that?' But I would say it’d be pretty cool to have a guy like that on your team because he’s busting his tail all the time. I’m not saying I like the guy, but he’s going out there and giving his effort, giving his all. If he can be a [jerk] here and there, that’s how he plays it.”

Let’s watch for, and be wary of, that large paragraph getting reduced to one line that makes it sound as if Walter simply called Finnegan a bad name.

Walter also said the Titans have played almost all zone coverage, but he knows coming off a bye they can throw a big changeup at the Texans showing more man coverage.

The Titans also have some concerns with the Texans. Defensive tackle Sen'Derrick Marks doesn’t like the way Houston’s offensive line blocks, even if the cut blocks they use are legal. He said he’s been hurt by Eric Winston and Wade Smith.

Marks, via Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean.

“I don’t like it, I don’t see that as being a good football player, as being a good offensive lineman. I never talk with Wade, I don’t know him. But I don’t like the way he did that block and I don’t like how Eric Winston did it the time he did it. I have a grudge against both of them about that…”

“We know the way they play, and knowing guys that play like that zone scheme who do a lot of cut-blocking, you just try and stay on your feet. You just try and keep your shoulders square and stay on your feet. But I don’t like the way they do it. I think that is something they should have taken out when they did the new (collective bargaining agreement).”

The big storyline or two for the AFC South preseason finales, all of which will be played tonight…

Colts at Bengals

It would be silly for Kerry Collins not to start, and Jim Caldwell has said the new quarterback will play “a lot.” They should give him a reasonable amount of time with the starting line and the weapons he needs to sync up with if he’s starting on Sept. 11 in Houston. That would stray from the typical philosophy in the fourth game, but the change of circumstances dictates a change in approach. Unfortunately, Collins won’t have a chance to work with Austin Collie (foot) or Anthony Gonzalez (hamstring).

Titans at Saints

Depth decisions are the big story for Tennessee at this point. It’s a big night for wideouts Lavelle Hawkins and Kevin Curtis, defensive tackle Sen’Derrick Marks, offensive tackles Mike Otto, Troy Kropog and Pat McQuistan, linebackers Rennie Curran and Patrick Bailey and safeties Vincent Fuller, Robert Johnson and Anthony Smith. Jake Locker should see significant time and it would be nice to see him cap the preseason with a performance that shows his growth since the starts of camp.

Rams at Jaguars

Running back Maurice Jones-Drew and defensive end Aaron Kampman are both coming back from knee injuries and they will see their first action of the preseason. Odds are we don’t get great reads on either, but it’s a significant thing for them to be involved in a bit of live action. A sack, at any time, by anyone, would really help in dealing with pass rush concerns. David Garrard will only get a series or two. He can do a lot for himself and the team but putting together an effort that helps create confidence.

Texans at Vikings

We’ll see some kids play a lot, a whole game in some instances. Matt Leinart will have a big chance to show why Gary Kubiak is so high on him, and it would be good if he could connect some with newcomer Bryant Johnson. Like the Texans, the Vikings are expected to have a bunch of guys in street clothes. So while I’d like to see guys who’ve shined for Houston in a great preseason -- like Xavier Adibi, Jesse Nading, Troy Nolan -- fare well early in this game, it won't mean much more than them faring well a bit later in previous games.

My plan

From AFC South blog HQ, I expect to watch the first hour of the Colts and the first hour of the Titans and post something on those two games when they are over. The Jaguars and Texans may need to wait until morning depending on how things unfold. Odds are against me seeing all four games start-to-finish by the time I post some thoughts on them. And by "odds are against," I mean it can't happen.

The Titans' initial depth chart is out, and although it's unofficial, temporary and fluid, it does offer some interesting notes and discussion points.

Of note:

• Blocking tight end Craig Stevens is the starter with Jared Cook second and Daniel Graham third. (Standard fare.)
• The starting defensive line is, left to right, Derrick Morgan, Shaun Smith, Sen'Derrick Marks and Jason Jones.
• Will Witherspoon is at weakside linebacker ahead of Gerald McRath with rookie Akeem Ayers starting on the strong side.
• Jason McCourty is the second starting corner, ahead of Alterraun Verner.
• Jordan Babineaux is listed as the second strong safety behind Chris Hope.

Albert Haynesworth is surly. Nick Fairley is silly.

That’s the gist of a review I got from an AFC scout when I took him the idea that Fairley, the defensive tackle from Auburn who could go to the Titans at No. 8 in the draft, is like Haynesworth, the defensive tackle from Tennessee who went to the Titans at No. 15 in 2002.

Haynesworth didn’t always play hard, dealt with nagging injuries, stomped an opponent’s face and was motivated by money. But at times he was an absolutely dominant force in the middle who had a positive bearing on every player on defense and helped the Titans contend for the playoffs.

Popular thinking on Fairley now suggests a big contract could lead a collegiate one-year wonder, who took plays off during a fantastic season, to become lazy or complacent.

My scout says it’s an off-kilter comparison.

“Fairley is more happy-go-lucky, he’s not Haynesworth,” he said. “Albert played with a huge chip on his shoulder, like everybody was against him. This kid, when he hits the field, yeah, no question he’s a competitive son of a gun. But he’s not Albert …

“I think Fairley clearly has a chance to be a special player. You’ve got to remember, he’s a Southern, Southern kid. He’s a bayou-type kid. The [Titans] had a guy like [defensive end] Antwan Odom who was a bayou kid -- it can be misconstrued as not having a passion. But I don’t think that’s the case. I think this kid is a fun-loving type of kid who’s silly.”

“Yeah, he’s going to make mistakes. Are they going to be glaring or things done on purpose? His mistakes are going to come out of, pardon the expression, ignorance, just not knowing. License registration and stuff like that -- 'Oh, I didn’t even know I had to register my car.'”

Did I find one guy who doesn’t see Fairley as a concern?

Well, two other scouts also chimed in. One said he doesn't worry that Fairley could turn lazy. The other expressed apprehension, but said it wouldn't stop him from taking Fairley at No. 8 if he was with the Titans.

I knew Haynesworth at his best, and actually thought he was a bit misunderstood.

It took too long for things to click for him, but he wasn’t a bad guy in Tennessee. He wasn’t always brooding. He could be light-hearted and funny. He liked to talk about work as a travel agent and to show off his newest gadget. He got good enough that he could speak his mind without fearing the consequences, and I think a locker room needs at least one star like that.

He played his best when a contract was at stake. I was a member of the camp that didn’t care for that. I also didn't care for his tendency to need help off the field for injuries that proved less than serious. He responded very well to the Andre Gurode incident -- where he stepped on the Dallas Cowboys' center's head -- but it obviously shouldn’t have happened in the first place. He has not handled himself nearly as well in Washington, but Mike Shanahan practically poked him with a stick. Haynesworth had or has issues with anger management and fast driving.

But everyone who played with him in Tennessee wanted him on the field, doing his thing.

If Fairley can give the Titans that type of play and carries less risk of the drama, he looks like an appealing addition to a defense that needs to be revamped. After these scout conversations, I’ll offer no objection if he’s the selection.

Still, plenty of analysts continue to voice concerns.

“A lot of early round defensive tackles end up being busts,” said Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. “They are just freak human beings and even the highest levels of the college game can be easy for them. If their work ethic isn't top-notch, they often bust. Fairley seems to take a lot of plays off. He turns it off and on. That is a huge warning sign for me, especially at defensive tackle.”

Not all scouting eyes see plays off last season at Auburn, however. Charley Casserly told Jim Wyatt that playing too high and getting blocked on plays was mistaken for shutting down.

Draft analyst Mike Detillier of NFL Draft Report said he loves Fairley but has some fear of plays off. He thinks Tennessee’s new defensive line coach, Tracy Rocker, knows how to find Fairley's on switch since he coached the tackle at Auburn last season. There is risk with him, though, and work ethic after a payday is one of the hardest things to predict, he said.

That reminds me of my absolute favorite scouting maxim, one I learned from late Oilers/Titans scout Glen Cumbee: Money makes a guy more of what he is.

So good guys become better guys; bad ones become worse.

I’ve only had one interaction with Fairley, far too little to judge him on. If the Titans can plug him into their old scout's equation and not have doubt, they may have their man.

One other question about Fairley that’s come from readers is about his size. If the Titans are striving to get stouter, how does Fairley, at just under 6-foot-3 and between 290 and 300 pounds, do that when the Titans have Tony Brown (6-3, 305) and Sen'Derrick Marks (6-2, 295)?

Well, Brown's got chronic knee issues that could mean he’s only a situational player now and Marks, another Auburn guy, has not yet proven worthy of a second-round pick in 2009.

Meanwhile, Fairley has hardly maxed out.

“He’s a big, big, massive man,” the scout said. “You’ve got to realize he hasn’t even scratched the surface of what he’s going to be physically. He’s going to get bigger and he’s going to get stronger, which is scary, and he’s got great feet. He’s a big basketball guy. He really thought he was going to the NBA as a kid.”

If there are no big surprises who fall to No. 8, I suspect the Titans will go with Fairley. They may like Washington quarterback Jake Locker, but not that high. If they find a willing partner, they could move down and still stand a chance of landing Fairley a bit later with Minnesota (12th), the Giants (19th) and Indianapolis (22nd), the biggest possibilities to take him out of need.

If the Titans moved back and Fairley disappears, they could turn to a defensive end like Adrian Clayborn or J.J. Watt, or they could look to Locker.

But no one may be a better addition than Fairley.

“Does he fit Tennessee?" the scout said. "Yeah, if everything you’re hearing is true and they want to get bigger and stronger and more physical, yeah he’s all three. You can put a check next to bigger and stronger and more physical.”

After he read this post Tuesday, alert reader @thezachlyons asked me via Twitter if I could flip the numbers inside-out.

So in following up an entry about how quarterbacks benefited from dropped interceptions in 2010, we look at the guys from the division who did their best to help out quarterbacks.

Bill Barnwell of Football Outsiders was kind enough to share. As with the flip sides of the stat, Football Outsiders judges a drop only when a very catchable ball hits a defender in the hands or the chest.

The division didn’t boast a primary offender -- Miami’s Sean Smith, Tampa Bay’s Aqib Talib and Kansas City’s Derrick Johnson each had five. No AFC South defender had more than two.

Team-by-team here are the muffed turnover chances:

• Houston (6): Eugene Wilson 2, Kareem Jackson, Bernard Pollard, Glover Quin, Brian Cushing.
• Indianapolis (6): Jerraud Powers, Kelvin Hayden, Antoine Bethea, Justin Tryon, Cornelius Brown, Tyjuan Hagler.
• Jacksonville (5): Don Carey, Rashean Mathis, David Jones, Sean Considine, Russell Allen.
• Tennessee (3): Will Witherspoon, Sen’Derrick Marks, Cortland Finnegan.

They need to be caught, of course. But they all counted as passes defensed. And while they could have been huge plays, at least they weren’t huge plays against, right?

I mean it’s bad the Texans and Colts had a lot, because they shouldn’t be dropped. But the Titans probably wouldn’t have minded a few more.

Titans coach Jeff Fisher either completely butchered the Chuck Cecil situation or completely manipulated it.

Whichever it was, Fisher looks horrible today and has some very tough questions to answer when he finally has his staff together.

Fisher fired Cecil, his defensive coordinator the past two seasons, Thursday.

Originally we thought Fisher merely declined to retain Cecil. But Jim Wyatt reports that Cecil was offered and signed a one-year extension late in the season. That means he’s getting paid by Bud Adams in 2011 while not working for the team. And Adams is an owner who absolutely hates to pay people who are no longer around. It likely takes money from the pool Fisher has available to pay other assistants as he signs them to one-year deals that line up with his.

I believe one of two scenarios panned out regarding Cecil:

• Fisher finally realized the extent of the team’s discontent with Cecil after hearing from Jim Washburn, the defensive line coach who bolted for Philadelphia Wednesday. Though several players had told the head coach they would be disinclined to return if Cecil remained, Fisher didn’t take such talk as seriously as he should have. Thursday, the switch finally flipped.
• Fisher knew he was going to have to part ways with his good friend even as he gave him the extension. Leaving Cecil out of the loop, Fisher put as large a time period between a new contract and the firing as he could, ensuring his pal has a 2011 salary if not a job.

It's a sad development, either way. Cecil deserves blame, but he didn’t draft underachieving players such as Gerald McRath or Sen’Derrick Marks and he didn’t underperform like Will Witherspoon and Tony Brown did.

Who can Fisher get? Dave McGinnis could be promoted from linebackers coach. Maybe Dick Jauron or Jim Mora would buy into a year with Fisher providing a payoff. Or maybe we see something David Climer smartly proposed: Fisher captaining the defense himself.

If the ship is sinking, the top guy might as well be at the wheel.

The Texans and Titans have slim playoff possibilities, but they’ve waved the white flag in terms of having veterans push through injuries.

Houston put Mario Williams (sports hernia) on IR along with receiver David Anderson (shoulder) and right guard Mike Brisiel (shoulder), according to John McClain.

That means increased opportunities for Mark Anderson, Dorin Dickerson and Antoine Caldwell. No news yet on filling the roster spots.

The Titans put center Eugene Amano (neck) on IR Tuesday and defensive tackle Tony Brown (knee) followed him there Wednesday.

Fernando Velasco will take Amano’s place at center, while the Titans look to get Sen'Derrick Marks, Marques Douglas and perhaps Malcolm Sheppard, just signed off the Texans' practice squad, some time on the interior.

The Titans promoted interior offensive lineman Kevin Matthews off the practice squad. Matthews, son of Oilers/Titans Hall of Famer Bruce Matthews, is an undrafted rookie out of Texas A&M.

Bruce Matthews is an assistant offensive line coach for the Texans, who play in Nashville on Sunday.

“It’s a great coincidence,” Fisher said. “Kevin gives us the ability to have someone who can play both center and guard since basically that’s what we lost in Eugene. It allows us to minimize moves if we have a problem up front.”

» NFC Final Word: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 13:

No matter the numbers: Maurice Jones-Drew has run well this season when teams have loaded up to try to stop him, according to ESPN Stats & Information. When opposing defenses expect run and bring more defenders into the box than the offense has blockers, Jones-Drew still produces. He has 37 carries under such circumstances and his 4.7 yards per carry average is tied for the third-best in the league. Since the beginning of 2008, only Thomas Jones (18) has more rushing touchdowns against the loaded box than Jones-Drew (15).

Three more TDs: Dallas has not played in Indianapolis since Nov. 17, 2002, when the Colts beat them 20-3. It will be only the third Cowboys-Colts clash of the Peyton Manning era and he’s 2-0 against Dallas. Manning already has an NFL-record 12 seasons with at least 25 touchdown passes. He needs three more TDs to make it 13. In his last two games -- losses to New England and San Diego -- Manning has thrown six touchdown passes but also seven interceptions.

Score more: The Titans were faring great in the scoring department before their four-game losing streak. Now, over the past month, they’ve scored 25, 17, 16 and 0, a total of 58 points. That’s less than half the point production from the four games before that (121). The Titans need some lengthy drives and big plays. They’ve talked over and over about the coverage WR Randy Moss is drawing. But his previous teams found a way to get him 948 catches against difficult coverages and it’s time for the Titans to figure out how. Without Moss, they scored 30 in Jacksonville on Oct. 18.

Beat up: Yes, the Jaguars are playing far better than they were when the Titans beat them up in the first game. The biggest difference heading into the rematch could be the health of the Titans’ defensive line. Tennessee’s pass pressure has dropped off and the group is dealing with injuries. Sen'Derrick Marks is probably out and Jason Babin, Dave Ball, Jason Jones and Tony Brown are all on the injury report. I expect more time for David Garrard and more room for Jones-Drew.

Run wary: The Colts might have Gary Brackett back at middle linebacker, and they could use him. Under interim coach Jason Garrett, the Cowboys have shown more determination to run the ball. The undersized, undermanned Colts can certainly be run on. They’ve given up 136.9 yards a game and 4.9 yards a carry this season.

HOUSTON -- The Titans' pass rush will have a depth test today at Reliant Stadium against the Texans. Standout pass rushers Jason Jones (knee) and Dave Ball (concussion) are out.

Sen’Derrick Marks will replace Jones and Jacob Ford will replace Ball.

Those guys can be fine, but the Titans are thin behind them. They will play with three ends and with Marques Douglas as the fourth defensive tackle.

Houston will start rookie Darryl Sharpton over Zac Diles, who’s been sick.

The roof will be open.

A look at the complete inactive lists:

#Titans inactives: Kenny Britt, Robert Johnson, Troy Kropog, Lavelle Hawkins, Jason Jones, Dave Ball, David Thornton, Chris Simms.

Texans: Matt Leinart, Brice McCain, Xavier Adibi, Kasey Studdard, Malcolm Sheppard, Jesse Nading, Owen Daniels, David Anderson. #NFL

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Kerry Collins will start at quarterback as expected for the Titans today against Philadelphia at LP Field.

Vince Young looked gimpy in his warm-up with strength and conditioning coach Steve Watterson and will be the No. 2 quarterback.

Two other changes for Tennessee: With defensive tackle Tony Brown (knee) out, Sen’Derrick Marks will start and Amon Gordon is active. And with receiver Justin Gage (hamstring) out and Kenny Britt not starting for disciplinary reasons, Damian Williams will start.

The Titans inactive list:

QB Rusty Smith, WR Justin Gage, CB Jason McCourty, S Robert Johnson, LB Rennie Curran, OL Troy Kropog, G Ryan Durand, DT Tony Brown.

The Eagles inactive list:

QB Michael Vick, WR DeSean Jackson, RB Jerome Harrison, CB Trevard Lindley, LB Keenan Clayton, T Jason Peters, TE Clay Harbor, DT Brodrick Bunkley.

Our politically correct culture spills over into the NFL for sure.

Once upon a time it was a place where players and coaches would rip on each other as they felt warranted. Now, people fear bulletin board material as much as they fear Mario Williams on third-and-long going against a rookie left tackle.

So I took note when Josh McDaniels did a little crying about Jeff Fisher and the Titans’ tactics this week, especially on the heels of a Broncos’ win in Nashville

From John Glennon’s article on the back-and-forth between the coaches:

“You can put in any tape you want to of Tennessee and there's going to be 10 penalties,” [McDaniels said.] “You either coach it or you allow it to happen. That's how I look at that.

"Our guys did a great job of keeping their poise and composure and not getting drawn into a big unsportsmanlike game because I know that's what they were trying to entice us into doing."

McDaniels said the Titans go beyond just being physical.

"There's a way to play tough and physical without being excessive and playing dirty after the snap," McDaniels said. "There's a lot of teams in this league that play like that. Tough and physical but also within the rules."

The Giants talked about this too, this idea that the Titans somehow seek to induce penalties or response to physical play.

Doesn’t everybody? Shouldn’t everybody? If my guy gets your guy to commit a penalty, he’s getting a plus, not a minus on his report from the game.

Tennessee has too many penalties this season and needs to play cleaner games. The Titans aren’t good enough to give away yards and first downs.

But that’s not been a historic trait of Jeff Fisher teams. Do we think all of a sudden he decided coaching his team to be dirty is the way to go? That it’s a missing ingredient in his formula, one that will help him get back to the playoffs and do better there?

I don’t.

And while I fear anything that makes me seem an apologist for any AFC South team on any issue, Sen’Derrick Mark’s penalty for a hit on Kyle Orton wasn’t flag worthy. It’s a defender hitting a quarterback with the ball still in his hand in the thighs.

So I thought Fisher’s reply was pitch perfect:

"We play aggressive -- we don't play cheap," Fisher said. "If there's things after the whistle or during the play, players are fined for them. But we're not a cheap football team. I don't know what he's referring to.

"We did have six sacks against the quarterback and numerous other times they did have some difficulty with protection and blocking our defensive line. Maybe he's referring to that."

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The most intriguing matchup I see in Raiders-Titans Sunday will be right in the middle of the field: Oakland’s center, Jared Veldheer against Titans defensive tackles like Jason Jones and Jovan Haye.

Why?

Well Veldheer is a rookie, he played at Hillsdale College and he’s 6-foot-8.

When’s the last time the Titans’ interior guys saw a 6-8 center?

“Probably in the NBA,” Haye said. “He’s not your prototypical center, so it’ll be a good challenge. He’s a rookie. First game, I’m pretty sure he’ll be amped up. He’s a big boy. Normally, centers don’t come that big, they’re 6-1, 6-2.”

“I’ve never seen a 6-8 center,” said Jason Jones, who was explosive and disruptive throughout the preseason. “[D-line coach Jim] Washburn wrote that on our board and I was like, ‘6-8? That’s a typo.’ You see them at tackle, maybe guard. Not center.”

At 6-5, Jones is the Titans tallest interior lineman. Tony Brown is 6-2. Sen’Derrick Marks and Haye are 6-2.

Players are coaches that the guy who’s able to stay low and get under the opponent wins, putting him off balance and gaining the ability to move him.

But Haye said we shouldn't assume just because Veldheer can naturally be higher that he will be and that the Titans will consistently be able to tip him over.

“It’s all leverage and quickness at the end of the day,” he said. “Sometimes being the small guy ain’t the worst thing and we’re a small team with small guys great at playing with leverage ...

"You can’t necessarily say it’s easy to win leverage against him. He might be 6-8 and play 5-9, you never know. We just have to play under them, they are a big O-line.”

If the Titans can get Albert Haynesworth for a third-round pick or less, they should jump on it. If they need to throw in a seventh, they should.

Tennessee’s old defensive tackle is hardly without sin in all that’s transpired in his relationship with the Redskins. But Mike Shanahan’s butchered things as well, often showing more concern with proving who’s boss than with attempting to get production out of a guy who can be dominant.

The Titans can handle him. Haynesworth played his best football for defensive line coach Jim Washburn. They have a good relationship and re-establishing it could help fix Haynesworth and resurrect his game and his name.

They can handle what’s left of the salary. They can handle and manage his personality. They can get him to play hard.

Bring him back, bump Jovan Haye out of the top four tackles. Give the Titans Haynesworth, Jason Jones, Tony Brown and Sen’Derrick Marks as their four interior guys and life gets easier for everyone on defense.

And the Titans would be a better football team.

NASHVILLE, Tenn., -- When the Titans and Cardinals broke into pieces early in practice, injured Arizona receiver Larry Fitzgerald didn’t stick with the quarterbacks and receivers in seven-on-seven.

He watched the Titans defensive linemen work against Arizona’s large offensive line. There were many good battles, and the Cards fared a lot better at fending off the rush in the drill than they did Monday night in a preseason loss at LP Field.

My thinking about the Titans is turning a bit -- they may be better than I've been expecting. And the biggest force behind it is the defensive line.

And that’s with four key guys currently out or limited: Derrick Morgan, the No. 1 pick; William Hayes, perhaps the best edge rush prospect; Jacob Ford, who has 12 sacks in 29 games; and Tony Brown, probably the best all-around interior lineman.

It still looks like a very deep group that will find ways to get to the quarterback without blitz help, though the Titans worked the blitz a good deal against the Cardinals in the game.

The rest of the group is also a pretty anonymous gang, part draft picks, part reclamation project free agents: ends Jason Babin and Dave Ball; tackles Jason Jones, Jovan Haye and Sen’Derrick Marks.

That’s five quality ends before Raheem Brock or Eric Bakhtiari, who's likely to be on a 53-man roster. That’s four quality tackles before seventh-round rookie David Howard.

High motor end Kyle Vanden Bosch, who set the Titans’ standard for work, left as a free agent for Detroit. Albert Haynesworth is heading into his second-season of drama in Washington.

And defensive line coach Jim Washburn may be just fine without them. The rotating won’t be based as much on situations -- though you want your best pass rushers on the field on third down, first down hardly qualifies as a “run down” any more -- as it will be on freshness. Tired linemen are expected to remove themselves from action, making way for the next guy while recovering.

Jeff Fisher said he’s very happy with the group’s depth and his counterpart at Thursday’s practice was impressed.

“I think they’re good, I think it’s one of the better defensive lines, I’ve always thought that.” Ken Whisenhunt said. “I know what coach Fisher’s mentality’s been with defense. They play hard. They do a very good job with their twists and their stunt game. Definitely when you play a team like Tennessee, it makes your O-line better. Because if you don’t work hard, you’re going to get embarrassed.”

Cardinals guard Alan Faneca also talked about twists and stunts, saying he thinks the Titans are using them more instead of relying on juggernauts like KVB and Haynesworth to pave the road.

“I think they’ve mixed in a lot of guys, they all seem to play pretty good with each other,” Faneca said. “…To me it seemed like they were working a lot on their inside games and stuff. With Vanden Bosch and Haynesworth, they really let those guys work so that really wasn’t as big of a staple of theirs. They mix it up. You can’t anticipate one thing, you’ve got to anticipate a couple things, and that slows your reaction down.”

I don’t know how much more the Titans may game and stunt -- this could just be a time in camp where they’ve emphasized it. I am certain they all want to and believe they can line up and beat the man across from them while using stuff to keep blockers off balance. A year after the team had 31 sacks, a drop off of 13 from 2008, I'll be surprised if the number isn't up.

“We’re very deep right now,” Jones said. “Right now we still have interchangeable parts, athletic guys on this D-line. When the hurt guys get back it’s going to be full force… We still have the same pride. When we get our rushes we expect to get to the quarterback or at least hit him and cause some havoc.”

ESPN.com NFL Power Ranking (pre-camp): 18

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Since 2002, Jeff Fisher’s Tennessee Titans have had a losing record in the first month five times. Last season, it wasn’t just a bad start, it was a miserable 0-6.

Fisher and his staff have often been masterful at guiding a team’s climb out of a hole, but starting off on more level ground is a necessity if the young 2010 Titans are to re-emerge as a playoff team.

“Camp’s different than it was last year, we have four preseason games rather than five, we had injuries to deal with,” Fisher said. “We’re going to work on a couple opponents [earlier], prepare for them a little differently.

“We need to get off to a good start this year.”

A lot of recognizable names are gone, and that’s fine if a youth movement is as stocked as they believe it is. But it’s the sort of roster that could need time to settle in, which could mean early struggles again.

THREE HOT ISSUES

Will there be sufficient leadership?

Even if Kyle Vanden Bosch, Keith Bulluck, Alge Crumpler and Kevin Mawae were all starting to tail off and even if the Titans feel they have an upgrade over each, that is still as big a loss of collective leadership in one offseason as I can recall. The people in place to lead now -- guys like safety Chris Hope and fullback Ahmard Hall -- have to maintain, or increase, their level of production to attain and maintain the credibility that batch had.

Linebacker Will Witherspoon was the biggest veteran addition, and he looks to be a top candidate to take on a leadership mantle. But as a newcomer he’s got to figure out how to fit himself smoothly into the mix.

“With me it’s more about deciphering how to approach individuals,” Witherspoon said. “…Those are the kind of things you have to figure out. You look at the stages of leadership and different types of leadership. I’m not the guy who’s a loudmouth, getting down a guy’s throat.

“But I will, if I feel like I need to, take a guy aside and say look, ‘Here’s what I see, here’s what going on and here’s how people feel about it. Here’s what I can tell you is going to change it or you’re just going to end up with a real problem.’”

Vince Young needs to play a solid 16 games.

He’s got the league’s most explosive back behind him, an excellent offensive line protecting him and the franchise’s best crop of wide receivers in some time. Things are set up for Young to succeed as the team’s starting quarterback.

The Titans need to know they can count on him to bounce back from play-to-play, series-to-series, day-to-day and week-to-week. They need improved accountability, accuracy and consistency. They need for him not to provide reasons for fans to debate whether Rusty Smith is actually the team’s quarterback of the future.

There are more questions on defense, and the Titans need to do some scoring to allow for the sort of mistakes some of the young defenders are bound to make, especially early on.

Can the pass rush and secondary improve?

The pass rush was insufficient and the secondary failed to hold up when it needed to last. Fisher said the back end needs to be better on play-action but that the regular rush against drop back passes should be improved with a deep crop of defensive linemen.

“If we can get back to where we were with the guys rushing up front in the rotation, they’ll be fine,” Fisher said. “The play-action pass, that’s got to get done by the secondary. You don’t get as quick pressure on the quarterback in the play-action pass. We gave up too many plays in the play-action passing game last year. That’s going to require better play from the linebackers and the secondary.

“On drop backs we should really be able to do some more things.”

They don’t have clear-cut guys as the primary rushers or for the No. 2 corner spot. But they have the next best thing in what appear to be a deep pool of young options.

BIGGEST SURPRISE

Harris and Stevens: Offensive lineman Leroy Harris and tight end Craig Stevens might prove more effective than Mawae and Crumpler, the two guys they are replacing. Harris is actually at left guard, with Eugene Amano sliding inside to center. Stevens doesn’t have Crumpler’s girth but can fend off a would-be tackler and/or slip out into a route so long as concussion issues don’t surface again.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT

Morgan out: First-round pick Derrick Morgan has been sidelined for camp with a calf injury. The defensive end has missed so much installation and work it will be tough for him to contribute. The Titans have to hope some combination of William Hayes (once he’s healthy), Jacob Ford, Jason Babin, Dave Ball and Raheem Brock can effectively rush off the edge from the start.

OBSERVATION DECK

• [+] Enlarge
  Don McPeak/US PresswireLavelle Hawkins has been impressive during the preseason, but can the fourth-year receiver rise on the team's depth chart?
  Offensive line coach Mike Munchak consistently develops talent, but the Titans have virtually no experience behind their starting offensive line. Mike Otto could be sufficient as the backup swing tackle, but they could look for a veteran interior swing guy after cuts.
• Lavelle Hawkins has gotten great reviews and is more of a traditional slot receiver than Justin Gage. It’ll be great for the team if Hawkins provides an option inside, but I’ll wait until he’s deployed in a meaningful game before buying the hype.
• Babin is a new reclamation project for defensive line coach Jim Washburn. He’s suited for the team’s go-get-the-quarterback mentality and in practice, and in the first preseason game, appeared to be getting off the ball with excellent speed.
• Jared Cook is only now starting to flash and create the buzz he generated at this time a year ago. The second-year tight end is a physical specimen and an attractive target, but word is he’s not as reliable as he should be. One thing that can hurt his cause: Stevens, while nowhere near Cook as an explosive threat, has been catching the ball well.
• Dowell Loggains was promoted to quarterbacks coach when Fisher shuffled his staff a bit with the late departure of running back coach Kennedy Pola. Loggains has used some creative new methods to keep things fresh for his guys. It seems small but can make a big difference.
• Ryan Mouton is not on par with the more consistent Jason McCourty or the more instinctive rookie Alterraun Verner among the cornerbacks vying for the No. 2 spot. I expect McCourty to start opposite Cortland Finnegan with Verner backing up the effective, but oft-injured, Vincent Fuller at nickelback. Verner’s ability to find a pick almost every day is one of the big stories of camp.
• Sen’Derrick Marks is significantly stronger than he was as a rookie and could be an influential player for a defensive line that’s expected to be much more productive.
• The Titans saw young defensive coordinators Gregg Williams and Jim Schwartz reach new comfort levels in their second seasons. Chuck Cecil expects to follow a similar course. Cecil knows that if he doesn’t, he’ll face another season of uncomfortable questions.