A week ago, Tennessee Titans coach Jeff Fisher benched quarterback Vince Young after his team fell behind the Pittsburgh Steelers. Fisher said the change was a gut feeling.
His gut tells him that Young will be the better call as Tennessee visits The New Meadowlands and the New York Giants on Sunday.
Tennessee, which has won the last four games in the series, fell short 19-11 in its comeback bid against the Pittsburgh Steelers last week. Kerry Collins came off the bench to throw a late touchdown pass to Nate Washington.
The Titans then recovered the ensuing onside kick but could not get the equalizer.
Now Fisher goes back to Young, who is 20-for-27 passing for 220 yards in the first two games of the season. Tennessee turned the ball over seven times last week, three of them by Young.
Regardless of who is taking the snaps, the Titans hope to ride the legs of running back Chris Johnson past New York. Johnson should be hungry after his string of 14 straight 100-yard games was snapped by the Steelers last week. He averages 98 yards a game on the ground on the road.
Johnson led the NFL with 2,006 yards rushing last season.
There is no quarterback controversy in New York despite last week’s humbling 38-14 loss to Indianapolis. Eli Manning has won nine of past 10 starts in September and is 12-5 in his last 17 games at home.
Manning’s targets have been ultra-productive. The Giants lost tight end Kevin Boss in the first week to a concussion but still have a trio of playmakers at receiver.
Hakeem Nicks leads the NFL with four receiving touchdowns and has scored five times in his last four home games. Mario Manningham has three straight games with over 75 yards receiving and Steve Smith has a first-down reception in 35 consecutive games.
Any one of the trio is a potential game-breaker. The running game, however, is in a state of flux - or confusion.
Bruising back Brandon Jacobs scored two touchdowns in his only game against the Titans. But Jacobs’ future in New York is a mystery. Jacobs wants to be the feature back and there were reports that he asked to be traded during the week.
Jacobs became so frustrated in last week’s loss that he flipped his helmet into the stands where it was grabbed by a fan who refused to give it back. He has just 16 carries for 52 yards on the season. Jacobs apologized for the helmet toss and also denied the trade demand report.
Ahmad Bradshaw, who has 37 carries on the season, led the team with 89 yards rushing last week and has taken over as the starter.
The Giants’ defense was also frustrated by last week’s effort. Safety Antrel Rolle questioned the team’s leadership after the Colts tore through the Giants secondary.
Both teams are relatively healthy. Boss returned to practice during the week and Giants center Shaun O’Hara is still battling an ankle injury and is doubtful.