The Titans' Matt Hasselbeck is in prime position to take his team to the division's lead after Houston's Schaub suffered a season-ending foot injury.
No Peyton Manning for the Colts has shown the world that no Peyton equals no Colts team. It’s a sad thing if you are a Colts fan standing at 0-10; what hope is there for you? I will tell you, get Peyton healthy and in uniform. I believe that once Peyton is healthy, they are back on track and will forget all about this season. He has some good years left, for sure! All those ESPN analysts and sportswriters talking about the team needing depth and how they should trade Peyton while they can, idiots! You get him back in there, you are competitive again overnight, and maybe then you look in the draft over the next few years for the next Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady or maybe there is another Manning somewhere in the world. People talking about trading him, yeah, they would maybe go 2-14 the next season if they did.
The Texans at 7-3 might just have opened the door for the Tennessee Titans, who at 5-4 starts a competitive Matt Hasselbeck, the only veteran quarterback left in the division. The Texans were en route for their very first division title in franchise history. But now they know it and the world knows it with the foot injury to Matt Schaub that has ended the QB’s season, the playoffs may now be in jeopardy for the Texans.
There is a recipe for success and the Texans have figured it out this season, with not just the All-Pro Arian Foster pounding the rock. Ben Tate has also shined and has been outplaying any backup in the league. The receivers are all in place, led by future Hall-of-Famer Andre Johnson, and after being riddled with injuries, the big boy at tight end, Owen Daniels, has shown back up. The defense has been great, and the offensive lines have held for the pass and banged big boy holes for the success of the run game. People in Texas are excited about their team and the road to their first playoff berth, but they know now what Leinart means for the team.
Matt Leinart is now the General and anyone with NFL knowledge knows that this could be ugly. Look, I believe the kid has some talent, but I truly believe it’s not enough to be a quarterback in the NFL. The kid has not thrown a pass in a regular season game since 2009. I know Schaub was slacking in performance this year compared to previous seasons where he was attacking the air with success. But now that Matt Schaub is gone for the season, the Texans, just like the Colts, will miss their starting QB very soon.
Maybe I am hating too much here, but I have a power to foresee the future, and Leinart leading the Texans to the promise land is a fairy tale. We will see if the defense and the power running game can do it by themselves, but come crunch time in a game scenario, don’t look to Leinart; you might as well just line Arian Foster up at center.
The Tennessee Titans and Matt Hasselbeck at 5-4 all know what I am saying here, and they better embrace it. The Titans have two tough games these next two weeks facing the Falcons and the Bills; both teams have weapons and have been playing well this season. The Titans end the season light, facing the Bucs and ending with a three-game division showdown. The Titans face the Colts and Jags and end the regular season with what could be a date to the post-season facing the Texans. That would be too much to handle if the Titans and the Texans were both playing for their post-season lives come week 17; man it would be exciting!
So let’s raise the question, who do you want leading your team into the fire, Hasselbeck or Leinart? I do believe that question is worth asking considering these two teams are so close and the only two in the AFC South race that have a chance with the Colts and Jags already done for. The Titans finally have Johnson running and making plays, Hasselbeck has shown he can get the job done, Mark Mariani is reliable at kickoff and punt returns, and the receivers are finally making plays even without Kenny Britt. It is great to see Nate Washington making plays and Damian Williams is blowing up at receiver. The defense has been hot with the feisty Finnegan leading the defensive backfield and playing better than his Pro-Bowl days. It seems the recipe for success is there, baby!
So if you are a code blue bleeding Titans Fan like myself, get ready for a great run to the post-season and some exciting football. Remember, it is fans like me and my dedicated people like you that will make this franchise rich with tradition as the days and years come and go. This franchise is young and may not have stories or traditions like the Steelers or the Packers. Because of fans like me that show up at away games, cheer through the good times and cheer through the bad, this franchise will grow to a greatness others wish they had. Tennessee is a great place for football, where the fans are passionate. So if you see a hater, just do the Albert Head Stomp on that fool’s head!
