Filed under: Bengals, Titans, AFC North, AFC South
When the Tennessee Titans visit the Cincinnati Bengals this Sunday, much of the focus will be on both offenses.
For the Titans, it will be on the one guy who won't be on the field -- Vince Young. From Young's injury, to refusing to re-enter the game, to underhanded comments from teammates, to his family and the organization worried that they couldn't find him ... it has been quite a week in Nashville.
Instead, it will be 14-year veteran Kerry Collins who will get the nod. Ya know, the same Kerry Collins who famously quit on the Carolina Panthers a decade ago.
In Cincinnati, the issue is just a simple one: they suck. How can an offense that was so explosive become so stuttering? For the most part, the same guys are there (minus a Rudi Johnson and Willie Anderson). Wha' happened?
And that is the thing that matters. We will also get treated to Chad
Johnson and his quest to make a funny on his jersey. Remember the last time these two met, Chad made a funny with the TV cameras after he scored a touchdown.
The Bengals' offense still has the potential to be explosive. I mean, remember last year's 35-6 drubbing they gave the Titans?
That's where the gap in defenses will be huge. Tennessee has one; Cincinnati doesn't.
While the Titans were busy smash-mouthing the very physical Jaguars running game last week, the Bengals were letting a rookie QB, rookie RB and rookie head coach get the best of them.
Both teams want this game. Cincinnati needs it. Starting 0-2 would mean nearly impossible odds for the Bengals to reach the postseason. It would also crush an already fragile fan base.
Tennessee would love a win here. They were the only AFC South team to win a game last week and could take a two game division lead given the Colts (Vikings), Texans (Ravens) and Jaguars (Bills) could all lose.
With that great defensive front, they should at least open 2-0.
For Cincinnati: another week of fans on the ledge.
