Game Preview
Tennessee Titans at Detroit Lions
thursday, november 27, 2008 - 12:30 pm
*Titans look to rebound against winless Lions*
TENNESSEE (10-1) AT DETROIT, THURSDAY 12:30 pm EST
DETROIT (Ticker) -- The Tennessee Titans became the last NFL team to lose a game this season. They look to bounce back against the league's only team that has yet to win.
With their bid for a perfect season derailed by the New York Jets, the Titans have a quick turnaround with a visit to the winless Lions on Thursday.
Tennessee allowed a season-high point total in the 34-13 loss to the Jets, dropping them to No. 2 in the league for fewest points allowed for the season.
And while the Titans still hold a comfortable three-game edge atop the AFC South, they need to keep an eye on the surging Indianapolis Colts, who have won four straight and host Tennessee in the season finale.
The Jets scored 24 second-half points to pull away from the Titans, who saw their running game struggle for the third consecutive game.
Rookie Chris Johnson has been limited to 118 yards in his past three games while backfield mate LenDale White had just 65 yards in that span, including just one carry for minus-one yard against the Jets.
Quarterback Kerry Collins has carried the load in that time, rallying Tennessee to a pair of come-from-behind wins, but he labored against New York, finishing 21-of-39 for 243 yards and a score - with most of the yardage coming after the game was decided.
"The offense is going to take responsibility for this one," Collins said. "The defense certainly gave us a chance and we didn't do it."
The Titans are 3-0 against teams from the NFC North and 5-0 on the road, which does not bode well for the reeling Lions, who absorbed their 11th straight loss in last weekend's 38-20 defeat to Tampa Bay.
Detroit squandered a 17-0 first-quarter lead against the Bucs and head into its annual Thanksgiving Day game winless for the second time in eight seasons. The Lions were winless on Thanksgiving in 2001 en route to a 2-14 campaign.
"We had a lead and then we had some very basic breakdowns," Lions coach Rod Marinelli said. "We gave up two big plays and you just can't do that. It is just some basic things."
Among the basics was allowing Tampa Bay to score 35 unanswered points, adding to Detroit's NFL-worst total of 346 points allowed.
Detroit is 33-33-2 all-time on Thanksgiving Day, including a stretch of four straight defeats.