Sunday, December 10, 2000
Who's got the edge?
Enquirer reporter Mark Curnutte analyzes the matchups and makes his prediction:
Quarterback: Titans
Veteran Scott Mitchell makes his third Bengals start and is 1-1 as the starter. His career record as a starter is 31-37.
The ultimate statistic on quarterbacks is won-loss record. Steve McNair is 41-24 as a starter and has run or thrown for a touchdown in 47 of his 65 starts.
Running back: Even
Corey Dillon has 109 more yards on the ground than counterpart Eddie George. Dillon has more explosiveness and is more of a threat to break a big play.
George, 31 yards away from joining Eric Dickerson as the only two players to gain 1,200 yards in each of their first five seasons, is a better pass receiver than Dillon.
Wide receivers/Tight ends: Titans
This group is better with Mitchell at quarterback than Akili Smith. Peter Warrick leads NFL rookies with 43 receptions. The rest are forgettable.
When McNair's in trouble, he runs or dumps the ball to tight end Frank Wycheck. He has 57 receptions, a 9.5-yard average and four touchdown catches.
Offensive line: Even
Vindication for Bengals line coach Paul Alexander. In 10 games under coach Dick LeBeau, Alexander's line has allowed just 2.6 sacks a game, while the Bengals have gained an 186 rushing yards a game.
The Titans line has allowed only 23 sacks, tied for sixth fewest in the NFL. At the same time, George has five 100-yard rushing games this season.
Special teams: Titans
Granted, he's kicking on the beach that is the Paul Brown Stadium playing field, but Neil Rackers' two missed field goals last week leave him 10 of 18 this season.
Derrick Mason leads the AFC with a 26.6-yard kickoff return average and is third in the conference with 13.4 yards a punt return.
Defensive line: Titans
Starter Vaughn Booker is out for the season after knee surgery. Veteran Jevon Langford gets the start. There hasn't been enough consistent pressure on the quarterback.
Tennessee linemen have 31.5 of the team's 45 sacks, but co-leader Kenny Holmes will miss the game. There's always Jevon Kearse and his eight sacks at the other end.
Linebackers: Even
On a better team, Takeo Spikes is a Pro Bowl lock. With the Bengals, he's a longshot. Adrian Ross has earned a start in the middle. Steve Foley is underrated opposite Spikes.
Middle backer Randall Godfrey leads the Titans with 136 tackles and will be keying today on Dillon. The other starters, Greg Favors and Eddie Robinson, have 8.5 sacks between them.
Defensive backs: Titans
T he team's best cornerback and greatest overachiever, Rodney Heath, is out for the season with a shoulder separation. Veteran Tom Carter returns to the lineup opposite rookie Robert Bean.
Three picks after the Bengals selected cornerback Artrell Hawkins, now a special teams player without an interception in two years, Tennessee took Samari Rolle, who is tied for the NFL lead with seven.
Coaching: Titans
Jeff Fisher can tie Bum Phillips for most wins in Oilers/Titans history, 59, with a victory today. His team is 23-6 since start of '99.
Dick LeBeau has won league-wide respect for the job he is doing with the Bengals. He has given Cincinnati an identity as a running team by averaging 186 yards a game since he took over.
The winner: Titans
Tennessee has won five in a row from Cincinnati, but all but one have been a battle. The Bengals match up well with the Titans and are not intimidated. Tennessee has too much defense.
Score: Titans 24, Bengals 13
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Who's got the edge?