TITANS OPPONENTS IN 2011: Barring any changes to the NFL's scheduling formula, the Titans now know all 16 opponents they will face during the 2011 regular season. At LP Field, they will host the Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Cincinnati Bengals, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Baltimore Ravens, New Orleans Saints and Denver Broncos. The Titans will travel for road games against the Texans, Colts, Jaguars, Pittsburgh Steelers, Carolina Panthers, Cleveland Browns, Atlanta Falcons and Buffalo Bills. Preseason opponents as well as dates and times of regular season games are typically announced by the NFL in March or April.
FISHER PASSES GIBBS: With his 272nd career game with the Titans (including playoffs), Jeff Fisher passed former Redskins head coach Joe Gibbs for seventh place on the NFL's all-time list of games by a head coach with one team.
TITANS INACTIVES: Titans inactives against the Colts included quarterback Rusty Smith (third quarterback), wide receiver Justin Gage, defensive back Vincent Fuller, safety Robert Johnson, linebacker David Thornton, tackle Troy Kropog, defensive tackle Jovan Haye and tight end Bo Scaife.
MATTHEWS NOTCHES FIRST START: The Titans were down to their third-string center at the start of the game. Fernando Velasco had started the previous two contests after Eugene Amano was placed on injured reserve with a neck injury. However, with Velasco nursing a knee injury, rookie Kevin Matthews received the nod for his first career start against the Colts. Matthews was called up from the practice squad on Dec. 15 and played primarily on special teams in his first two games. His father, Bruce Matthews, played 19 seasons with the Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans.
TULLOCH GETS FIRST SACK OF SEASON: On the first defensive play of the game for the Titans, linebacker Stephen Tulloch dropped Peyton Manning for a seven-yard sack. It marked Tulloch's first sack of the season and gave him 4.5 in his career.
MARIANI SETS ANOTHER FRANCHISE RETURN RECORD: On a 47-yard kickoff return in the first quarter, Marc Mariani broke Derrick Mason's franchise record, set in 2000, of 1,794 combined punt and kickoff return yards in a single season. It was the second return record Mariani set in as many weeks. At Kansas City on Dec. 26, he broke Bobby Jancik's 1963 franchise record for most kickoff return yards in a single season. Mariani finished the season ranked eighth in the NFL with a 25.5-yard kickoff return average (60 returns for 1,530 yards), and he ranked fifth in the league with a 12.2-yard punt return average (27 for 329 yards).
BIRONAS EXTENDS STREAK, TIES RECORD: Rob Bironas made a 26-yard field goal in the first quarter and a 42-yard field goal in the second quarter, extending his streak to 20 consecutive field goals without a miss. That tied a franchise record, equaling Bironas' own 20-kick streak from 2007 to 2008 and Al Del Greco's20 straight field goals from 1998 to 1999. Bironas' most recent streak came to an end with a 61-yard miss at the end of the second quarter.
COLLINS PASSES UNITAS: With a one-yard completion to fullback Ahmard Hall in the second quarter, Titans quarterback Kerry Collins passed former Colts quarterback Johnny Unitas (40,239 career passing yards) for 11th place on the NFL's all-time passing yards list.
COLLINS SETS A HIGH WITH THE TITANS: Completing his 16th NFL season and his fifth campaign with the Titans, Kerry Collins completed 28 of 39 passes for 300 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. His 111.1 passer rating was his third rating over 100 in the last four games. Additionally, his yardage total set a personal high in a Titans uniform and was his highest total since a 331-yard performance as a member of the Oakland Raiders against the New York Giants on Dec. 31, 2005. Collins now has a total of 33 career 300-yard performances (including two in postseason).
BRITT SCORES AGAIN: In the third quarter, wide receiver Kenny Britt helped tie the score at 13-13 with a 21-yard touchdown reception from Kerry Collins. The score gave Britt nine touchdown receptions in 2010, tying for ninth in franchise history and the most touchdown receptions since Drew Bennett's 11 in 2004.
BRITT ACCOMPLISHES A TEAM FIRST SINCE CHRIS SANDERS: With a team-high 85 yards on five receptions, Kenny Britt finished the season in first place on the team's leaderboard with 775 receiving yards in 2010. After leading the team as a rookie in 2009 with 701 yards, Britt became the first player for the franchise to lead the squad in receiving yards in each of his first two seasons since wide receiver Chris Sanders from 1995 to 1996.
JOHNSON SCORES ON RECEPTION: In the third quarter, Chris Johnson helped tie the score at 20-20 with a 15-yard touchdown reception from Kerry Collins. The score was Johnson's first touchdown reception of the season and the fourth of his three-year career.
JOHNSON LEADS TEAM IN RECEPTIONS FOR SECOND CONSECUTIVE SEASON: Chris Johnson contributed six receptions for 51 yards and a touchdown against the Colts. That brought his season total to a team-high 44 receptions for 245 yards and one score. It marks the second consecutive season Johnson led the team in receptions. His 50 catches in 2009 were the most on the squad.
COOK SETS CAREER HIGH: Titans tight end Jared Cook set a new career high in receptions for the second consecutive week. Against the Chiefs on Dec. 26, he notched five receptions. Then, against the Colts, he led the team with seven catches for 58 yards. Cook ended his second NFL season ranked fifth on the squad with 29 receptions for 361 yards and one touchdown.
KERN THIRD IN TEAM HISTORY IN NET PUNTING AVERAGE: Brett Kern wrapped up his first full season in a Titans uniform by averaging 42.2 yards on five punts against the Colts. Kern completed the 2010 season with a net average of 39.06 yards per punt, which ranks third in team history behind Craig Hentrich's 39.22-yard net average in 1998 and Greg Montgomery's 39.13-yard net average in 1993.
BABIN RANKED SIXTH IN SACKS: Despite not recording a sack against the Colts, Titans Pro Bowl defensive end Jason Babin finished sixth in the NFL in 2010 with a career-high 12.5 sacks.
