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| The Titans will look to improve to 1-1 when they face the Houston Texans Sunday at LP Field. |
The Houston Texans want to avoid going down the same old road themselves.
Nothing like heavy desperation in the air so early in the season.
"The plain and simple fact now that the season is going, we're not a 13-3 team," Titans defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch said. "We're 0-1, and they're an 0-1 team. In this division with the teams we have, starting out 0-2 can be difficult to overcome."
A year after starting 10-0 and posting the NFL's best record, the Titans are coming off a 13-10 overtime loss at Pittsburgh going into Sunday's home opener. Houston is hitting the road after a 24-7 loss to the New York Jets that has Texans' fans worried their team is at risk of repeating 2008's 0-4 start instead of fulfilling the hope of last season's 5-1 finish.
Texans coach Gary Kubiak has been busy answering questions about his team's toughness.
"Obviously, we got off to a very poor start last weekend and got it handed to us pretty good. Now we've got to try to go play better in one of the tougher places we play in this league. We've got one hell of a challenge, and we'll see how we answer," Kubiak said.
It's a crucial early divisional game with the Titans trying to defend their AFC South title, and the Texans eager to move out of the cellar. The Titans may have an emotional edge because they missed a chance to clinch home-field advantage last Dec. 14 when Houston beat them 13-12 -- only the third time the Texans had beaten the team they replaced in Texas.
"How can you take them lightly?" Titans linebacker Keith Bulluck said. "The last time we played them they beat us. They didn't play well in that first game, but some of us in here don't feel like we played well."
The Titans have a few more reasons to feel encouraged. They did lead the defending champion Steelers in the fourth quarter in a game where a list of mistakes kept them from finishing off a win. Bulluck said they worked in practice to correct all those problems that included two botched field goals and drive-killing penalties.
Houston's stumble couldn't have been much more complete.
The Texans gave up 469 yards to the Jets, including 272 yards passing to rookie Mark Sanchez. The offense that had been so impressive in 2008 (third in the NFL) turned in a measly 183 yards, with only 38 yards rushing. The only touchdown came on a fumble return.
"I know it's not what a lot of people expect out of us, but we weren't flying around," Houston tight end Owen Daniels said. "I think we were thinking too much. We're going to get back to doing what we do best and flying around out there. Keep things a little more simple."
Both teams hoped to be healed up by kickoff.
Receiver Nate Washington, the Titans' top offseason free agent signing, was limited to 26 snaps in Pittsburgh because of his healing left hamstring. Titans coach Jeff Fisher now expects him back at full strength, so he could start against Houston. Rookie tight end Jared Cook could make his debut coming off a sprained right ankle.
Tight end Bo Scaife could miss this game as he recovers from a left knee hurt in the opener.
Houston QB Matt Schaub should get back receiver Kevin Walter back from a hamstring injury.
The Texans also hope their secondary is improved with the return of cornerback Jacques Reeves and safety Eugene Wilson, who hadn't played since being hurt by a crack-back block from Brett Favre on Aug. 31. Dunta Robinson is expected to shake off the rust of his offseason holdout with an added week of practice.
They will be needed against Kerry Collins, the veteran who impressed Kubiak with his calm against Pittsburgh's pressure. Collins threw for 244 yards and was sacked only once.
Pro Bowl running back Chris Johnson also is eager to touch the ball more than the 16 he had in Pittsburgh, which added up to 68 total yards. Not that he's demanding the ball yet, not even after Tennessee converted only four of 13 third downs in the opener.
"I still understand we've got to be on the field more. We've got to complete third downs, and if we do that I'll be able to get the ball more. I can't sit here and say, `Give me the ball' on the sidelines," Johnson said.
The Texans can echo that sentiment. They also understand they can end a lot of talk about them being a finesse team by moving the ball well against the physical Titans. Andre Johnson, who had just 35 yards receiving after leading the NFL in that category in 2008, said the Texans are up for the challenge.
"They're going to have to come after us," Johnson said, "so we have to get after them."
