Season-in-review team reports — AFC
Central
As published in print Feb. 6, 2002
2001 record: 7-9 |
| Overview |
| The Titans had Super Bowl aspirations entering the season, but they
sputtered out of the gate, losing their first three games. RB Eddie George looked nothing
like himself, as offseason toe surgery affected his running. The defense, which finished
No. 1 in the league in 2000, fell to 25th, though a rash of injuries had a lot to do with
it. On the flip side, the passing game finally arrived, with QB Steve McNair recording his
best passer rating as a full-time starter (90.2). But it wasn’t enough for the
Titans, who won their fewest games since 1995. |
| Turning point |
| Entering their Week Nine Monday-nighter against Baltimore, the Titans
were 3-4. With a win, they would have been right back in the AFC Central race. But a
one-yard touchdown was taken away from Tennessee with no time left because a late-coming
Raven made contact with a Titan behind the line of scrimmage before the snap. The down was
played over, and the Ravens stuffed McNair’s dive attempt. The Titans fell three
games behind first-place Pittsburgh and out of contention for the division title. |
| Offensive MVP |
| Over the second half of the season, McNair was as good as any quarterback
in the league. He finally showed he could carry the offense, throwing 14 of his
career-high 21 TD passes in the final eight games. It’s unfortunate it took a
sputtering George for the Titans to shift their focus to McNair. But while George
struggled, WRs Derrick Mason and Kevin Dyson thrived, and their playmaking ability helped
McNair reach new heights. |
| Defensive MVP |
| He didn’t have the impact he had as a rookie, but DE Jevon Kearse
was still the player every offense aimed to stop. With DE Kevin Carter in the fold, Kearse
moved to his more natural DRE spot, so he faced every opponent’s premier tackle.
Apparently, he fared well. Kearse led the Titans with 10 sacks and had 27 QB hurries. He
also forced five fumbles. |
| Biggest surprise |
| The Titans weren’t expecting to air it out this year. George was
coming off his finest season, and he still had a sour taste in his mouth following
Tennessee’s early playoff exit the year before. But offseason toe surgery plagued
George all season, and the Titans were forced to shift their focus to the passing game.
Good thing they did, because it finally flourished. McNair never looked better, Dyson made
a triumphant return from knee surgery and Mason fought through injuries to record his
first 1,000-yard season. Surprising indeed. |
| Biggest disappointments |
| George had his string of 1,000-yard seasons snapped at five. But the
defense’s woes were much greater. The unit ranked last in the league against the
pass, as injuries wreaked havoc with the secondary and exposed inexperienced youth.
Consequently, the Titans weren’t able to play their usual aggressive, blitzing
defense, and that limited their pass rush. It all led to the deterioration of a unit that
had been a team strength. |
| Rookie recap |
| Second-round pick Andre Dyson proved to be a fine cornerback. His best
attribute is his speed. WR Justin McCareins showed promise before going down with
injuries. TE Shad Meier caught only three passes, and WR Eddie Berlin only two. Undrafted
WR Drew Bennett, the last rookie signed by Tennessee, became the team’s No. 3
receiver. The 6-foot-5 college quarterback caught 24 passes for 329 yards. S Joe Walker,
another undrafted rookie, started three games at free safety and returned kicks. |
| Free-agent/trade review |
| The Titans traded their first-round pick (No. 29) in the 2001 draft for
Carter, who finished with only two sacks. However, the team insists it was satisfied with
his play, and he was credited with a team-high 34 QB hurries. PK Joe Nedney struggled
early but settled down late, connecting on 10 of his last 11 field-goal attempts. RB Skip
Hicks had a huge game in the upset of the Packers (142 yards). CB DeRon Jenkins struggled
badly. |
| Team leaders |
Rushing — Eddie George, 939 yards on 315 carries, 3.0 avg., 5 TDs.
Passing — Steve McNair, 264-431 attempts for 3,350 yards, 21 TDs, 12 interceptions,
90.2 rating.
Receiving — Derrick Mason, 73 receptions for 1,128 yards, 15.5 avg., 9 TDs.
Scoring — Joe Nedney, 94 points on 34 PATs and 20 FGs.
Kickoff returns — Derrick Mason, 34 for 748 yards, 22.0 avg., 1 TD.
Punt returns — Derrick Mason, 20 for 128 yards, 6.4 avg., 0 TDs.
Punting — Craig Hentrich, 85 for 42.0 avg., 37.0 net, 8 TB, 28 inside 20, 0 blk.,
70L.
Interceptions — Andre Dyson, Samari Rolle, 3.
Sacks — Jevon Kearse, 10. |
| Results |
Pointspread Shown Refers to Tennessee.
| Date |
Opponent |
Spread |
Score |
| Sept. 9 |
Miami |
(-6) |
23-31 |
| Sept. 23 |
At Jacksonville |
(+3) |
6-13 |
| Sept. 30 |
BYE |
|
|
| Oct. 7 |
At Baltimore |
(+4) |
7-26 |
| Oct. 14 |
Tampa Bay |
(-2.5) |
31-28* |
| Oct. 21 |
At Detroit |
(-4.5) |
27-24 |
| Oct. 29 |
At Pittsburgh |
(+3) |
7-34 |
| Nov. 4 |
Jacksonville |
(-3) |
28-24 |
| Nov. 12 |
Baltimore |
(+2.5) |
10-16 |
| Nov. 18 |
At Cincinnati |
(+1) |
20-7 |
| Nov. 25 |
Pittsburgh |
(-2) |
24-34 |
| Dec. 2 |
At Cleveland |
(-1) |
31-15 |
| Dec. 9 |
At Minnesota |
(-3) |
24-42 |
| Dec. 16 |
Green Bay |
(+3) |
26-20 |
| Dec. 22 |
At Oakland |
(+5.5) |
13-10 |
| Dec. 30 |
Cleveland |
(-5.5) |
38-41 |
| Jan. 6 |
Cincinnati |
(-5.5) |
21-23 |
* Overtime |
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