The
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their hom ...
season
A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and ...
was the 50th season for the original
American Football League (AFL) team, their 40th in the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
(NFL), and 13th in Tennessee. The Titans aimed to equal or improve on their 2008 NFL-best 13–3 record; however, they lost the first six games of the season. The Titans switched to
Vince Young
Vincent Paul Young Jr. (born May 18, 1983) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for six seasons. Young was drafted by the Tennessee Titans as the third overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft, and ...
as starting quarterback and won eight out of their remaining ten games, losing only to the
Indianapolis Colts and
San Diego Chargers. The 42–17 loss to the Chargers in Week 16 eliminated the team from playoff contention.
Second-year running back
Chris Johnson won the
NFL rushing title with 2,006 rushing yards, and set the NFL record for most
yards from scrimmage
Yards from scrimmage is a gridiron football statistical measure. In the game of football, progress is measured by advancing the football towards the opposing team's goal line. Progress can be made during play by the offensive team by advancin ...
in a single season, with 2,509.
From 2009 to 2016, the Titans would fail to qualify for the playoffs.
As a side note, the Titans became the first, and, as of 2020, only team in NFL history to lose their first 6 games, then win their next 5.
Final roster
Schedule
The Titans played
the Buffalo Bills on August 8 in the
Pro Football Hall of Fame Game
The Pro Football Hall of Fame Game is an annual National Football League (NFL) exhibition game in Canton, Ohio, held the weekend of the Pro Football Hall of Fame's induction ceremonies. The game is played at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, part ...
, pitting teams owned by
Bud Adams
Kenneth Stanley "Bud" Adams, Jr. (January 3, 1923 – October 21, 2013) was an American businessman who was the founder and owner of the Tennessee Titans, a National Football League franchise. A member of the Cherokee Nation who originally mad ...
(Titans) and
Ralph C. Wilson, Jr.
Ralph Cookerly Wilson Jr. (October 17, 1918 – March 25, 2014) was an American businessman and sports executive. He was best known as the founder and owner of the Buffalo Bills, a team in the National Football League (NFL). He was one of the f ...
(Bills). They were two of the three surviving members of the ''"
Foolish Club
The Foolish Club were the owners of the eight original franchises of the American Football League (AFL). When Texas oil magnates Lamar Hunt and Bud Adams, Jr. were refused entry to the established NFL in 1959, they contacted other businessmen to ...
"'', the eight original owners of American Football League franchises. The 2009 Professional Football season celebrated what would have been the AFL's fiftieth. Both the Bills and Titans wore AFL throwbacks, with the Titans in
Houston Oilers
The Houston Oilers were a professional American football team that played in Houston from its founding in 1960 to 1996 before relocating to Memphis, and later Nashville, Tennessee becoming the Tennessee Titans. The Oilers began play in 1960 a ...
uniforms.
Preseason
Regular season
In addition to their regular games with AFC South division rivals, the Titans played games against the
AFC East and
NFC West
The National Football Conference - Western Division or NFC West is one of the four divisions of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). It currently has four members: the Arizona Cardinals, the Los Ang ...
according to the NFL's schedule rotation, and also played games against
the Steelers and
the Chargers based upon finishing positions from 2008.
Standings
Regular season games
Week 1: at Pittsburgh Steelers
The Titans began their season at
Heinz Field
Acrisure Stadium is a football stadium located in the North Shore neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. It primarily serves as the home of the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL) and the Pittsburgh Panth ...
for the annual
kickoff game against the defending Super Bowl champions,
the Pittsburgh Steelers. After a scoreless first quarter, Tennessee trailed near the end of the second quarter as Steelers quarterback
Ben Roethlisberger
Benjamin Todd Roethlisberger Sr. (; born March 2, 1982), nicknamed "Big Ben", is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college football ...
completed a 34-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver
Santonio Holmes
Santonio Holmes Jr. (born March 3, 1984) is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft after playing college football at Ohio State University. In 2009, Holmes w ...
. Afterwards, the Titans would tie the game as quarterback
Kerry Collins
Kerry Michael Collins (born December 30, 1972) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons. Collins was a member of six NFL teams, most notably the Carolina Panthers, New York Giants, ...
completed a 16-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver
Justin Gage
Justin Charles Gage (born January 24, 1981) is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football at the University of Missouri. He was originally drafted by the Chicago Bears in the fifth round of the 2003 NFL Draft. After f ...
.
After a scoreless third quarter, Tennessee took the lead as kicker
Rob Bironas
James Robert Douglas Bironas (January 29, 1978 – September 20, 2014) was an American football placekicker who played the majority of his professional career with the Tennessee Titans. He played college football for Auburn University and Georgia ...
got a 45-yard field goal, while Pittsburgh kicker
Jeff Reed made a 32-yard field goal to tie the game. In overtime, the Steelers got the win as Reed nailed a game-winning 33-yard field goal.
With the loss, the Titans started the season out at 0–1.
Week 2: vs. Houston Texans
Hoping to rebound from their loss against the Steelers, the Titans went home for their Week 2 home opener against their AFC South foe,
the Houston Texans. Tennessee would strike first in the opening quarter as running back
Chris Johnson got a 57-yard touchdown run. The Texans would answer with quarterback
Matt Schaub
Matthew Schaub (born June 25, 1981) is a former American football quarterback who played for 17 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Virginia Cavaliers, and was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the th ...
completing a 19-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver
Andre Johnson
Andre Lamont Johnson (born July 11, 1981) is a former American football wide receiver who played most of his 14-year career with the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Miami, and was drafted by ...
, yet the Titans would reply with quarterback
Kerry Collins
Kerry Michael Collins (born December 30, 1972) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons. Collins was a member of six NFL teams, most notably the Carolina Panthers, New York Giants, ...
completing a 69-yard touchdown pass to Johnson. Tennessee would add onto their lead in the second quarter as Collins completed an 8-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver
Nate Washington
Nate Washington (born August 28, 1983) is a former American football wide receiver. He was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 2005 and played on two Super Bowl-winning teams during four seasons with the Steelers. He t ...
. However, Houston took the lead as Schaub completed a 72-yard touchdown pass to Johnson and a 29-yard touchdown pass to
Jacoby Jones
Jacoby Rashi'd Jones (born July 11, 1984) is a former American football wide receiver and return specialist. He played college football at Lane College, and was drafted by the Houston Texans in the third round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played ...
, followed by a 38-yard field goal from kicker
Kris Brown
Kristopher Clayton Brown (born December 23, 1976) is a former American football placekicker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for twelve seasons in the late 1990s and 2000s. He played college football for the University of Neb ...
. The Titans would close out the half as kicker
Rob Bironas
James Robert Douglas Bironas (January 29, 1978 – September 20, 2014) was an American football placekicker who played the majority of his professional career with the Tennessee Titans. He played college football for Auburn University and Georgia ...
made a 40-yard field goal.
In the third quarter, Tennessee would regain the lead as Johnson got a 91-yard touchdown run. The Texans would tie the game again as Schaub completed a 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end
Owen Daniels
Owen Daniels (born November 9, 1982) is an American meteorologist and former American football tight end. He played college football for the University of Wisconsin, and was drafted by the Houston Texans in the fourth round of the 2006 NFL Dra ...
. In the fourth quarter, Houston took the lead as Brown nailed a 23-yard field goal. Afterwards, the Texans' defense prevented any attempt at an offensive rally.
With the loss, the Titans drop to 0–2.
Week 3: at New York Jets
Trying to snap a two-game losing skid, the Titans flew to
The Meadowlands, donned their Houston Oilers throwbacks, and played a Week 3 AFL Legacy game with
the New York Jets. Tennessee would struggle in the first quarter as Jets quarterback
Mark Sanchez
Mark Travis John Sanchez (born November 11, 1986) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 10 seasons. He played college football at the University of Southern California (USC) and was draft ...
got a 14-yard touchdown run and completed a 2-yard touchdown pass to tight end
Ben Hartsock
Benjamin Richard Hartsock (born July 5, 1980) is a former American football tight-end and high-end role player. He played college football at Ohio State and was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the third round of the 2004 NFL Draft.
Hartsoc ...
. The Titans would climb into the game in the second quarter with running back
LenDale White
LenDale Anthony White (born December 20, 1984) is a former American football running back. He was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the second round (45th overall) of the 2006 NFL Draft. He has also been a member of the Seattle Seahawks and De ...
's 5-yard touchdown run and kicker
Rob Bironas
James Robert Douglas Bironas (January 29, 1978 – September 20, 2014) was an American football placekicker who played the majority of his professional career with the Tennessee Titans. He played college football for Auburn University and Georgia ...
' 38-yard field goal.
In the third quarter, Tennessee would take the lead with quarterback
Kerry Collins
Kerry Michael Collins (born December 30, 1972) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons. Collins was a member of six NFL teams, most notably the Carolina Panthers, New York Giants, ...
' 9-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver
Nate Washington
Nate Washington (born August 28, 1983) is a former American football wide receiver. He was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 2005 and played on two Super Bowl-winning teams during four seasons with the Steelers. He t ...
. However, New York would strike back with Sanchez's 6-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver
Jerricho Cotchery. The Jets would increase their lead in the fourth quarter with kicker
Jay Feely
Thomas James "Jay" Feely (born May 23, 1976) is a former American football placekicker and current sportscaster. He started his career with the Florida Bobcats in the Arena Football League as a street free agent in 1999 before playing for seve ...
's 48-yard field goal. The Titans tried to rally, but New York's defense would stand firm and prevented any possible comeback attempt.
With the loss, Tennessee would fall to 0–3 for the first time since
the 2006 season.
Week 4: at Jacksonville Jaguars
Hoping to save their season, the Titans flew to
Jacksonville Municipal Stadium
TIAA Bank Field is an American football stadium located in Jacksonville, Florida, that primarily serves as the home facility of the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League (NFL) and the headquarters of the professional wrestling prom ...
for a Week 4 AFC South duel with
the Jacksonville Jaguars. Tennessee would trail early in the first quarter as Jaguars kicker
Josh Scobee
Joshua Taylor Scobee (born June 23, 1982) is a former American football placekicker. He was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fifth round of the 2004 NFL draft. He also played for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college football at L ...
got a 22-yard field goal, followed by running back
Maurice Jones-Drew
Maurice Christopher Jones-Drew (born March 23, 1985), often called "MJD", is a former American football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons. He played college football for the UCLA Bruins and earned una ...
's 9-yard touchdown. The Titans would get in the game in the second quarter with kicker
Rob Bironas
James Robert Douglas Bironas (January 29, 1978 – September 20, 2014) was an American football placekicker who played the majority of his professional career with the Tennessee Titans. He played college football for Auburn University and Georgia ...
making a 29-yard field goal. However, Jacksonville came right back with quarterback
David Garrard
David Douglas Garrard (born February 14, 1978) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 10 seasons, primarily with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He played college football at East Carolina and wa ...
completing 9-yard and 15-yard touchdown passes to wide receiver
Mike Sims-Walker, with Scobee's 50-yard field goal in between.
The Jaguars would continue to build their lead as Scobee nailed a 33-yard field goal. Tennessee would then begin its comeback attempt with quarterback
Kerry Collins
Kerry Michael Collins (born December 30, 1972) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons. Collins was a member of six NFL teams, most notably the Carolina Panthers, New York Giants, ...
completing a 14-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver
Nate Washington
Nate Washington (born August 28, 1983) is a former American football wide receiver. He was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 2005 and played on two Super Bowl-winning teams during four seasons with the Steelers. He t ...
(with a failed 2-point conversion). The Titans kept their rally going in the fourth quarter with Collins getting a 10-yard touchdown run, followed by running back
Chris Johnson's 2-point conversion run. However, Jacksonville would pull away with Garrard's 33-yard touchdown pass to tight end
Marcedes Lewis.
With this loss, Tennessee fell to 0–4.
Week 5: vs. Indianapolis Colts
Down four games, the Titans went home for a Week 5 Sunday night duel with their AFC South rival,
the Indianapolis Colts. Tennessee would trail in the first quarter as Colts quarterback
Peyton Manning found wide receiver
Reggie Wayne
Reginald Wayne (born November 17, 1978) is a former American football wide receiver who played 14 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at the University of Miami, and was drafted ...
on a 3-yard touchdown pass. The Titans would answer with a 49-yard and a 43-yard field goal from kicker
Rob Bironas
James Robert Douglas Bironas (January 29, 1978 – September 20, 2014) was an American football placekicker who played the majority of his professional career with the Tennessee Titans. He played college football for Auburn University and Georgia ...
, but Indianapolis came right back in the second quarter with running back
Joseph Addai
Joseph Kwaku Duah Addai Jr. ( ) (born May 3, 1983) is a former American football running back in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected in the first round (30th overall pick) of the 2006 NFL Draft out of Louisiana State University b ...
’s 1-yard touchdown run. Tennessee tried to keep it close with Bironas nailing a 46-yard field goal, yet the Colts continued its domination with Manning hooking up with wide receiver
Austin Collie
Austin Kirk Collie (born November 11, 1985) is a Canadian former professional gridiron football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL) in the fourth round (127th overall) in the 2009 NFL D ...
on a 39-yard touchdown pass. Afterwards, Indianapolis would pull away in the second half. Manning connected with Collie again on a 6-yard touchdown pass, followed by kicker
Adam Vinatieri
Adam Matthew Vinatieri (born December 28, 1972) is an American former football placekicker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 24 seasons with the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts. Considered one of the greatest ...
booting a 23-yard field goal.
With the loss, the Titans fell to 0–5.
Week 6: at New England Patriots
Still looking for their first win of the season, the Titans flew to
Gillette Stadium
Gillette Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts, which is southwest of downtown Boston. It serves as the home stadium and administrative offices for both the New England Patriots of the National Foot ...
, donned Oilers throwback uniforms, and played a Week 6 AFL Legacy game with
the New England Patriots in a rare October snowstorm. Tennessee's struggles continued as Patriots running back
Laurence Maroney
Laurence Maroney (born February 5, 1985) is a former American football running back who played five seasons in the National Football League. He played college football at Minnesota and was drafted by the New England Patriots 21st overall in the 2 ...
got a 45-yard touchdown run, followed by kicker
Stephen Gostkowski
Stephen Carroll Gostkowski ( ; born January 28, 1984) is an American football former placekicker who played for 15 years in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the New England Patriots.
He was selected in the fourth round of th ...
making a 33-yard field goal. Things got worse for the Titans in the second quarter as quarterback
Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American football quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He spent his first 20 seasons with the New England Patriots organization, with which ...
completed five touchdown passes, two to wide receiver
Randy Moss
Randy Gene Moss (born February 13, 1977) is an American former professional football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, Oakland Raiders, New England Patriots, Tennessee ...
(40-yard and 28-yard), one to running back
Kevin Faulk
Kevin () is the anglicized form of the Irish masculine given name (; mga, Caoimhghín ; sga, Cóemgein ; Latinized as ). It is composed of "dear; noble"; Old Irish and ("birth"; Old Irish ).
The variant '' Kevan'' is anglicized from , a ...
(38-yard), and two to wide receiver
Wes Welker
Wesley Carter Welker (born May 1, 1981) is an American football coach and former wide receiver who is the wide receivers coach for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as an assistant coach for the San ...
(30-yard and 5-yard). The Patriots' 45–0 halftime lead was the largest in NFL history. New England would then conclude their scoring in the third quarter with Brady's 9-yard touchdown pass to Moss, followed by backup quarterback
Brian Hoyer's one-yard touchdown run.
To make matters worse, the Titans finished the game with -7 passing yards. The Titans were the last team to finish with negative passing yards until the
Giants
A giant is a being of human appearance, sometimes of prodigious size and strength, common in folklore.
Giant(s) or The Giant(s) may also refer to:
Mythology and religion
*Giants (Greek mythology)
*Jötunn, a Germanic term often translated as 'gi ...
finished with -10 passing yards in their week 17 game against the Bears on January 2, 2022.
With the loss, not only did the Titans go into their bye week at 0–6 (their first such start since
1984
Events
January
* January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888.
* January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeas ...
, when the team was the Houston Oilers), but suffered their worst loss in franchise history, eclipsing a 61–7 loss to
Cincinnati in 1989. This was the first 59–0 game since 1976, and only the fourth in NFL history. It was the largest blowout in the season, and tied the
post-merger record for largest margin of victory.
Week 7: Bye
Week 8: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Coming off their bye week, the Titans went home for a Week 8 AFC South rematch with
the Jacksonville Jaguars. In this game, quarterback
Vince Young
Vincent Paul Young Jr. (born May 18, 1983) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for six seasons. Young was drafted by the Tennessee Titans as the third overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft, and ...
would make his first start since Week 1 of the 2008 NFL season.
Tennessee got off to a fast start in the first quarter with kicker
Rob Bironas
James Robert Douglas Bironas (January 29, 1978 – September 20, 2014) was an American football placekicker who played the majority of his professional career with the Tennessee Titans. He played college football for Auburn University and Georgia ...
booting a 48-yard field goal. In the second quarter, the Titans would add onto their lead as Young hooked up with wide receiver
Nate Washington
Nate Washington (born August 28, 1983) is a former American football wide receiver. He was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 2005 and played on two Super Bowl-winning teams during four seasons with the Steelers. He t ...
on a 6-yard touchdown pass, followed by Bironas nailing a 25-yard field goal. The Jaguars would answer with an 80-yard touchdown run from running back
Maurice Jones-Drew
Maurice Christopher Jones-Drew (born March 23, 1985), often called "MJD", is a former American football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons. He played college football for the UCLA Bruins and earned una ...
.
In the third quarter, Jacksonville would tie the game as Jones-Drew got a 79-yard touchdown run (with a blocked PAT), yet Tennessee came right back with a 52-yard touchdown run from running back
Chris Johnson and a 45-yard field goal from Bironas. Afterwards, the Titans pulled away in the fourth quarter with Johnson getting an 89-yard touchdown.
With the win, Tennessee improved to 1–6 and snapped a seven-game Losing streak dating back to Week 17 of 2008.
This would become the first game in NFL history where there were four touchdown runs of 50 or more yards. Also, Johnson (24 carries for 228 yards) and Jones-Drew (8 carries for 177 yards) would join the Browns'
Bobby Mitchell (14 carries for 232 yards) and the Redskins'
Johnny Olszewski
John Peter Olszewski (December 21, 1929 – December 8, 1996) was an American football fullback. He was drafted in the first round (fourth overall) of the 1953 NFL Draft and played professionally for the Chicago Cardinals, the Washington Redski ...
(18 carries for 190 yards) on November 15, 1959, as the only pair of opposing running backs to both have at least 175 yards rushing in the same game.
Week 9: at San Francisco 49ers
Coming off their divisional home win over the Jaguars, the Titans flew to
Candlestick Park
Candlestick Park was an outdoor stadium on the West Coast of the United States, located in San Francisco's Bayview Heights area. The stadium was originally the home of Major League Baseball's San Francisco Giants, who played there from 1960 ...
for a Week 9 interconference duel with
the San Francisco 49ers. Tennessee would trail early in the first quarter as 49ers kicker
Joe Nedney
Joseph Thomas Nedney (born March 22, 1973) is a former American football placekicker. Born and raised in San Jose, California, Nedney played college football at San Jose State and signed as an undrafted player with the Miami Dolphins in 1996. H ...
got a 40-yard field goal, yet the Titans would answer with kicker
Rob Bironas
James Robert Douglas Bironas (January 29, 1978 – September 20, 2014) was an American football placekicker who played the majority of his professional career with the Tennessee Titans. He played college football for Auburn University and Georgia ...
making a 21-yard field goal. The Titans would take the lead in the second quarter as quarterback
Vince Young
Vincent Paul Young Jr. (born May 18, 1983) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for six seasons. Young was drafted by the Tennessee Titans as the third overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft, and ...
got a 10-yard touchdown run, but San Francisco would close out the half with a 3-yard touchdown run from running back
Frank Gore
Franklin Gore Sr. (born May 14, 1983) is an American former football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons. A member of the San Francisco 49ers during most of his career, he ranks third in NFL career rus ...
and a 12-yard touchdown pass from quarterback
Alex Smith
Alexander Douglas Smith (born May 7, 1984) is an American former quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons. He played college football at Utah, where he received first-team All-American honors and won the 2 ...
to wide receiver
Jason Hill.
In the third quarter, Tennessee would tie the game as running back
Chris Johnson got a 1-yard touchdown. The 49ers would retake their lead in the fourth quarter with Nedney nailing a 25-yard field goal, yet the Titans would regain the lead with Johnson's 2-yard touchdown run, Bironas' 28-yard field goal, and cornerback
Cortland Finnegan
Cortland Temujin Finnegan (born February 2, 1984) is a former American football cornerback. He played college football at Samford, and was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the seventh round of the 2006 NFL Draft. Finnegan also played for the ...
's 39-yard interception return for a touchdown. San Francisco tried to make a comeback as Smith found Hill again on a 3-yard touchdown pass, yet Tennessee's defense held up for the victory.
With the win, the Titans improved to 2–6.
Week 10: vs. Buffalo Bills
Coming off their road win over the 49ers, the Titans went home, donned their Houston Oilers throwbacks, and played a Week 10 AFL Legacy game with the
Buffalo Bills. Tennessee would trail early in the first quarter as Bills running back
Fred Jackson threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver
Lee Evans. The Titans would respond as running back
Chris Johnson got a 28-yard touchdown run, followed by quarterback
Vince Young
Vincent Paul Young Jr. (born May 18, 1983) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for six seasons. Young was drafted by the Tennessee Titans as the third overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft, and ...
hooking up with wide receiver
Nate Washington
Nate Washington (born August 28, 1983) is a former American football wide receiver. He was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 2005 and played on two Super Bowl-winning teams during four seasons with the Steelers. He t ...
on a 14-yard touchdown pass. In the second quarter, Tennessee would increase their lead as kicker
Rob Bironas
James Robert Douglas Bironas (January 29, 1978 – September 20, 2014) was an American football placekicker who played the majority of his professional career with the Tennessee Titans. He played college football for Auburn University and Georgia ...
booted a 38-yard field goal. Buffalo would end the half with quarterback
Trent Edwards finding Evans on an 8-yard touchdown pass.
The Bills would tie the game in the third quarter with kicker
Rian Lindell
Rian David Lindell (born January 20, 1977) is a former American football placekicker in the National Football League for the Seattle Seahawks, Buffalo Bills and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He played college football at Washington State.
Early years ...
booting a 25-yard field goal, yet the Titans would explode with points in the fourth quarter. It began with Johnson's 1-yard touchdown run, followed by Bironas' 51-yard field goal. It would follow up with safety
Vincent Fuller returning an interception 26 yards for a touchdown and cornerback
Rod Hood returning an interception 31 yards for a touchdown.
With the win, Tennessee would improve to 3–6.
Chris Johnson (26 carries, 132 yards, 2 TDs and 9 catches, 100 yards) would join
Billy Cannon
William Abb Cannon (August 2, 1937 – May 20, 2018) was an American football Halfback (American football), halfback, Fullback (American football), fullback and tight end who played professionally in the American Football League (AFL) and Nati ...
as the only players in franchise history to rush and receive for 100 yards in one game. He would also join
Earl Campbell
Earl Christian Campbell (born March 29, 1955), nicknamed "the Tyler Rose", is an American former professional football player who played as a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for the Houston Oilers and New Orleans Saints. K ...
in 1980 as the only players in franchise history to have two rushing touchdowns in three-straight games.
At the end of the game, owner Bud Adams raised his middle fingers to Buffalo players from his box and was subsequently fined $250,000 by Roger Goodell, who was in attendance at the game.
"Adams draws $250K fine from NFL"
ESPN News service, Nov 16, 2009, accessed November 21, 2009
Week 11: at Houston Texans
Coming off their win over the Bills, the Titans flew to Reliant Stadium for an AFC South rivalry match against the Houston Texans. In the first quarter the Titans trailed early as quarterback Matt Schaub
Matthew Schaub (born June 25, 1981) is a former American football quarterback who played for 17 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Virginia Cavaliers, and was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the th ...
got a 3-yard touchdown pass to RB Steve Slaton
Steve Slaton (born January 4, 1986) is a former American football running back. He played college football for West Virginia University, and earned consensus All-American honors. He was chosen by the Houston Texans in the third round of the 200 ...
. In the second quarter, they replied with quarterback Vince Young
Vincent Paul Young Jr. (born May 18, 1983) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for six seasons. Young was drafted by the Tennessee Titans as the third overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft, and ...
completing a 13-yard touchdown pass to WR Kenny Britt
Kenneth Lawrence Britt (born September 19, 1988) is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football at Rutgers and was drafted by the Tennessee Titans with the 30th overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft. He has also played fo ...
. Then Houston tried to pull away as Schaub hooked up with WR Andre Johnson
Andre Lamont Johnson (born July 11, 1981) is a former American football wide receiver who played most of his 14-year career with the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Miami, and was drafted by ...
on a 13-yard touchdown pass, until the Titans replied again with RB LenDale White
LenDale Anthony White (born December 20, 1984) is a former American football running back. He was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the second round (45th overall) of the 2006 NFL Draft. He has also been a member of the Seattle Seahawks and De ...
making a 1-yard touchdown run.
The Titans got the lead in the third quarter as kicker Rob Bironas
James Robert Douglas Bironas (January 29, 1978 – September 20, 2014) was an American football placekicker who played the majority of his professional career with the Tennessee Titans. He played college football for Auburn University and Georgia ...
made a 50-yard field goal, but the Texans replied to tie the game when kicker Kris Brown
Kristopher Clayton Brown (born December 23, 1976) is a former American football placekicker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for twelve seasons in the late 1990s and 2000s. He played college football for the University of Neb ...
made a 26-yard field goal. In the fourth quarter the Titans scored for the win when Bironas got a 53-yard field goal. Brown had a chance to tie the game and sent it into overtime for the second game in a row and for the second game in a row he missed giving the Titans the victory.
With the win, the Titans improve to 4–6.
Week 12: vs. Arizona Cardinals
The only first quarter score would be a Rob Bironas field goal that gave the Titans a 3–nothing lead. At the close of the first half, Tennessee was leading the defending NFC winner 6–3, but an extended play with 5 seconds left on Arizona's 20 or so, would diminish Tennessee's chance for a field goal. Tennessee scored the first touchdown during the second half to take a 13–3 lead, but Arizona scored 14 straight points with the help of Lerod Stevens-Howling returning a kickoff for a touchdown. Facing a 17–13 deficit at their own 1-yard line, Vince Young led the Titans on an 18 play drive which featured him throwing for 94 yards, running for 5 and converting three 4th downs including a 4th and goal to Kenny Britt
Kenneth Lawrence Britt (born September 19, 1988) is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football at Rutgers and was drafted by the Tennessee Titans with the 30th overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft. He has also played fo ...
as time expired for a touchdown to win 20–17. The win improved the Titans to 5–6 and marked the first time in NFL history that a team won five consecutive games after losing their first six.
Week 13: at Indianapolis Colts
With the loss, the Titans' five-game winning streak came to an end as they were swept by the Colts. After losing their third consecutive contest against the Colts, the Titans fell to 5–7.
Week 14: vs. St. Louis Rams
With the win, the Titans improved to 6–7.
Week 15: vs. Miami Dolphins
With both teams fighting for their playoff lives the Titans clawed to a 24–9 lead over the Dolphins, but two fourth-quarter touchdowns by Chad Henne
Chad Steven Henne (; born July 2, 1985) is an American football quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Michigan. While there, Henne became only the second true freshman st ...
forced overtime. Henne, however, was intercepted in overtime, setting up a 46-yard game-winning Rob Bironas
James Robert Douglas Bironas (January 29, 1978 – September 20, 2014) was an American football placekicker who played the majority of his professional career with the Tennessee Titans. He played college football for Auburn University and Georgia ...
field goal.
With the win, the Titans improved to 7–7.
Week 16: vs. San Diego Chargers
With the loss, the Titans fell to 7–8.
Week 17: at Seattle Seahawks
With the win, the Titans were good enough to finish the season at 8–8 and 3rd place in their division.
References
External links
2009 Tennessee Titans season at Pro Football Reference
2009 Tennessee Titans season at ESPN
{{DEFAULTSORT:2009 Tennessee Titans Season
Tennessee
Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...
Tennessee Titans seasons
Titans
In Greek mythology, the Titans ( grc, οἱ Τῑτᾶνες, ''hoi Tītânes'', , ''ho Tītân'') were the pre-Olympian gods. According to the ''Theogony'' of Hesiod, they were the twelve children of the primordial parents Uranus (Sky) and Gai ...