JerseySTEEL
10-04-2008, 03:25 AM
Undefeated start makes it difficult to stay underdog
The Titans enter Sunday's game at Baltimore as favorites, and thanks to an undefeated record, they are the biggest surprise in the NFL.
"We're still the underdogs," Titans linebacker Keith Bulluck argued. "We're definitely still the underdogs."
Uh, how is that?
"We're 4-0. OK, that's cool," he said. "But we lose one game, then people are off the bandwagon."
That might be true, but for now, the Titans are the toast of the league.
"It's too early to say we're not the underdog," Bulluck argued. "Five weeks ago, people were picking Houston to finish ahead of us in our conference. As far as I'm concerned, and the rest of us are concerned, we are the underdogs."
Some Titans players, however, believe the team has proven itself to the NFL, fans and analysts, as shown by message boards and recent inclusion in various power rankings. Those players feel the Titans must find a different persona, one that could help them finish the regular season strong.
Still, there are players like Bulluck, hanging on to the underdog role like an old, dingy T-shirt two sizes too small. It looked so good on this team, and it played the role well.
The Titans didn't complain about respect — except when asked if they weren't getting enough of it.
It may have given some players "more of an edge," linebacker David Thornton said.
Now that the Titans (4-0) are one of only three undefeated teams, those days are over. They're getting respect.
They hold a two-game lead over Jacksonville (2-2) in the AFC South and want to put as much distance as possible between themselves and Indianapolis (1-2), which has won the division for five consecutive seasons.
"If they don't want to talk about you, fine," Coach Jeff Fisher said. "If they start talking about you then you have to keep things in perspective."
Sometimes, though, the thirst for respect and winning are intertwined.
The Titans have gained respect for rising above potentially season-altering adversity.
Quarterback Vince Young was injured in the season opener against Jacksonville, leading to some off-field drama, and in stepped backup Kerry Collins, who had not started on a regular basis since 2005 in Oakland.
Four wins later, the Titans can no longer claim to be the underdog, Ravens Coach John Harbaugh said.
"I could see why they'd want to do it, but they're definitely not the underdog in this game," said Harbaugh, whose team is 2-1. "I mean, the Titans are one of the best teams right now in the conference, if not the league, and they've earned that."
The Titans maintain that they still have their critics. The team does something right, center Kevin Mawae said, and somebody counters with something negative, like the fact that the first four opponents have a combined record of 3-12.
And there are those who wonder what happens to the Titans if their defense has a rough game. Can the offense score enough points? Or if the running game is shut down by a tough defense, can Collins get it done with his receivers?
"We can't worry about who's going to jump on the bandwagon, who's not, who's with us, who's going to count us out," Mawae said. "We have to worry about the most important thing, which is the Baltimore Ravens, and then the next week, and then the next week."
With New England and Indianapolis dominating the AFC in recent seasons, it was much easier for the Titans to slip into the underdog costume. Things began to change in February.
The Patriots went undefeated in the regular season and playoffs to reach Super Bowl XLII, where they lost to the New York Giants, who were — you guessed it — underdogs. And until this season, the Colts had not lost during the first two months of the season since 2004.
"We know that we're 4-0, but we could easily be 4-12," said Thornton, who played for Indianapolis from 2002-05.
Defensive tackle Tony Brown understands the underdog role. An undrafted and unheralded player when he arrived in Nashville, he gets the least amount of recognition on the defensive line. And that's not a knock — he plays alongside three men with Pro Bowl experience: Kyle Vanden Bosch, Albert Haynesworth and Jevon Kearse.
"We want to keep ourselves being as humble as possible," Brown said. "We know that this is a long season, anything can happen. Once a guy steps outside of the team, that's when everything starts to crumble."
Collins said the recognition from fans and media is nice, but … "I don't get the sense that we have the kind of locker room that's going to get a fat head because of what everybody is telling us. That chip on our shoulder is going to stay (Collins said he "doesn't think the chip is big.") Guys want to win, and guys want to have a good season."
Bulluck agreed and said the Titans have no reason to gloat.
"Why would anyone on this team walk around poking their chest out?" he said. "We've only played four games and we have a long stretch to go."
But there is a gray area between being an underdog and gloating, right?
"We're not going to change that mentality. We're not going to get excited. We're not going to read too deep into anything," Bulluck said. "We're not going to do any of the above. Why should we?"
Hey, we're asking the questions.
"Just because people are starting to say good things about us doesn't mean we're going to change up. There's no reason to. … I remember when the bandwagon was empty," he said. "Hey, if they're still talking about us in December, that's even better."
The Titans enter Sunday's game at Baltimore as favorites, and thanks to an undefeated record, they are the biggest surprise in the NFL.
"We're still the underdogs," Titans linebacker Keith Bulluck argued. "We're definitely still the underdogs."
Uh, how is that?
"We're 4-0. OK, that's cool," he said. "But we lose one game, then people are off the bandwagon."
That might be true, but for now, the Titans are the toast of the league.
"It's too early to say we're not the underdog," Bulluck argued. "Five weeks ago, people were picking Houston to finish ahead of us in our conference. As far as I'm concerned, and the rest of us are concerned, we are the underdogs."
Some Titans players, however, believe the team has proven itself to the NFL, fans and analysts, as shown by message boards and recent inclusion in various power rankings. Those players feel the Titans must find a different persona, one that could help them finish the regular season strong.
Still, there are players like Bulluck, hanging on to the underdog role like an old, dingy T-shirt two sizes too small. It looked so good on this team, and it played the role well.
The Titans didn't complain about respect — except when asked if they weren't getting enough of it.
It may have given some players "more of an edge," linebacker David Thornton said.
Now that the Titans (4-0) are one of only three undefeated teams, those days are over. They're getting respect.
They hold a two-game lead over Jacksonville (2-2) in the AFC South and want to put as much distance as possible between themselves and Indianapolis (1-2), which has won the division for five consecutive seasons.
"If they don't want to talk about you, fine," Coach Jeff Fisher said. "If they start talking about you then you have to keep things in perspective."
Sometimes, though, the thirst for respect and winning are intertwined.
The Titans have gained respect for rising above potentially season-altering adversity.
Quarterback Vince Young was injured in the season opener against Jacksonville, leading to some off-field drama, and in stepped backup Kerry Collins, who had not started on a regular basis since 2005 in Oakland.
Four wins later, the Titans can no longer claim to be the underdog, Ravens Coach John Harbaugh said.
"I could see why they'd want to do it, but they're definitely not the underdog in this game," said Harbaugh, whose team is 2-1. "I mean, the Titans are one of the best teams right now in the conference, if not the league, and they've earned that."
The Titans maintain that they still have their critics. The team does something right, center Kevin Mawae said, and somebody counters with something negative, like the fact that the first four opponents have a combined record of 3-12.
And there are those who wonder what happens to the Titans if their defense has a rough game. Can the offense score enough points? Or if the running game is shut down by a tough defense, can Collins get it done with his receivers?
"We can't worry about who's going to jump on the bandwagon, who's not, who's with us, who's going to count us out," Mawae said. "We have to worry about the most important thing, which is the Baltimore Ravens, and then the next week, and then the next week."
With New England and Indianapolis dominating the AFC in recent seasons, it was much easier for the Titans to slip into the underdog costume. Things began to change in February.
The Patriots went undefeated in the regular season and playoffs to reach Super Bowl XLII, where they lost to the New York Giants, who were — you guessed it — underdogs. And until this season, the Colts had not lost during the first two months of the season since 2004.
"We know that we're 4-0, but we could easily be 4-12," said Thornton, who played for Indianapolis from 2002-05.
Defensive tackle Tony Brown understands the underdog role. An undrafted and unheralded player when he arrived in Nashville, he gets the least amount of recognition on the defensive line. And that's not a knock — he plays alongside three men with Pro Bowl experience: Kyle Vanden Bosch, Albert Haynesworth and Jevon Kearse.
"We want to keep ourselves being as humble as possible," Brown said. "We know that this is a long season, anything can happen. Once a guy steps outside of the team, that's when everything starts to crumble."
Collins said the recognition from fans and media is nice, but … "I don't get the sense that we have the kind of locker room that's going to get a fat head because of what everybody is telling us. That chip on our shoulder is going to stay (Collins said he "doesn't think the chip is big.") Guys want to win, and guys want to have a good season."
Bulluck agreed and said the Titans have no reason to gloat.
"Why would anyone on this team walk around poking their chest out?" he said. "We've only played four games and we have a long stretch to go."
But there is a gray area between being an underdog and gloating, right?
"We're not going to change that mentality. We're not going to get excited. We're not going to read too deep into anything," Bulluck said. "We're not going to do any of the above. Why should we?"
Hey, we're asking the questions.
"Just because people are starting to say good things about us doesn't mean we're going to change up. There's no reason to. … I remember when the bandwagon was empty," he said. "Hey, if they're still talking about us in December, that's even better."