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Tennessee Titans are on the road Sunday to take on the Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans (3-2) at Seattle Seahawks (4-1)

Sunday, October 13th, 2013 | 3:05pm CDT
CenturyLink Field | Seattle, WA | TV: CBS

Tennessee TitansNashville, TN – After playing three consecutive home games, the Tennessee Titans (3-2) go on the road this week to face the Seattle Seahawks (4-1), leaders of the NFC West. Kickoff at CenturyLink Field (capacity 67,000) is scheduled for 1:05pm PDT/3:05pm CDT on Sunday, October 13th.

This week’s game will be televised regionally on CBS, including Nashville affiliate WTVF News-Channel 5. Greg Gumbel will handle play-by-play duties while Dan Dierdorf provides analysis.

Tennessee Titans tight end Delanie Walker (82) leaps for yardage against Kansas City Chiefs free safety Kendrick Lewis (23) during the second half at LP Field. Kansas City won 26-17. (Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports)
Tennessee Titans tight end Delanie Walker (82) leaps for yardage against Kansas City Chiefs free safety Kendrick Lewis (23) during the second half at LP Field. Kansas City won 26-17. (Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports)

The Titans Radio Network, including Nashville flagship 104.5 The Zone, will broadcast the game across the Mid-South with the “Voice of the Titans” Mike Keith, analyst Frank Wycheck, sideline reporter Cody Allison and game day host Larry Stone.

Last Week Against The Chiefs

Tennessee TitansThe Titans hosted the Kansas City Chiefs last week and fell by a final score of 26-17. After falling behind 13-0, the Titans scored 17 consecutive points in the second half before losing the lead in the fourth quarter.

Ryan Fitzpatrick made his first start in a Titans uniform, taking over for injured starting quarterback Jake Locker, who will miss this week’s game as well with hip and knee injuries. Fitzpatrick, who was signed as a free agent early in the off season following a four-year stint in Buffalo, completed 21 of 41 passes for 247 yards, including a creative toss to Chris Johnson that resulted in a 49-yard touchdown. The ninth-year veteran quarterback scored the other touchdown for the Titans on a nine-yard run.

Meanwhile, the Titans defense was stout for most of the afternoon. The unit allowed the Chiefs to convert only one out of 12 third-down attempts, a rate of 8.3 percent that was a single game best for the team since Thanksgiving 2008 at the Detroit Lions.

The Titans also limited the Chiefs to one touchdown in four trips inside the 20. Among the 32 NFL clubs in 2013, the Titans defense ranks ninth overall (321.2 yards per game).

However, the one touchdown allowed by the defense, combined with four Kansas City field goals, was enough in the end for the Chiefs after benefitting on an early Titans special teams miscue. Kansas City’s first punt of the game caromed off the foot of Damian Williams and into the end zone, where it was recovered by the Chiefs for a touchdown.

The Seahawks

Seattle SeahawksThe Titans are attempting this week to do something no team has done in more than a season—defeat the Seahawks in Seattle. The Seahawks have won 10 consecutive games at CenturyLink Field. Their last loss there was December 24th, 2011.

The 2013 Seahawks own a one-game lead in their division on the San Francisco 49ers, despite dropping last week’s matchup to the Colts in Indianapolis. Like the Titans, they let a fourth quarter lead slip away after gaining control with a pair of touchdown passes by Russell Wilson and four field goals by Steven Hauschka. It was Seattle’s first defeat in the regular season since November 25th, 2012, ending a run of nine straight regular-season wins.

The Seahawks are in their fourth season under the direction of head coach Pete Carroll. Since his arrival, the Seahawks are 29-24, and they earned playoff berths in two of his three seasons on the sidelines.

Wilson’s ascent has been rapid since he entered the NFL in 2012 as a third-round pick from Wisconsin. As a rookie, he tied Peyton Manning’s 1998 record for most touchdown passes by a rookie (26) and set a club record with a 100.0 passer rating. He started every game and was selected to the Pro Bowl.

The Seahawks also field one of the league’s best defenses. Through five weeks, they are ranked sixth overall and third in passing defense. Their secondary is led by a pair of Associated Press All-Pro performers: safety Earl Thomas and cornerback Richard Sherman.

Titans-Seahawks Series At A Glance

  • Overall series (regular & postseason): Seahawks lead 9-6
  • Regular season series: Seahawks lead series 9-5
  • Postseason series: Titans lead series 1-0
  • Total points: Titans 284, Seahawks 298
  • Current streak: One win by Titans
  • Titans at home vs. Seahawks: 4-3
  • Titans on the road vs. Seahawks: 2-6
  • Longest winning streak by Titans: 3 (1981-87)
  • Longest losing streak by Titans: 5 (1994-05)
  • Titans vs. Seahawks at LP Field: 0-1
  • Last time at LP Field: Seahawks 28 at Titans 24 (12/18/05)
  • Titans vs. Seahawks at CenturyLink Field: 1-0
  • Last time at CenturyLink Field: Titans 17 at Seahawks 13 (1/3/10)
  • First time: Oilers 22 at Seahawks 10 (11/20/77)
  • Mike Munchak’s record vs. Seahawks: 0-0
  • Pete Carroll’s record vs. Titans: 1-1 (including 0-1 with NY Jets and 1-0 with New England)
  • Mike Munchak’s record vs. Pete Carroll: 0-0

A Titans Victory Would

  • Give the Titans two wins in three road games in 2013.
  • Improve Mike Munchak’s career record as a head coach to 19-19.
  • Give quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick a 25-44-1 career record as a starter.

What To Look For This Week

K Rob Bironas can play in his 134th consecutive game, which would tie Gregg Bingham for sixth place on the franchise’s all-time list.

RB Chris Johnson can record the 34th 100-yard rushing game of his career.

RB Chris Johnson needs one touchdown to become the fourth player in franchise history with 50 touchdowns, joining Eddie
George (74), Earl Campbell (73) and Charlie Hennigan (51).

RB Chris Johnson (8,915 scrimmage yards) needs 85 scrimmage yards to become the third player in franchise history to reach 9,000 scrimmage yards, joining Eddie George and Earl Campbell.

WR Nate Washington can extend his streak of consecutive games with at least one reception to 84 (70 games with the Titans).

WR Damian Williams needs one reception to reach 100 for his career.

WR Kendall Wright needs 10 receptions to reach 100 for his career and 108 receiving yards to reach 1,000 for his career.

Titans-Seahawks Series History

The Titans and Seahawks have met 15 times during the regular season and postseason. The Seahawks now lead the series 9-6, although the Titans have won the lone playoff game between the clubs. Seattle won five consecutive games and seven out of eight until the Titans won the last time they met.

In the most recent matchup, the Titans traveled to CenturyLink Field for the 2009 season finale (January 3rd, 2010) and battled to a 17-13 victory. Running back Chris Johnson’s final carry of his historic day resulted in a one-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter to give the Titans the win. Earlier in the game, Johnson became the sixth player in NFL history to reach 2,000 rushing yards in a season, and he also set a new NFL record with 2,509 yards from scrimmage in a season.

On the road against the Seahawks, the Titans own a 2-6 record, although the first seven games were played at the Kingdome. CenturyLink Field opened in 2002. Prior to the 2010 finale, the Titans last traveled to the Emerald City in 1998 and were defeated when a 48-yard Todd Peterson field goal with one second remaining gave the Seahawks a 20-18 win. Oilers kicker Al Del Greco’s 42-yard field goal had previously given Houston the lead with 33 seconds to go.

The Seahawks began play as an expansion team in the NFC West in 1976. One season later, they were moved to the AFC West and played the then-Houston Oilers for the first time. The Oilers won the initial meeting (Nov. 20) by a 22-10 final score.

In a 1987 Wild Card Playoff game, the Oilers defeated the Seahawks at the Astrodome 23-20 in overtime. It was the Oilers’ first playoff victory since the 1979 season.

The 2009 finale was the second meeting between the teams since the Seahawks migrated from the AFC West to the NFC West to begin the 2002 season, when the league was realigned to eight four-team divisions. On December 18th, 2005, the only time the Titans and Seahawks have played at LP Field, the Titans overcame an early 14-0 deficit and temporarily took the lead by scoring 24 consecutive points. Quarterback Steve McNair passed for 310 yards and two touchdowns to Drew Bennett. However, Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck’s two second-half touchdown passes provided the difference in a 28-24 finish.

Titans-Seahawks: The Last Meeting

Tennessee Titans 17 at Seattle Seahawks 13
Sunday, January 3rd, 2010
CenturyLink Field, Seattle, WA

1 2 3 4 Final
Tennessee Titans 7 0 3 7 17
Seattle Seahawks 0 7 3 3 13

 

The Titans entered their 2009 regular season finale in Seattle with two goals: defeat the Seahawks to finish with an 8-8 record, and help running back Chris Johnson achieve several historic statistical milestones. They succeeded on both fronts, winning 17-13 as Johnson reached 2,000 rushing yards on the season and set a new NFL record for yards from scrimmage.

The Titans jumped out to a lead on their first drive of the game, when, on fourth-and-one from Seattle’s six-yard line, Johnson rushed left for a touchdown. He totaled 35 rushing yards and 10 receiving yards on the drive.

Early in the second quarter, the Seahawks tied the game after a fiveplay, 72-yard drive. Matt Hasselbeck found tight end John Carlson for a six-yard touchdown pass.

The Titans had a chance to go into halftime with a lead, but a 47-yard field goal attempt by Rob Bironas sailed left. Instead, they fell behind 10-7 early in the third quarter on a 35-yard field goal by Seahawks kicker Olindo Mare.

The Titans responded with a scoring drive, moving the ball 50 yards on 14 plays before Bironas booted a 47-yard field goal.

The Titans committed their second costly turnover of the game late in the third quarter. Johnson fumbled at the Tennessee 16-yard line, and safety Deon Grant recovered the ball at the 31. Nine plays later, Mare kicked a 20-yard field goal to give the Seahawks a 13-10 lead early in the fourth quarter.

Two plays into the ensuing Titans possession, Johnson’s 62-yard touchdown run was called back due to a holding penalty. That would have put Johnson well over the 2,000-yard mark, but instead he crossed the barrier on a four-yard run later in the series.

With less than seven minutes remaining in the game, a 19-yard punt by Seattle’s Jon Ryan resulted in the Titans starting a drive on the Seahawks’ 28-yard line. Five plays later, Johnson scored on a one-yard run that would be the final score of the game.

Hasselbeck helped the Seahawks make a late surge, but with 1:19 on the clock, Titans linebacker Gerald McRath intercepted a pass intended for Justin Forsett at the Tennessee 21-yard line.

Johnson totaled 36 carries for 134 yards and three receptions for 20 yards. In the second quarter, he broke Marshall Faulk’s 1999 record of 2,429 yards from scrimmage. Johnson also passed Earl Campbell’s 1980 single-season franchise rushing record of 1,934 yards, and his 11th consecutive 100-yard rushing game tied Marcus Allen for second all-time, trailing only Barry Sanders’ 14-game streak in 1997.

Quarterback Vince Young completed 17 of 28 passes for 171 yards. His leading receiver, Nate Washington, caught six passes for 83 yards.

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