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This will regrettably (or mercifully, whichever way you look at it) be the only time in our countdown we discuss Titans football from between 2010 and 2016.
So, if you’ll indulge me, I’ll now recap the entire seven-year stretch in exactly 100 words:
The Vince Young experiment fell apart. Jeff Fisher lost his job. Mike Munchak got promoted. Matt Hasselbeck QB1. The Titans didn't land Peyton Manning. Jake Locker QB1. Chris Johnson slowed down. Ryan Fitzpatrick QB1. Jurrell Casey emerged. Munchak got fired. Ken Whisenhunt came in. Charlie Whitehurst QB1. Zach Mettenberger QB1. Marcus Mariota QB1. Whisenhunt got fired. Mike Mularkey used the phrase "exotic smashmouth." New GM Jon Robinson drafted Jack Conklin, Derrick Henry and Kevin Byard. Delanie Walker and Taylor Lewan were cornerstones. Mariota seemed pretty good. And, uh, we need seven more words: the 2012 Lions game was friggin' sweet.
Anyway. Back to our regularly-scheduled programming and No. 24 on The Tennessean's best Tennessee Titans moments.
Sept. 22, 2013.
LP Field (now known as Nissan Stadium).
The Tennessee Titans are hosting the San Diego Chargers.
The Titans trail throughout, but Locker starts to show flashes of the promise the Titans saw in him when they drafted him No. 8 overall ahead of future Hall of Famers J.J. Watt and Tyron Smith in 2011. Locker leads an 11-play, 43-yard drive to cut the deficit to four points with six minutes left then, after the defense forces a punt, gets the ball back with 2:05 remaining.
What followed was Locker’s best drive as a Titan, navigating 94 yards in 1:50 to put the Titans back on top. The capper of it all was a 34-yard strike from Locker to receiver Justin Hunter for the go-ahead score, a play on which Hunter almost certainly got away with a push-off before high-pointing the ball and bringing in his first career touchdown on his first career catch.
Locker finished that day with 299 passing yards, a career-high 68 rushing yards and a touchdown through the air and ground. Not counting the aforementioned friggin’ sweet Lions game in 2012, this might’ve been Locker’s best game as a professional.
MUST READ: Ranking EVERY first-round quarterback drafted in NFL since 1970
UPDATE: Updating construction efforts, ticket sales for new Nissan Stadium at project's midpoint
What can we learn from this dazzling moment smack dab in the middle of a best-forgotten era of Titans football? There’s beauty in everything. Even let downs are capable of uplifting. And “exotic smashmouth” jokes are still a little bit funny.
Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at [email protected]. Follow Nick on X, the platform formerly called Twitter, @nicksuss.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee Titans WR Justin Hunter's first catch for TD, win vs Chargers
Continue reading...
So, if you’ll indulge me, I’ll now recap the entire seven-year stretch in exactly 100 words:
The Vince Young experiment fell apart. Jeff Fisher lost his job. Mike Munchak got promoted. Matt Hasselbeck QB1. The Titans didn't land Peyton Manning. Jake Locker QB1. Chris Johnson slowed down. Ryan Fitzpatrick QB1. Jurrell Casey emerged. Munchak got fired. Ken Whisenhunt came in. Charlie Whitehurst QB1. Zach Mettenberger QB1. Marcus Mariota QB1. Whisenhunt got fired. Mike Mularkey used the phrase "exotic smashmouth." New GM Jon Robinson drafted Jack Conklin, Derrick Henry and Kevin Byard. Delanie Walker and Taylor Lewan were cornerstones. Mariota seemed pretty good. And, uh, we need seven more words: the 2012 Lions game was friggin' sweet.
Anyway. Back to our regularly-scheduled programming and No. 24 on The Tennessean's best Tennessee Titans moments.
Sept. 22, 2013.
LP Field (now known as Nissan Stadium).
The Tennessee Titans are hosting the San Diego Chargers.
The Titans trail throughout, but Locker starts to show flashes of the promise the Titans saw in him when they drafted him No. 8 overall ahead of future Hall of Famers J.J. Watt and Tyron Smith in 2011. Locker leads an 11-play, 43-yard drive to cut the deficit to four points with six minutes left then, after the defense forces a punt, gets the ball back with 2:05 remaining.
What followed was Locker’s best drive as a Titan, navigating 94 yards in 1:50 to put the Titans back on top. The capper of it all was a 34-yard strike from Locker to receiver Justin Hunter for the go-ahead score, a play on which Hunter almost certainly got away with a push-off before high-pointing the ball and bringing in his first career touchdown on his first career catch.
Locker finished that day with 299 passing yards, a career-high 68 rushing yards and a touchdown through the air and ground. Not counting the aforementioned friggin’ sweet Lions game in 2012, this might’ve been Locker’s best game as a professional.
MUST READ: Ranking EVERY first-round quarterback drafted in NFL since 1970
UPDATE: Updating construction efforts, ticket sales for new Nissan Stadium at project's midpoint
What can we learn from this dazzling moment smack dab in the middle of a best-forgotten era of Titans football? There’s beauty in everything. Even let downs are capable of uplifting. And “exotic smashmouth” jokes are still a little bit funny.
Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at [email protected]. Follow Nick on X, the platform formerly called Twitter, @nicksuss.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee Titans WR Justin Hunter's first catch for TD, win vs Chargers
Continue reading...
