Quarterback Kerry Collins doesn’t want to endure on Saturday what Miami’s Chad Pennington did earlier this week.
Collins watched his TV in amazement as one of the league’s most disciplined quarterbacks was rendered useless by the Ravens, who forced four interceptions, including returning one for a touchdown. By the time the game was over, Pennington –the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year who was lauded for leading his team to the playoffs — was seated on the bench with his face buried in a towel.
“Obviously getting the turnovers that they’ve been getting, they’re making it difficult for teams to put drives together,” Collins said. “Schematically, they’re unique. In third-down situations, they’re bringing blitzes from a lot of different places. I don’t think we’re seeing any more exotic blitzes from anyone else.”
Collins, who like Pennington threw just seven interceptions during the regular season, isn’t afraid to face the Ravens on Saturday afternoon at 4:30 at LP Field in Nashville.
After all, Collins, who is trying to become the first quarterback to lead three teams to a postseason victory, had success the last time he faced the Ravens. The 36-year-old went 17-of-32 passing for 163 yards and capped a 13-10 victory by driving the team 80 yards for the game-winning touchdown on Oct. 5 at M&T Bank Stadium. This season, Collins has completed 242-of-415 passes for 2,676 yards and 12 touchdowns.
“He’s a guy who has lots of physical abilities,” linebacker Ray Lewis said. “He is a game manager — that’s why he has success. He doesn’t get sacked and he doesn’t throw interceptions.”
Still, the Titans know that any mistake can be costly against the Ravens, who led the NFL with 26 interceptions in the regular season, with safety Ed Reed grabbing a league-leading nine.
“Kerry has a good understanding of the game, he has a short memory and his experience has served him very well,” said Titans coach Jeff Fisher said. “Kerry is familiar with this defense. He understands he has a huge challenge and he has to be decisive, make the right decisions and not put the ball up where Ed or any of their other playmakers can get it.”
Collins does not dwell on the past, but he’ll never forget the worst game of his career when he threw four interceptions and had just a 7.1 quarterback rating while with the New York Giants in a 34-7 loss to the Ravens in Super Bowl XXXV. Collins said that while the Ravens defense this year is impressive, it’s not quite as good as the one that one from the 2000 season.
“They are similar, yes,” Collins said, “It’s hard to say any defense is better than the one I played in the Super Bowl. They were just phenomenal. This defense is very good in their own right but that defense will be the best I’ve ever played against.”
But Collins even being in the lineup for Saturday’s game was highly unlikely at the season’s outset. Last year,
Vince Young, who was regarded as the franchise’s future, led the Titans to a record of 10-6 before losing to the San Diego Chargers in the first round of the playoffs. Collins began the season as Young’s backup, until Young suffered a knee injury in the season opener against Jacksonville before his rash decisions off the field prompted Fisher to call local police to find the troubled quarterback. He’s spent the remainder of the season holding a clipboard as Collins has seized the spotlight.
“It certainly isn’t what I expected when I started this season,” Collins said. “But, I’m not surprised that we’ve been successful and had a good year.”
