Titans notes: Vikings’ Frerotte mad at Vanden Bosch

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Gus Frerotte claims the roughing the passer penalty called on Tennessee Titans defensive lineman Kyle Vanden Bosch was more than just a late hit — he claims it was a dirty play.

Frerotte said Vanden Bosch’s hit was to the groin area, calling it a cheap shot, something the Titans Pro Bowl defensive end denied.

“It was a direct shot. That isn’t called for in this game,” Frerotte said. “To just spear somebody like that is pretty ridiculous. I mean, he plays hard and he goes all out, but he wants to do those kinds of things. I’ve been playing this game a long time, and to me, that’s no different than coming off the side and hitting you in the knee without anybody touching you. Those kinds of things just can’t happen.”

Vanden Bosch said not only that it can’t happen, but from his perspective, it didn’t.

“I hit quarterbacks a hundred times a year,” Vanden Bosch said. “All I did was hit the quarterback. You’ve got a small window where you can hit the quarterback. I did not hit him below the knees, I hit him in the thigh, and that’s where the rule book tells me to hit the quarterback. I’m not a dirty player, but if that’s his opinion then he’s entitled to it.”

Frerotte, who also suffered a cut on his left hand that required two stitches, said he had Vikings trainer Eric Sugarman call his wife to let her know that he was OK.

“When I came in [to the locker room] I asked Sugarman to call my wife and, you know, tell her that everything was OK because it probably looked pretty bad on TV,” Frerotte said. “She said, ‘Oh, I’m glad’ and then she said ‘How’s his, you know, whatever?’ He said it’s fine.”

IN THE GROOVE: Titans quarterback Kerry Collins was solid in his third straight start, completing 18 of 35 passes for 199 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions.

Collins’ two best attributes Sunday were that he knew when to throw the ball away, as he avoided any sacks from a formidable Minnesota defensive line, and that he gave receivers Justin Gage, Justin McCareins and Brandon Jones an opportunity to run after the catch.

Gage, who missed last week’s game with a groin injury, was particularly effective with five catches for 92 yards.

“With a veteran quarterback like that, it’s not hard to get on the same page with him,” Gage said. “He knows exactly what he’s seeing and he puts the ball in a great place for you. It was just a chance to go out there and make plays.”

Collins said Gage provides a nice big target for him to throw to.

“I’ve got a real comfort level with Justin. He’s a big guy. He’s lanky. He can run and I put the ball in spots where he can go get it,” Collins said. “He’s a guy that gives you separation and a chance to throw the ball. The same thing with McCareins. I think he’s playing well, and Brandon Jones, too.”

As for the run-after-catch yards on several plays, Collins said, “It’s definitely something we preach, and these guys have the ability to do it. They can break a tackle or make a guy miss and when you can do that, it obviously gives you those chunk plays that everyone looks for.”

THIRD DOWN DROP-OFF: The Titans were strong on third down in the first half, going 5 of 9, but faded in the second half, converting only 1 of 8 third-down chances after halftime.

“We’ve definitely got to do better at not having those lulls,” said running back Chris Johnson, who finished with 61 yards on 17 carries, including two touchdowns.

DREAM PLAY: When Johnson took a first-quarter pitch from Collins for Tennessee’s first touchdown from a yard out, he was helped into the end zone by a crushing block from fullback Ahmard Hall on Vikings safety Eric Frampton.

“That was a fullback’s dream block,” Hall said. “You’re coming out there and your running back is right behind you. You’ve got a one-on-one and everybody is looking at you to make that key block, and you smash the guy. It can’t get any better than that.”

THANK YOU: Albert Haynesworth had two of the Titans’ four sacks Sunday, including one at the end of the game on Tarvaris Jackson, who replaced Frerotte for the final series. Haynesworth said the sack he got on Jackson was a gift, and he told the third-year quarterback just that.

“He was kind of just running around not really knowing much,” Haynesworth said. “It was just kind of a free sack that he gave me. I thanked him while I was on him, because that was just kind of a gift. That’s probably one of the longest sacks, and he just gave it to me, but, hey, I’ll take it.”

INJURIES: Cornerback Reynaldo Hill did not finish the game and had his hamstring iced down on the sideline in the second half.

WANTING MORE: Gage made a catch on fourth-and-2 from Collins in the first half that eventually set up a LenDale White 1-yard touchdown. The spot of Gage’s catch, placed inside the 1, was challenged by the Vikings, but not overruled.

“I knew I had the first down,” Gage said. “I was fighting to get in the end zone.”

Asked how many times he was hit on the play as he tried for forward progress, Gage said with a laugh, “I counted 23.”

ALMOST: The Titans’ opening drive was an impressive 11-play, 74-yard march, but they wound up settling for Rob Bironas’ 20-yard field goal. On third-and-goal, Collins hit rookie tight end Craig Stevens in the back of the end zone for what would have been a touchdown, but he could only get one foot in bounds, stepping on the end line.

“I just ran the route a little too deep,” Stevens said. “I was just focusing on the ball, and I was kind of unaware of where my legs were. I was thinking touchdown, but I just ran the route a little too deep. It was a great throw, and I was wide open, but I just ran the route a little too deep.”

SCOOP AND SCORE?: When David Thornton knocked the ball free from Minnesota’s Naufahu Tahi in the first quarter, linebacker Stephen Tulloch, in his first game as a full-time starter, fell on the ball, then realized he was untouched and began to run. He was tackled after a 4-yard gain and later admitted he thought about trying to pick the ball up and run in one motion.

“I didn’t know where everybody was around me. My first instinct was just to lay on it and cover it up and then try to go,” Tulloch said. “But if I had to do it over again, I would probably try to scoop and score. But there will be a lot more opportunities, and we won, so it’s all good.”