Young sees first action since opening game

DETROIT _ The Tennessee Titans saw something they had not seen in nearly three months on Thursday _ Vince Young in the offensive huddle.

Young entered the game in mop-up duty for Kerry Collins with 8:51 remaining in the Titans’ 47-10 victory over the Detroit Lions at Ford Field.

The former starter, who has been relegated to backup status since an injured knee and subsequent off-the-field episode that involved police searching for him, came in and immediately found his old University of Texas teammate Ahmard Hall who galloped downfield for a 54-yard gain to the Lions’ 23. Though penalties would eventually back the Titans up to midfield and nullify a second Young completion on the drive, the Titans did manage Rob Bironas’ fourth field goal of the game off the drive, a 43-yarder to account for the final margin.

“We were joking when he walked out onto the field,” running back LenDale White said. “We looked at each other and laughed, and he came in the huddle and said, ‘Hey, haven’t seen you guys in a while.’”

Young declined interview requests from the Nashville media in attendance at the game, instead choosing only to speak in generalities to a radio reporter from Westwood One.

“Every game we’re going to get better and better. All we’ve got to do is take it one game at a time,” Young said. “It’s a long season, but overall, to me, I think we’re doing a pretty good job, even though we had a bad loss last week, but at the same time, we got back to where we wanted to be, running the ball and moving the ball down the field. I’m pretty sure our coaches are pretty proud about that.”

Offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger was glad to be in a position to have Young and other backups finish the game.

‘We were far enough ahead that it was good to give him a chance to get in there and go out and have some fun,” Heimerdinger said.

Added Coach Jeff Fisher, “I thought it was great. It was great to get him out there, and he did good. Even though the second completion was called back, he got out there and found [Lavelle Hawkins] on the boundary and it was a good throw. As we’ve said, he’s been in the plan, and he’s there if we need him.”

ON THE BALL: While most people enjoyed turkey on Thanksgiving, defensive end Dave Ball was quite happy instead to have a dying quail.

After linebacker Keith Bulluck blitzed Lions quarterback Daunte Culpepper, Culpepper lofted a floating pass toward the line of scrimmage that fell right into Ball’s awaiting arms. He sidestepped a Lions player and went unscathed for a 15-yard touchdown and a 21-3 lead.

“Back in pee wee days, I played a little running back, so shaking and baking a guy like that is relatively easy for me,” Ball joked after scoring his first touchdown since high school.

As he crossed the goal line, Ball, who also had a sack in the game, flapped his arms before celebrating the score with Bulluck.

“That’s the flying turkey,” Ball said of the celebration. “In the locker room Vince was asking me if I had anything cooked up, so I did a little turkey dance for him, and I think that was in the back of my head.”

NO SYMPATHY: With only four games standing between the Lions and the worst season in NFL history, the Titans said they had little mercy for their woeful opponent and their unenviable situation.

“I’m not sympathetic to nothing,” White said. “They’ve got a front office. They’ve got a coaching staff that’s trying to make them better. They’ve got great talent over there. It’s just that somebody needs to find a way to put it all together.”

Defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth agreed, adding, “We all have the same cap number and the same number of players on the roster and same scouts and stuff like that. So, no, not at all.”

Still, the Titans did dial things down once the game got out of hand. Even so, it was the franchise’s largest margin of victory over an opponent since a 58-14 win over Cleveland in 1990.

“It definitely could have been worse. I don’t even know if they should have gotten that seven points, but things happen,” linebacker Keith Bulluck said.

Heimerdinger admitted that in the second half, the Titans were content to simply run the football with the game well in hand.

“We actually had more play action passes scripted, but we just kind of took the air out of the ball,” Heimerdinger said.

HONORS: Four Titans _ Kevin Mawae, Albert Haynesworth, LenDale White and Chris Johnson _ had trophies from CBS analyst Phil Simms for being the game’s Iron Men. They also got a taste of a blackberry cobbler for their work.

Center Kevin Mawae, who has been a part of Simms’ All-Iron Man team at the end of the year in years past, said he has been lobbying quarterback Chris Simms, Phil’s son, for some sort of accolade on the team.

“I got to eat the blackberry pie,” Mawae said. “I’ve been working with Chris since he came on the roster. I made it a point to make sure he talks to his dad [about me]. So I shamelessly campaigned for this one.”

Haynesworth seemed to be happier about the pie than the trophy.

“I’ll put [the trophy] up on the mantel with my spoon,” Haynesworth said. “I forgot about it for a second, but then they told me, and I saw the blackberry cobbler, I said, ‘Oh, yeah.’”

INJURIES: Cornerback Nick Harper, back after missing two games with a foot injury, left for a time in the first half with a twisted left ankle, but returned to finish the game.

Haynesworth banged his knee and limped off, but was able to return. Donnie Nickey also was shaken up, but managed to finish the game.

TOUGH DAY: After falling to 0-12 and suffering their worst Thanksgiving Day loss ever, Lions beleaguered coach Rod Marinelli was asked if he thought he would be fired after Thursday’s game.

‘No, I have no knowledge of any of that. I couldn’t tell you. I just don’t go there,” Marinelli said.

BOOTLEG: The Titans ran for 292 yards Thursday, and quarterback Kerry Collins had a part in that with a 12-yard scramble to the 2-yard line on a third-and-1 play-fake.

Collins ducked out of bounds as two Detroit defenders closed in on him, saying, "Oh, I thought about it for about split second and I guess I kind of figured I probably wouldn't have gotten in and considering where we were at in the game and everything."