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GAME DAY PREVIEW Game time: 8:20pm ET Oakland (6-6-0) at Tennessee (9-3-0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Records
Their first nationally televised regular-season game resulted in a 17-0 loss at Miami on Nov. 7, their first shutout in 10 years. Their second national game comes Thursday night when they play host to the Oakland Raiders (6-6) at their new home, Adelphia Coliseum. "This is the biggest game here of the year as far as exposure around the country," Titans coach Jeff Fisher said. This is the team's first prime-time game at home since leaving Houston. And it offers the Titans (9-3) a chance to regroup from Sunday's 41-14 loss at Baltimore, their worst loss in two years. The Titans, who haven't made the playoffs since 1993, also want to prove they are no fluke. "This team has not gotten the credit we deserve, but we're not worried about that," quarterback Steve McNair said. "We want to show what this team is made of. We're a great football team. We deserve the attention." Adelphia, in just five home games, already has a reputation as one of the NFL's loudest stadiums. Oakland coach Jon Gruden, who worked as a graduate assistant at the University of Tennessee, used machines at practice Tuesday and Wednesday to prepare his Raiders for the din that prompted complaints by the St. Louis Rams to the NFL. "I know how those people are down there," Gruden said. "They're passionate about their football." This is a critical game for both teams. Oakland pulled within two games of Seattle in the AFC West by beating the Seahawks 30-21. Tennessee is two games behind Jacksonville in the AFC Central. "Everybody's winning in the AFC for some reason and whipping everyone in the NFC, getting those extra wins," Titans linebacker Barron Wortham said. "We've got to win in December. If you don't, you'll find yourself sitting at home." The Titans are limping into December. Their passing attack hasn't produced a touchdown since Halloween, and McNair has thrown for less than 200 yards in five of the Titans' last seven games. That coincides with Yancey Thigpen missing the last three games with an ankle injury. "We feel like Steve McNair doesn't have a guy he can really count on as a receiver with Yancey being out," cornerback Charles Woodson said. "We're going to try and take their receivers out of the game." Eddie George, though having his best year as a receiver, also has topped 100 yards rushing only three times this season. But Gruden doesn't buy into the doom and gloom. He pointed to several mistakes in the Ravens' loss that he called "uncharacteristic." "When you play a team coming off a loss, you expect to get some guys' attention that are going to come out and be focused and ready to play," he said. Fisher is worried about Oakland's offense, which dumps the ball off so quickly that his pass rush, led by rookie Jevon Kearse, might not be fast enough to stop Rich Gannon. The Raiders' quarterback also has recovered from the thigh injury that kept him in the pocket against Seattle last week. The key might hinge on which quarter the Titans and Raiders decide to play. Tennessee has outscored opponents only in the first quarter; Oakland has dominated the third only to lose games in the fourth.
"Hopefully, we can switch the third and fourth quarters around
and not give up any points in that quarter of the game," Woodson
said.
Records source: STATS, Inc. Copyright 1999 STATS, Inc. Commercial distribution without the express written consent of STATS is prohibited. | ALSO SEE NFL Scoreboard Oakland Clubhouse Tennessee Clubhouse Thursday preview
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