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Titans stifle Panthers for third win in a row

Nov 5, 2007 - 12:01 AM By Chip Cirillo PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

NASHVILLE, Tennessee (Ticker) - The Tennessee Titans didn't end their long wait for a shutout.

But behind another 100-yard rushing game from LenDale White, The Titans posted a 20-7 win over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday.

Tennessee won its third straight game and made it to the halfway point of the NFL season with a 6-2 record on Sunday.

Carolina (4-4) spoiled Tennessee's bid for its first shutout since 2000, when David Carr threw an 18-yard touchdown pass to Drew Carter, narrowing the deficit to 20-7 with 9:29 left.

"The shutout would have been big," Titans defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch said. "We feel like we're a very good defense, and we're looking for our first shutout, and it would have been nice to get one today."

Tennessee pressured Carr all day and sacked him seven times, including three by defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth in front of a sellout crowd of 69,143 at LP Field.

"Albert has been doing some amazing things this year, and today he had big numbers," Vanden Bosch said. "I personally haven't seen a defensive tackle doing the things he's done. He's dominating against both the run and the pass."

Carr was held in check as he completed 15-of-27 passes for 107 yards with one interception before leaving with 3:00 left after being shaken up by a hard tackle.

"This is my sixth time here, and this is the best Titans' defense I have played against by far," said Carr, who faced Tennessee twice a season when he was with the Houston Texans. "They gave us so many different looks early on that it was tough to get anything going. This is a good team. It is definitely the best defense we have played all year. They do a good job of giving you a couple of different front looks. That is where it all starts."

The Titans turned over the ball four times, but the Panthers didn't capitalize on any of them as Tennessee held Carolina to 191 yards in total offense.

White reached the 100-yard mark for the third consecutive game, rushing for 100 yards and one touchdown on 31 carries.

"In this game, the more you're out there, the better you feel and the more comfortable you get," White said. "And when you have an offensive line that is that good, all you've got to do is run through the holes and it makes my job 10 times easier. A lot of people said I couldn't do this, I couldn't do that. I'm just having fun out there."

White carried the ball eight times in the Titans' final scoring drive, going over from the 1-yard line to give Tennessee a 20-0 lead with 11:45 left and capping a 13-play, 86-yard march.

"He's a big guy," Carolina defensive end Julius Peppers said. "You give it to him 30 times, he wears people down and he's hard to bring down. He's a good back."

Carolina suffered its first road loss after winning at St. Louis, Atlanta, New Orleans and Arizona earlier in the season.

Good special teams plays in the return game set up the Titans' first two scores.

Chris Henry gave the Titans' great field position with a 46-yard return on the opening kickoff, putting the ball on the Tennessee 48. Ten plays later, the Titans took a 7-0 lead on a 3-yard run up the middle by Vince Young on 3rd-and-goal with 8:59 left in the first quarter.

Two possessions later, Chris Davis' 39-yard punt return set up Rob Bironas' 47-yard field goal that increased the Titans' lead to 10-0 with 2:06 left in the first quarter.

"I thought some of the return game early gave them some positive field position," Panthers coach John Fox said. "They went down and scored, and we weren't able to match that. We moved the ball some, but missed a field goal (that) I thought was critical right before the half."

With Carolina trailing, 10-0, with 9:49 left in the second quarter, John Kasay missed wide left on a 40-yard field goal.

Bironas made a 53-yard field goal, boosting Tennessee's lead to 13-0 as time expired in the first half.

Young, who hasn't thrown a touchdown pass since September, completed 14-of-23 passes for 110 yards and threw two interceptions for a dismal 36.5 quarterback rating.

"A lot of people forget this is still my second year," Young said. "Third year is going to be better, fourth year is going to be better, fifth year is going to be better and all this stuff that's going on about Vince can't do this and that is going to be behind me.

"And they're going to be like, 'OK, he's a great passer now.'"