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Young guides Titans past Saints

Sep 25, 2007 - 5:24 AM NEW ORLEANS (Ticker) -- Vince Young got the best of Reggie Bush again in a head-to-head matchup.

Young threw two touchdown passes to lead the Tennessee Titans to a 31-14 victory over the stumbling New Orleans Saints on Monday night.

The Titans also got a stellar second-half performance from their defense, which intercepted Saints quarterback Drew Brees four times - three by middle linebacker Keith Bulluck - and left New Orleans staggered and winless at 0-3.

"This was a gratifying win from this standpoint: This was a team victory," Titans coach Jeff Fisher said. "We got contributions from everybody, and we thought we were going to need them tonight."

While Tennessee (2-1) is just a two-point loss to Super Bowl champion Indianapolis from being undefeated, the Saints are in a stunning free fall.

The defending NFC South champs, who reached the conference title game last season, have been outscored, 103-38, in their three games.

"It's not the same as last year," Bush said. "We're just not playing good football right now. We've got a lot of things we've got to improve."

Playing their home opener provided a cause for optimism for the Saints, who seemed to regain their footing by taking a 14-10 lead midway through the third quarter.

It was shortlived as Young, who guided Texas to a 41-38 victory over Bush and Southern California in the 2006 Rose Bowl, led the Titans to the go-ahead touchdown on the ensuing possession.

"The best thing was that we fell behind and nobody panicked," Fisher said. "We just made the plays we had to."

Tennessee's defense then forced four turnovers by Brees on his final four possessions, including a 61-yard interception return by Vincent Fuller to put the game out of reach, 31-14, with 2:39 to play.

Up until the fourth quarter, this was very much a ballgame," Brees said. "After they took the interception back for a touchdown it got out of reach, but up until that point we were fighting for a win.

"We are too good of a team, and too many character guys. We do have a window of opportunity here. We don't know how long that window is and we have to take advantage of it while it is here."

Bulluck had two of his interceptions in the final nine minutes, giving him 14 career picks.

"I called myself Mr. Monday Night (the week before the game)," Bulluck said. "I've been in these situations before. I just think if you can get it done on 'Monday Night Football,' you can't ever get it done. I backed it up."

Bush scored two touchdowns on a pair of 1-yard runs, but he was limited to just 15 yards rushing on seven carries for New Orleans, which lost running back Deuce McAllister to a left knee injury in the second quarter. He will be re-examined Tuesday.

"I'll know more about it tomorrow," Saints coach Sean Payton said. "Obviously it is disappointing to lose a player like him. We had to go on without him."

Young, meanwhile, finished 14-of-22 for 164 yards with the two TD passes and one interception for Tennessee (2-1). He added 21 yards rushing on five attempts and continually moved the Titans up and down the field.

Brees completed 29-of-45 passes for 225 yards and the four picks, and he also had a costly fumble that turned the momentum in Tennessee's favor.

After LenDale White capped a nine-play, 57-yard drive with a 1-yard plunge to give the Titans a 17-14 lead with 5:36 left in the third quarter, Tennessee's defense came up big on the opening play of the fourth quarter.

With the Saints on the move, defensive end Travis LaBoy stripped Brees and defensive tackle Randy Starks recovered at the Titans 49.

"I'm pleased with our defense. We've improved, but we still have a lot of things we can improve on," Fisher said. "We had some chances to get off the field and we didn't, but the turnovers helped a lot. We tackled well. This week we emphasized tackling well, and the guys responded, especially in open-field situations."

Ten plays later, Young connected with tight end Bo Scaife on a 3-yard scoring pass to push the lead to 24-14 with 8:55 to play, putting New Orleans in a precarious position since Fisher entered with a 42-2 record when leading heading into the fourth quarter.

"We stayed poised. Our defense did a great job getting a big stop," Young said. "We played together last year, everybody believes in each other. The offense can do it, the defense can do it, the special teams can do it."

The Saints were fortunate to be within 10-7 at halftime.

The Titans had the ball for 21 plays in the first quarter while holding New Orleans without a first down, but only managed a 33-yard field goal by Rob Bironas for a 3-0 lead.

A curious decision by Payton opened the door for the first touchdown of the game.

On 4th-and-1 from their own 45 in the final minute of the opening quarter, the Saints elected to go for it, but Brees overthrew his receiver, giving Tennessee great field position.

"I take responsibility for going for it on fourth down in the first half," Payton said. "I am just trying to create some momentum. It had been something we have lacked."

The Titans needed just six plays to cash in, with Young hitting Brandon Jones on a 35-yard scoring pass to make it 10-0 with 12:55 left in the opening half.

New Orleans finally got untracked on its final drive of the half, going 62 yards in 11 plays. Brees hit Marques Colston with a 37-yard pass, and a roughing-the-passer call against defensive lineman Antwan Odom kept the drive alive.

Bush swept around the right side from 1 yard out to cut the deficit to 10-7 with a minute to play.

Young trotted off the field and to the locker room at that point, moments after he was thrown to the turf and seemed to suffer an injury to his wrist or throwing hand.

"He got dehydrated," Fisher said. "We got him an IV, he came back and was fine."