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Johnson, Titans run away from Vikings

Sep 29, 2008 - 12:15 AM By Chip Cirillo PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

NASHVILLE, Tennessee (Ticker) -- Four turnovers turned into a 4-0 start for the Tennessee Titans.

The Titans recovered three fumbles and had one interception during a 30-17 win over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.

Rookie Chris Johnson rushed for a pair of touchdowns as Tennessee won its first four games for the first time in franchise history.

"It's great to be 4-0, but it's a long season," Titans cornerback Nick Harper said. "We're going to take those four and put them in the back pocket and start on the next four."

Tennessee turned three of the turnovers into 21 points by scoring on touchdown drives of 33, 11 and 6 yards.

"When you spot someone 21 points on the 11 to (33)-yard line and cut the field in half ? those are pivotal things," Vikings coach Brad Childress said. "Turnovers are the No. 1 statistic in our business."

Johnson scored the first two rushing touchdowns of his NFL career, LenDale White added a 1-yard TD run and Rob Bironas kicked three field goals to stymie Minnesota.

Quarterback Kerry Collins completed 18-of-35 passes for 199 yards for Tennessee, which bas reached the 30-point mark for the past two games.

"The way the defense is getting turnovers and getting them off the field was huge," Collins said. "It was a huge factor in the ballgame and we were able to capitalize on some of those turnovers. You can't count on them every game, but when you get them, obviously, you're happy."

Tennessee led most of the way, forcing Minnesota (1-3) to go to the air. Vikings quarterback Gus Frerotte completed 25-of-43 for 266 yards with one interception.

"Too many fumbles, too many penalties," Frerotte said. "You just can't do that. When you're playing in the NFL, those things are going to kill you. We put our defense in a hole a couple of times and we got too deep and couldn't get out of it."

Vikings halfback Adrian Peterson rushed for 80 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries.

"When you look back at the game, the story is the turnovers," Peterson said. "We had (four) turnovers, two of them inside the 20. You just can't have that, especially on the road in a hostile environment."

Tennessee's defense recorded four sacks, including two by tackle Albert Haynesworth.

"If you're fortunate to carry the lead toward the end of the game, you can rush the passer," Titans coach Jeff Fisher said. "That's what we've become and that's what we've been able to do."

Bironas kicked a 20-yard field goal to give the Titans a 3-0 lead on the game's first possession.

Titans middle linebacker Stephen Tulloch recovered Naufahu Tahi's fumble at the Vikings 33-yard line to set up the game's first TD.

Nine plays later, Johnson scored his first career rushing touchdown on a 1-yard pitch left to increase the Titans' lead to 10-0 with 4:05 left in the first quarter.

Minnesota (1-3) finally got untracked when Adrian Peterson scored on a 28-yard run down the right side, narrowing the gap to 10-7 on the first play of the second quarter.

Tennessee answered with Bironas' 32-yard field goal, increasing their lead to 13-7 with 10:19 left in the second quarter.

Tony Brown recovered Peterson's fumble and returned it to the Vikings 11 with 5:28 left in the second quarter, setting up the Titans' second TD.

Five plays later, White scored on a 1-yard run to boost the Titans' lead to 20-7 with 3:42 left in the first half. One player earlier, Justin Gage's 2-yard reception on a fourth-down pass from Collins kept the drive alive. Minnesota lost the challenge on the spot.

A 42-yard field goal by Minnesota's Ryan Longwell narrowed the deficit to 20-10 with 48 seconds left in the first half.

Bironas' third field goal, this one from 49 yards out, increased the Titans' lead to 23-10 with 6:54 left in the third quarter.

Peterson scored on a 3-yard run, narrowing the deficit to 23-17 with six minutes left.

Johnson clinched it with a 6-yard TD run with 3:40 left one play after Nick Harper's interception.