 He extends the ball at the goal line. Did he get in? Henry to Peter. We got this thing rolling, so we get our fans to back us up. It's a big game, there's an opponent, so we hope everybody's there. We hope it's loud. We want them to feel everything from our fans screaming. It needs to be loud, it needs to be packed, it needs to be filled. It's code blue. It's a code blue Sunday. Get there, be loud, come code blue. It's code blue, so everybody come to the stadium. Wear your Titans blue, just like me. Come show up, so we can show out. Presented by Farm Your Health Plans, I am Lance Smith, but that is Eddie George. The towel waving, you must be excited. Man, listen, it's December Super Bowl. I like that talk. Yeah, just headed that way. Yes. One game at a time. That's all I want for Christmas, too. It's an amazing time. So this is it. This is fun, man. We just come off this huge win out in Oakland, where we handle business. Yeah. What an exciting time to be a Titans fan. Absolutely. And Titans player. It's meaning for football, playing for first place this week against a divisional opponent. It's your don't like in Houston. Right. So it should be as exciting times. Man, it's code blue, man. It's code blue. We're going to talk about that. But right now, let's kick off this show and do what we do. And right now, it's four down with Eddie. It's I've got Eddie here. This game, man, going into it, we were this excited, but we really put it to him. And first down here, Tannahill Rolls, Mr. AFC, offensive player of the week, Ryan Tannah. He's playing some inspired football. Man, I mean, you talk about getting second chances in life. He's taken full advantage of it, opportunity to guys playing lights out with seven and six and one as a starter. Six and one as a starter, yeah, yeah. 21 of 27 for almost 400 yards, three touchdowns and one blemish, but you know, the guy's been playing off the charts, man. Kudos to him. I'm just so happy for him and a great story. He is the hottest quarterback in the world right now. Absolutely. Highest quarterback rating, longest yards per pass. It's inspiring to watch. And the team is definitely rallying around in which we will talk more of. Moving on, though, to second down. It's not just Ryan. Next man up, you know, we've had some injuries in our secondary. Kari Blazingame, a new fullback that we acquired. Van Der Bilt for the Bandy guy. Van Der Bilt for the Bandy guy. Caught a beautiful pass down the sideline. And plus, you know, he's doing that first block stuff for Derek Henry. He's sort of the Swiss army knife of the team now. Well, he was like that at Van Der Bilt. I mean, the kid runs a four-four. He's highly motivated. He recognizes again that he has a great opportunity to be a force in this league. Extremely athletic and talented. Wait until you see him run the football. I mean, the kid is really good. Great addition to the Titans. Again, you talk about next man up. Well, unfortunately, this time of year, teams are getting banged up. And that's why on the back end of your roster, you want to have guys you can rely on like a Kari Blazingame, a Ty Smith, Khalif Raymond, all those guys that can play the game, come feel right in and not miss a beat. Yeah, and it's not just, OK, we can hold our own. I mean, Ty Smith for the second game in a row is a big part of a huge turnover, whether he's running it back in the block kick for the touchdown against the Colts. He knocked this ball out that Jayon Brown had the scoop and score. You know, I mean, they are. It is next man up in town. And that's what makes teams really special, or the guys that can do that. You know, Ty Smith, the guys that are unsung heroes, that fill in the gaps, that fill in. I mean, just doing a good job creating turnovers, creating plays for your team. I mean, that's what makes the teams super bowl, caliber type teams. And we're seeing elements of that coming together for the Tennessee Titans in December. Yeah, and we've talked so much about how well we're playing, and we've said this word a lot. Complimentary football, offense, defense. Let's talk about the defense. I love to talk about this defense. Dean Pease has got these guys dialed in. Jarell Casey, game wrecker back there. Simmons. LFA. LFA, as you like to call it. These guys are wreaking havoc, especially. And we are, hands down, the best second half team in the NFL, especially defensively. I don't know what goes on. I mean, can you tell me, you're a player. It's like 12 minutes and a half time. You know, what kind of changes can you really make? But our defense in the second half is mean. That's a testament to the coaching staff for Mike Vrable, Dean Pease, everybody else from that coaching staff of identifying what's going on in their defense. And they've been consistent all year long. And it's no surprise. They're still playing great. They've been the backbone of this team until the offense found their footing. And now they're playing lights out. When you see a team that's having fun on the sidelines, dancing, taking pictures in front of the camera after, after an interception, a turnover, that's when you know you got something special. And these guys are playing for each other. There's a genuine love among them. And that's what you're seeing right now. That's amazing to watch. Watch a couple of here and talk to us. But Logan Ryan. Logan Ryan, though, I mean, he, to me, is the defense of MVP because it really, I mean, we said all begins and ends with Jarrell. But Logan's playing all over the field. He led the team in tackles this week. He's, he's playing in spite of football. Well, he comes from a championship background from New England. He knows what it takes. This is meaning, this time of year is meaning for football. And Logan's been consistent all year long. In my opinion, should be first team all pro, outstanding guy. I mean, just this utility type player. And he's definitely one of the leaders of that defense. There were a couple of plays in this game specifically. And, you know, ultimately they didn't sort of lead anything. I mean, Oakland, Oakland would score. But there's a play, you were talking about it before the show started. Ryan Tannehill, you know, he, yeah, he throws the unfortunate pick because it was tipped and caught. But then what did Ryan do? There's one thing to make a play. Yeah. But there's another thing to do this. And when you see your quarterback run full speed down this defense is, watch this. This hurts to watch. Boom! Before the run finish. That's what gets you up out of your seat right there. That's what gets you amped up. It got, I mean, I want to come out of retirement and play for that guy. I'm serious, because when your quarterback does that, it just gets everybody amped up. Right? I mean, I'm excited. The defense excited. The running game's excited. The fans, Oakland fans were excited to see that. Well, I mean, just after that play, what Jayon Brown does, it's first in goal. And Jayon Brown gets his best Troy Palamolo, jumps over the line and tackles the guy. It's effort. And I know they score on that series anyway, because it's a short field for the defense. But those individual plays just show me this team is not backing down. They're not backing down. They're playing with energy. They're playing with love and passion. And they taste blood. They can see the finish line and it's real now. Now they control their own destiny. Of course, we want to get into the games and all that. But to go out to Oakland, coming off a big win against Indianapolis, that was a sleeper game. We talked about that. A true chat game. Came out slow, but 42 to 21. And Tanah Hill's playing lights out, defense, complimentary football. This team is special. It really is special. I'd say what? I think Eddie smells blood. I do. I can taste it all in my mouth. All right, you know what? 15 minutes can save you 15% or more on your car insurance with that. We'll go to our first break with our GEICO Fast 15, but stick around, Titans Blitz. We'll be right back. Who's got it to Brown? Brown at the 10, at the five, driving for the end zone. Top stepping up in trouble. Zack! He extends the ball at the goal line. Did he get in? Yes, he did. The Titans Blitz, presented by Farm Bureau Health Plans. It's now halftime here on the show. Take a break from the X's and O's and you know we got fans everywhere. Everywhere, all over the world. All over the world. But this week, I want you to check out this gentleman out in California. Here is Damien's story in this week's Bleed Blue. Damien Hefe grew up in Santa Cruz, California. He could have liked the Niners or the Chargers or the Raiders. But after seeing the Tennessee Titans go to the Super Bowl when he was eight years old, he had a team. Later, he even started a group called the California Titans fans. And they Bleed Blue. This week, they're in Oakland, California and it doesn't take a football connoisseur to know that this place is tough for opposing fans. With one of the toughest, rowdiest fan bases in sports, some fans don't dare step foot in the black hole. But Damien Hefe and his group of diehards are in town. Way to get in the parking lot. Let's go, baby. Ready to get in the parking lot right now? I'll take over, Oakland. The Titans fan, I was always alone. And I started this page, trying to just get together with people, meet up at bars, represent. And man, what it's turned into now with the tailgates, just the crazy meetups they have in LA, Northern California, man, it's growing. We have over 600 people. Yeah, don't think California Titans fans were hiding in the back of the parking lot. Don't think we're scared, we're in the corner. Now, we're riding the thick of things. You know what I mean? We're right there representing, right front of everybody, we're never scared. These guys, they don't intimidate me. There's nothing to me. And it's nothing to any of my guys. And you know, we're putting us on the map. We're definitely invading every West Coast stadium, Oakland, Frisco, any stadium. We're never scared. Never scared. Oakland, they talk about it, but hey, man, we're here, California Titans fans. He extends the ball at the goal line. Did he get in? Henry to Peter. Touchdown. Let's go, baby. Yeah, I thought it was easy being a Titans fan, especially out here at Raider Nation. But you know, sorry that these guys are going to Vegas, but it is what it is. We're going to come here and take this duck. Here's Smith opening the end zone. Janu Smith, touchdown, Titans. Yeah, so the reputation of Raider Nation, the black hole, you know, the scariest place to be. But I ain't scared, never scared, man. Coming in here, see a blue. Me and my crew, California Titans fans, are coming here and invading. Never scared. Anywhere, I'll go. I ain't scared, nobody. As the Titans come to the West Coast, and get it done again. Titan fans right here at Raider Nation, never be scared. You better cheer, you better be loud, you better represent. I love it. Bring that energy here. We're going to need it this Sunday. Can you believe though, that's the last Titans game in Oakland? I know. You know, it's sad. Yeah. I'm a football enthusiast, so I love the tradition of football, especially out in Oakland. Yeah. Oh, I played out there. Right. Great fan base, and I feel really bad for the community of Oakland, losing their football team. And they still showed up to every single game this year, regardless. Fascinating story. You know who I feel good for, though. That's Titan fans. Yes, sir. Yeah. All right, we got a big game coming up this Sunday. You saw that energy out in Oakland. We're going to talk about energy here at Nissan Stadium in Nashville. On the other side, keys to victory coming up. Don't go away, Titans Clips. We'll be right back. Welcome back to the Titans Clips presented by Farm Bureau Health Plan. I'm Lance. He's Eddie. It is now the two-minute warning here on the show. And we've got a code blue coming up here at Nissan Stadium. We've got to pack the house with the blue, with the energy, with the noise. But we've got to talk about what the players need to do on the field. So first up, contain Watson. Yeah, we don't have a point of reference this year. It's the first time we play the Texas this year. That's so weird. Which is very weird. Back into the season, we play him twice in three weeks. And listen, I thought the last game, the Texas play, they were shelling themselves, obviously. Looked like they partied the night before. Against the Broncos. Yeah, they got demolished. And they're going to come in here dialed in. So you know that. So Nissan Watson is the key A number one guy. In my opinion, probably the most lethal quarterback in the league in terms of running and throwing. Better than Lamar Jackson. And it's a different story for a different day. He can put up points like no other. And we're going to have to contain him always. So we're going to have to keep a spy on him. Yeah, Blitz. Let me just mix it up. Yeah, Dean Pease has done an amazing job of that all season, I think, in disguising as Blitz packages. You don't know what's coming. But yeah, definitely contain him. All right, well, moving on, another guy that you got to keep your eye on the whole time. Dundry Hopkins is lighting it up. He's already got over 1,000 yards in the season. Seven receptions a game. He's got seven touchdowns. Average is 11 yards of reception. He's a bad boy. He can stretch the field, yeah. And he does a lot of crossing routes. He is a bad boy. So we've got to know where he is at all times. I can watch games against the Texans, and you see him get open. You're like, how do you let a guy like that get open? But he does, and he will. So how? I mean, listen, you throw that ball in a six foot radius. It is. And I think our defensive backs are up for the challenge. Logan Ryan, I think they all understand that Hopkins to Sean Watson is a huge deal. So you've got to force other guys to make plays. And again, it's going to be one of those games where they're going to have to make great adjustments on the fly, because we haven't seen them this year. And we don't know how well we match it. But listen, one of our strengths, or our best strength, is our secondary. We're a little banged up, but I think we'll get the job done. Which is strange to hear, because it was always such a weakness for us for so long. And all of a sudden, now we're dynamite back there. And finally, the third key to victory here is keep playing Titans football. Because we talk about this dynamic offense. There's, look, our defense is awesome. And they're going to shut them down. But these guys will score points. And I think we've just got to keep up this heavy offensive pressure that we found. Right. And it helps that the Texans, their defense is statistically not great. So that bodes well for the Titans offense, considering how hot we are. Tandy Hill's getting the ball to so many different receivers. Derek Henry's playing great, despite the little tweak in the hamstring. And the fact, the key factor here is that we're playing at home. At home, just this magic right here. It has to be loud all day long. It has to be hostile from the start. And that's going to be the key, in my opinion, to really take this team to another level. This isn't just third down loud we're talking about, guys. This is relentless, just mean pressure. It's playoff football. Yeah, well, we have the question, are they piping sound into the stadium? I used to question that. That's what they did really seriously. They used to accuse us of that. Yes. They need to accuse us again. We want to be accused of cheating, is what we're saying. No, you've got to show up. And you've got to be there early, too. The energy that the fans need to bring the energy. Like you know, it's all about energy. I mean, I'm waving this towel just to get the energy going. And I'm telling you, the players feed off of that. We noticed that. When you come out for player introductions and the stadium is full and fans are waving, it's over. You're game over at that point. It's like, OK, what's the score going to be? You know it's over. But if it's half full, it's spotted, and you're like, ah, you're not into it. It's a give and take. The fans are a part of a winning culture. You go to the highs and the lows. So we need that support there this weekend. Guys, it's not just any game, OK? I mean, this game puts us on top of the AFC South. It keeps us in control. This is what you want. This is playoff football. This is Code Blue. What is it? It's presented by Farm Bureau Health. Plans. It is now over time here on the show and time for our Wendy's hot take of the week. The Titans are the hottest team in football right now, Eddie. We have the hottest quarterback, the hottest running back. I'm not talking about looks. I'm talking about their play on the field. No, we are the team to be afraid of, the team to watch. So I ask you, with Tana Hill playing so well, and with Derek Henry playing so well, who is improving the other the most? I guess Tana Hill playing so well because of Derek, or more because of Derek, or is Derek playing so well? That's an excellent question, because it's like. They're both helping each other. Yeah, they're both helping each other. But I think because Derek has established himself as the go-to guy on the offense, going back to last season of Week 10. And so now more defenses are focused on him. Tana Hill just goes out there and just go out and play. His play lights out, and he's been doing that. So I think at this point, Derek has really helped Tana Hill gain his confidence and find his sea legs, and just take it over the top right now. Tana Hill has had good running backs before, but he's never had a Derek. No, he never had an animal. He never had an animal. He had a mouse or a muskrat. He never had a 250-pound gorilla, like he's just coming down the hill on you, like they're running a 4-3. That's not it. It is some of the most exciting Titans football we've seen in years. It is complementary football, defense, offense, special teams, everybody's stepping up. You've seen this kind of work before with Steve. You and Steve had a great combo, so teams didn't know how to defend. What are you gonna do? Well, yeah, what makes this team different from our team is that they can stretch the field. They have playmakers, A. Z. Brown. They've got the tight end. Of course, we have Frank Wajek. But this rookie receiver is having a fantastic year. He has all pro-written on him. In the future. He does. And with Derek Henry, complimentary players, a quarterback, this plan is, they have a chance to do some special things offensively. This is exciting. This game is exciting. This team is exciting. The two guys are gonna bring it this time.