One note before I start my Friday column: My sympathies -- and I'm sure everyone who reads this will echo my sentiments -- to the family of Chris Spielman this morning. His wife, 42-year-old Stefanie Spielman, died Thursday after a fourth recurrence of breast cancer. When the disease first appeared, Spielman took a year off from football in 1998 to be Mr. Mom, and I visited the family in Columbus and marveled at the adjustments and selflessness of both of them in dealing with the disease and the personal realities that intruded. My heart goes out to the Spielmans.
The game of the week matches teams with a combined 8-10 record. But I don't mind saying the Tennessee-Houston game Monday night fascinates me more than Colts-Ravens (the Ravens are 2-4 since September), Falcons-Giants (1-7, combined, in their last four games) or Chargers-Broncos (only a matter of time before the Chargers take over the AFC West). Five reasons:
1. The chance to see the new (and apparently improved) Vince Young on a national stage.
2. Chris Johnson. I still don't think the NFL's leading rusher through nine games is better than Adrian Peterson, but I do think -- right now -- he's more exciting.
3. The Houston defense, and in particular outside linebacker Brian Cushing, who's been more impactful than DeMeco Ryans and Mario Williams for a D that's held four straight foes to three touchdowns or fewer ... and should be fresh coming off the bye.
4. Matt Schaub playing a prime-time November game with playoff implications. If he's really good, these are the games in which he has to be really good.
5. The Titans, fighting for survival. Johnson said this week -- first to me, then to a few others -- that he thinks Tennessee can run the table and make the playoffs. No one believes that, but every week the Titans win, the story gains momentum. "We plan to win our last 10 games,'' Johnson said.
Johnson interests me Monday night as much as anything. He told me this week that he thinks if he hadn't gotten hurt last year in the divisional playoff match with Baltimore at home, "we would all have Super Bowl rings on our hands right now. I know last year would have ended differently.'' He also said he very much considers himself in the same league with Adrian Peterson, and it's important to him to compete for the rushing title. As of this morning, Johnson has a 109-yard lead on DeAngelo Williams (who has a game in hand because Carolina played last night), a 174-yard lead on Peterson, 176 on Steven Jackson, and 231 on Maurice Jones-Drew.
"I'm competing with the best, and I want to be the best,'' said Johnson, the Titans' first-round pick in the 2008 draft. "I know I'm competing with Adrian Peterson, and that's important to me.''
How that competition with the great Peterson looks since the start of the 2008 season:
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