Titans QB Young Stands Tall In 28-17 Preseason Win

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) _ No rain. Less rust. Breathe easy Titans fans, Vince Young found his shake-and-bake groove against the Buffalo Bills in a preseason game Friday. <br/><br/>His passing game didn't

Friday, August 24th 2007, 9:26 pm

By: News On 6

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) _ No rain. Less rust. Breathe easy Titans fans, Vince Young found his shake-and-bake groove against the Buffalo Bills in a preseason game Friday.

His passing game didn't look bad, either.

Playing only the first half, Young went 13-of-19 for 162 yards passing and a touchdown, and also scored a TD rushing in a 28-17 victory. It was a much-needed performance from Young and a starting offense that had failed to produce a score in eight possessions in a 27-24 win in sloppy and wet conditions at New England last week.

``At first glance, it seems like we have improved significantly over the first-half effort of last week's game,'' coach Jeff Fisher said.

Young wasn't completely satisfied.

``We played good, but we could have been better,'' Young said.

The Bills' offense also finally started showing signs of its big-play potential. J.P. Losman shook off an early interception and connected with wide receiver Lee Evans for a 64-yard touchdown pass late in the second quarter.

Losman, who also hit wide receiver Peerless Price for a 51-yard reception that set up a field goal, finished 9-of-20 for 180 yards passing, nearly doubling the 98 yards he had in his first two preseason games combined.

``We're trying to be conservative here in the preseason, but it was time to open it up and go deep a little,'' Losman said. ``Now it gives us confidence. We know we can execute when we have to and back some teams up on us a little bit.''

The Bills' young defense, however, struggled, allowing 218 yards in the first half and 293 overall. Buffalo also lost starting cornerback Terrence McGee, who did not return after being escorted to the locker room after the first quarter. The team did not immediately provide an update on his condition.

The Titans (2-1) close their preseason hosting Green Bay next week, while the Bills (1-2) are at Detroit.

Titans backup quarterback Kerry Collins capped the win, hitting Justin Gage for a 16-yard touchdown pass and Biren Ealy on a 40-yard TD pass on consecutive third-quarter possessions. Fred Jackson rounded out Buffalo's scoring with a 1-yard run in the final minutes.

Much of the attention, though, was on Young, the NFL's offensive rookie of the year last season.

Young rebounded from a tough outing last week, his first appearance this preseason after he was benched for Tennessee's opener against Washington, the quarterback punished for leaving the team's hotel to sleep in his own bed.

Young was sharp from the start against Buffalo.

He set up the Titans initial scoring drive by out-muscling several defenders in the pocket, and having the presence to complete an 8-yard pass to Bo Scaife over the middle to convert on a third down.

Young capped the drive with a nifty 2-yard run on fourth-and-goal. Setting up to pass, Young pulled down the ball and, catching linebacker Keith Ellison flat-footed, burst through the right side for an easy score.

Young was just as impressive on his other scoring drive, a seven-play, 78-yard march, which he capped with a 5-yard pass to Scaife with 30 seconds left in the half.

The drive took only 2:07 off the clock, and was reminiscent of a five-play, 57-yard touchdown drive Young manufactured in the final minute of the first half of a 30-29 win at Orchard Park on Dec. 24.

The Titans also got a strong outing from running back LenDale White, the second-year player making a case to take over the starting job.

Playing the first half, White had 51 yards rushing, and added three catches for 23 yards, in making his first preseason start _ showing no signs of an ankle and knee injury that sidelined him for 10 days. The second-year player is competing with fifth-year veteran Chris Brown and rookie second-round pick Chris Henry.