NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Tennessee Titans are hoping
quarterback Vince Young is a fast healer.
Young had an MRI exam Monday to check out his strained right
quadriceps muscle. The results of the test weren't immediately
available, and coach Jeff Fisher said Young would be considered day
to day.
Tight end Bo Scaife saw the quarterback walking around Monday
and thought Young looked like he was fine. One healing factor could
come from the schedule. The Titans (3-2) visit Young's hometown
Sunday and the team, the Texans (3-3), that passed him over in the
2006 draft.
"He loves it down there, and they love him down there," said
Scaife, Young's college teammate at Texas. "I think there's
nothing more for him to be able to play. I'm sure he's going to do
everything he can to try to see that it happens."
Fisher said the test was to determine the best course of
treatment for the 2006 Offensive Rookie of the Year who was injured
at the end of a 2-yard run to the sideline midway through the third
quarter of Sunday's 13-10 loss to Tampa Bay.
"He could not practice today," Fisher said. "If we had
practice today, he'd be sore. But it's not as bad as we thought. So
he'll be day to day, and our treatment path will be to try to get
him back on the practice field as fast as we can."
The Titans will be without receiver Brandon Jones on Sunday.
Fisher said the third-year receiver had arthroscopic surgery on his
knee Monday and will be out a week or two. Jones hurt his right
knee on Oct. 7 in a 20-13 win against Atlanta.
But the Titans have a handful of healthy receivers led by Eric
Moulds, Roydell Williams and Justin Gage. The health of the
quarterback who has led Tennessee to nine victories in its last 12
games is what matters most.
"No question we're definitely concerned about our leader on
offense," linebacker David Thornton said. "We need him. He's a
guy who's going to make plays and continue to make plays. We hope
the MRI shows it's not a situation where he's going to be out for
an extended period of time."
The injury has the Titans considering some roster moves with
Kerry Collins the only other quarterback. Tim Rattay was in
training camp, but was released Sept. 1 and signed with Arizona,
where he played much of Sunday's loss to Carolina. Ingle Martin, a
Nashville native and Green Bay's fifth-round draft pick in 2006, is
on the practice squad.
Punter Josh Miller could be cut to make room for a third
quarterback because Craig Hentrich has punted the two weeks since a
sore back kept him out of a game Sept. 24.
"We are discussing personnel moves," Fisher said.
Young was 11-of-14 for 120 yards and ran twice for 4 yards
before hurting his leg. Collins replaced Young and finished the
game, going 10-of-20 for 125 yards but overseeing a 13-play,
86-yard drive for a touchdown that tied the game with 1:17 left.
That was only Tennessee's second offensive touchdown in eight
quarters since the team's bye, even though the Titans held the ball
a season-high 37 minutes, 37 seconds.
Fisher is used to having a quarterback injured enough not to
practice but manage to play on Sunday thanks to Steve McNair, who
did that frequently through his 11 seasons here before being traded
to Baltimore last year.
Young is only in his second season, with 18 starts, but has a
good enough grasp of the offense that Fisher said it's not
imperative the quarterback practice this week. Fisher said Young
has proven to be a quick healer from other undisclosed injuries.
"I would say there would be a chance he could play if he felt
good enough to play without practicing. He's going to be there,
he's going to watch. He's really done a good job," Fisher said.
"We just hope that he'll be able to bounce back quickly."