Kerry Collins wants to remain with the Titans. Collins says that he has no plans to retire and is scheduled to make $5.5 million in base salary. "I love it here, my family loves it here. I love playing for Jeff (Fisher), none of that has changed," Collins said. "I would like to play, and I would like that opportunity at some point. And I am under contract here next year and I plan on honoring it. "But I am supposed to make a pretty good chunk of change next year, so I can't imagine they are going to pay me that kind of money to be a backup. I have no plans to retire."

The Titans are out of the playoff picture, but running back Chris Johnson needs 128 yards to reach 2,000 for the season. Johnson recorded his 10th consecutive 100-yard rushing game on Friday night against the Chargers. "That record would mean a lot to me," Johnson said. "That was one of my goals that I set before this year started, and a lot of people didn't even think I would get close or whatever." Johnson needs 234 yards to break Eric Dickerson's single-season rushing record of 2,105 yards set in 1984.

The Titans have lost starting linebackers Keith Bulluck and David Thornton for the remainder of the season. Bulluck tore his left anterior cruciate ligament on Sunday and Thornton will have season-ending shoulder surgery later this week. "David was playing very well this year when he was able to play and Keith, Keith is kind of the cornerstone of our defense, and he has been for so many years. I don't need to speak about the consecutive starts and production. He's gone from AFC defensive player of the week to gone for the remainder of the season," Tennessee coach Jeff Fisher said.

Titans quarterback Vince Young will be a game-time decision for Sunday's game against the Dolphins. He participated in Friday's practice despite an injured right hamstring. "He's better than he was (Thursday)," head coach Jeff Fisher said. "So I hope he'll continue to improve. We feel he's traditionally been a quick healer, and he worked very hard at it. ... It will be a game-time decision."

The NFL says it "cannot conclude" that the Washington Redskins committed a tampering violation before signing defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth last offseason. The league also said Tuesday the Redskins assured the NFL that the team will "re-emphasize" with its executives the importance of following rules about tampering, which can result in fines and forfeiting draft picks. The league says it conducted "an extensive review" of the Haynesworth case.

Titans quarterback Vince Young was replaced by Kerry Collins in Sunday's win over the Lions after suffering a hamstring injury. "We will just see how he is throughout the week," coach Jeff Fisher said. "I kept him warm and on the bike, and he would have been able to hand off and so that gives you kind of some idea. I am not going to comment any further than that." Young strained his right hamstring on a 44-yard run in the second quarter. "I just kind of tweaked my hamstring a little bit so I just got off of it and told coach, 'I'm just going to sit it out. I didn't want to get too bad with it and injure it worse," Young said after Tennessee's 47-7 rout of Detroit.

Titans quarterback Vince Young is questionable for Sunday's game against the Rams with a right knee injury. He re-aggravated his sore right knee during Tennessee's loss to Indianapolis last Sunday and he tweaked it again in practice on Thursday. "He didn't practice today," Titans coach Jeff Fisher said, adding that missing practice "will not have anything to do with whether or not he plays. He understands the game plan and got at least half of the preparation."

Titans running back Chris Johnson was limited on practice with an ankle injury on Thursday. He didn't practice at all on Wednesday, but claims he's fine. "My ankle is fine," Johnson said. "I'm good." The NFL's leading rusher has 1,509 yards after 12 games. "His ankle is a little sore, but he's fine," Titans coach Jeff Fisher said.

Titans quarterback Vince Young aggravated his right knee in practice on Thursday and left early. Tennessee coach Jeff Fisher called the injury a "setback." Young had just stepped back and thrown a pass when he started walking to the sideline and laid down on the ground. He originally suffered the injury this past weekend against the Colts. The Titans, who started the season 0-6, are 5-1 with Young as their starting quarterback.

Last Week: 13-3, pushing the season forecast to 125-51. Concussions are the topic du jour in the NFL these days. I applaud the increased safety measures, including the prohibition of a player returning to the field the same day he suffers a concussion, even just a potential one. I have a little bit of experience to draw upon here. I?ve had three concussions in my life, two from volleyballs off the head, and even though I felt mostly right, I still really needed to rest more than just a few minutes. The third one I suffered lingered for several days. Nothing major happened, just a mild dullness and a little vertigo when I turned my head quickly, but I knew something wasn?t copacetic. I tried playing through it, a non-contact sport no less, but it never really got better until I took a week off. I can only imagine getting hit the way Jamal Lewis or Big Ben did and trying to play football at such a high speed against all those incredible athletes trying to bury me. It?s a smart move to protect these players from themselves, and macho men like Hines Ward illustrate that they do in fact need that protection. Game of the Week Minnesota (3) at Arizona (9): Right now the Vikings are playing extremely well in all facets of the game, looking very much like a team that can win a Super Bowl. Arizona was doing much the same until stumbling last week at Tennessee without Kurt Warner. Warner may or may not be back this week, but I?m really hoping he is so this game morphs into the greybeard battle between him and Brett Favre. The key to this game (aside from Warner?s health) is Arizona?s ability to contain the Minnesota running game. They couldn?t do it last year, when the Vikings rolled up 239 rushing yards on them, and last week Chris Johnson ran wild. Safety Adrian Wilson must play smart, because too often he got caught running in and filling the wrong lane or exposing his track too easily. The Vikings behemoth tackles, Phil Loadholt and Bryant McKinnie, can have trouble blocking in space and getting out to the second level, but the Cardinals must force that issue by attacking outside-in, but that leaves the middle wide open for quick Favre audibles, not to mention Peterson. Because the Cardinals (like everyone) will struggle to run the ball against the woefully underappreciated Vikings defense, that defense will be battling fatigue and perhaps field position. It?s all a troubling mix, and without Warner at 100% I?m not sold that the high-flying Cardinals offense will be able to outscore the Vikings. Minnesota 32, Arizona 24. Upset of the Week Tennessee (10) at Indianapolis (2): I believe that the recipe for beating the Colts is to have playmakers on offense that can turn a routine play into a big play. Chris Johnson and Vince Young, check. You also have to be able to use your LBs and safeties in coverage to close off Peyton?s hot reads, which almost invariably mean Dallas Clark on a short check or quick slants. Keith Bulluck and a healthy Michael Griffin, check. An offensive line that can protect the QB is a must. Michael Roos & Co., check. A coaching staff and defensive scheme that won?t be in awe of Peyton Manning, check--the Titans were the last team to beat the Colts in the regular season. The ingredients are there for the Titans to pull the upset and keep their momentum rolling. The Colts have been merely squeaking by lately; four of their last five wins have been by four points or less, and last week they fell behind 17-0 to Houston before flipping the switch. That just won?t fly against the Titans. I would absolutely take the six points the Titans are getting, but I?ll go a step further and pick them straight up. Tennessee ends Peyton?s perfect season in a 33-27 Titans win. Well worth the time Dallas (5) at New York Giants (18): This is a battle that tests your faith in preconceptions. The common notion is that the Cowboys can?t win in December, Tony Romo can?t handle big games, can?t win on the road. The G-Men have the perception of being a team built for cold weather football, with tough lines, power running, smart defense, and playing mistake-free ball. But if you?ve watched these two teams over the last six weeks, Dallas has consistently done everything to disprove those notions, while the Giants have not even been close to the team we thought they were, to steal from Denny Green. I?ve seen nothing from the Giants over the last month that indicates they can handle the Dallas defense, which has turned up the pass rush and also greatly improved their tackling. Brandon Jacobs is running sideways and not getting up to full speed, which essentially makes him worthless. New York has little chance to cover Miles Austin, but they can?t cheat LB help into the intermediate routes because Marion Barber is running great, Jones and Choice are making things happen, and the tight ends are too much of a weapon. Balanced offenses have given the Giants fits all year, and Dallas? will in this game--provided Cowboys OC Jason Garrett doesn?t get too clever for his own good. Cowboys 30, Giants 20. Philadelphia (12) at Atlanta (15): Both of these teams are badly wounded, so this becomes a test of depth and adjustment. I was impressed with how Chris Redman handled his business in forced relief of Matt Ryan, but the minor injuries to two Falcons linemen (particularly LT Sam Baker, who may not play) make a repeat of that more difficult. The Eagles defensive front is playing quite well lately, and not having Michael Turner at full burner means Atlanta won?t be able to ease that with interior running. I like Jason Snelling, but he?s no Michael Turner. Philly has their own problems, namely the loss of their top two offensive weapons, Desean Jackson and Brian Westbrook. They?ve adequately compensated for Westbrook, but losing Jackson (and Kevin Curtis) means the receiving corps is thin and must shuffle spots. That?s asking a lot of rookie Jeremy Maclin to move inside, and it might even mean some of Michael Vick at wide receiver. Their ravaged secondary must step up, but I like the concept of a veteran thief like Asante Samuel baiting the inexperienced backup into a bad throw or two. Atlanta is a much better team at home, but with so many core offensive players slowed, I just don?t think their iffy defense can hold the Eagles to fewer points. Breaking in a new kicker, albeit an experienced one in Matt Bryant, won?t help matters. Philadelphia 23, Atlanta 13. Houston (16) at Jacksonville (21): These two teams each remind me of my adventures making chili. I always use a similar base that I can rely on to give me a good chance for tasty success. Sometimes the extra stuff I add in (cinnamon, tequila, black beans) makes for a real yummy batch that overwhelms everything else I?ve cooked for weeks. Sometimes it just doesn?t come together and winds up a disaster, like the great chorizo/key lime debacle of October 2005. Not even my dog, who used to chow down his own feces, would touch that fiasco. These teams are just like that. Some weeks everything blends harmoniously and you wonder, why can?t every game be like this awesome orgy of flavor and excellence?!? Houston has proven that with their wins against Cincinnati, Oakland, and Buffalo. Then you get the emetics like last week or the Jets game. Jacksonville does it to even greater extremes; they nicely handled the Texans in their first meeting, pounded the Titans the next week, and then followed that up by losing 41-0 at Seattle, squeaking past the lowly Rams, and getting pummeled by the Vince Young-led Titans. Houston?s inability to churn out yards with the run is troubling, but so is Jacksonville?s almost comedic inability to rush the passer. I favor the home cooking, and I do think the Jaguars are poised for a nice little run here: their next three are at home, two of which are chances to knock out fellow Wild Card contenders (HOU this week, MIA next), followed by a date with the Colts that means nothing to Indy. They must have this one, and I think they will rise to the occasion. Jaguars 26, Texans 24. Baltimore (13) at Green Bay (8): Classic letdown game for the Ravens, who left their hearts and a lot of wounded body parts on the field in their emotional triumph over Pittsburgh. The Ravens haven?t scored more than 20 points in over a month, and right now Green Bay?s defense is playing with a great deal of confidence and opportunism. With Joe Flacco slowed with a sprained ankle, those designed moving pockets won?t be as effective. It?s not just the Green Bay defense that poses problems. Baltimore has proven mighty vulnerable to strong-armed QBs that aren?t afraid to spread the ball around to different receivers. Sounds like Aaron Rodgers and the Packers offense, eh? Rodgers has become more aware of getting rid of the ball quicker, and the plays themselves are designed to help foster that. The OL is still subpar but at least they?re playing like a cohesive unit lately. Green Bay in December is a rough place to play, and the Ravens haven?t strung together consecutive wins since winning their first three. The pattern of alternating a win after a loss continues for the Ravens. Green Bay 27, Baltimore 14. New England (7) at Miami (17): The biggest lesson I took from the Monday Night beat-down by the Saints is that the Patriots are very vulnerable to teams with a vertical passing attack. The safeties just aren?t good at over-the-top coverage and the CBs are adequate but beatable. New Orleans has the kind of offense to exploit that, but I just don?t see Miami being able to do those things. I?ve been fairly impressed with Chad Henne at QB, though he?s coming off an uneven outing where the Bills completely shut him down late in last Sunday?s loss. The Patriots OL tends to fare better when playing fellow 3-4 defensive fronts like Miami?s, and you can bet the New England defense is looking to make a statement that they are capable of getting the job done. It?s a bad week for Miami, which hasn?t beaten a team currently over .500, to catch the Pats, even though New England?s work week is short. Dolphins hang tough as always, but New England prevails 26-21. Better than most alternatives New Orleans (1) at Washington (26): About 10 years ago I got a magic 8-ball as a gag gift from a member of my extended family. Little did she know how much I cherish that prognostication aid! I?m using it right now to forecast this game...Is this the week that New Orleans loses its first game? Shake it up a bit...?My answer is no?. There you go! Saints 31, Redskins 13. New York Jets (19) at Buffalo (22): There are lots of reasons to like the Bills here. The game is in Toronto, which means loads of football-hungry fans waiting to exhort the ?home? team. Toronto is not-so-subtly trying to prove its merit as a future NFL city, so the crowd should be raucous but also forgiving when the offense sputters or a DB misses a tackle. Mark Sanchez has hit both the rookie wall and the sharp turn in the learning curve, and the Bills already had great success against him earlier (remember the five INT game?). It took Carolina beating itself for the Jets to snap a 1-6 slide, and for all the myriad problems in Buffalo, they have played smart, fundamentally sound football under interim coach Perry Fewell. Buffalo makes Jets coach Rex Ryan?s homecoming trip to Toronto (he grew up there) unpleasant as the Bills win at ?home?, 27-17. Denver (14) at Kansas City (27): Denver righted the ship last week, thanks to the return of their defensive vigor. That bodes well against a Chiefs offense that is basically Jamaal Charles and Chris Chambers during the past two weeks. Kansas City is showing real improvement, but they just don?t have the horses on defense to keep up with the Broncos. I think the Broncos will set out to make a real statement here. Denver 30, Kansas City 16. Christmas Shopping time Detroit (29) at Cincinnati (6): As much as I respect how Jim Schwartz has started to change the culture in Detroit, this game shapes up as a perfect window into how far the Lions still have to go. Cincinnati is perfectly built to pound Detroit; the Bengals? strengths (OL and DL play, inside running, strong secondary, active and versatile LBs, smart QB with a big arm) are tailor-made to take advantage of the Lions? weaknesses. If by chance you haven?t used Cincy in survivor fantasy games, this is the perfect time to do so. Bengals 37, Lions 10. Tampa Bay (30) at Carolina (23): No Jake Delhomme for Carolina makes this game a lot more difficult to forecast. I?ve never been high on Matt Moore, who will get the start. With DeAngelo Williams also nicked up and iffy to play, these Panthers are eminently beatable. The question becomes, can these Bucs get it together and beat them? The signs are positive that they can. Last week they lost a heartbreaker to another backup QB, and they hung tough with the Dolphins a week after stunning the Packers in recent weeks. Only the undefeated Saints have thoroughly overmatched Tampa in the last month. Their run defense has improved, but what really stands out is the shot in the arm rookie QB Josh Freeman has given the offense. He?s confident, he?s fearless, and he?s not afraid to try...much like a young Jake Delhomme. Like the current Delhomme, Freeman will turn the ball over, which makes this a real toughie. Every time you think the Panthers are dead in the water, they play a game that reminds you why they earned a playoff bye last season. This is far removed from that unit, but that potential is still there. Carolina is a very unconfident pick, 20-17. San Diego (4) at Cleveland (32): I hate to say it, but the more I see of Brady Quinn, the less I think he?s going to be a quality NFL quarterback. The way the Chargers have been playing defense lately, that impression is not likely to improve this week. December in Cleveland often means cold wind, which is exacerbated by literally building the stadium in Lake Erie. The likely foul weather might keep the score down, but probably not as much as how much better San Diego is than the home team. Chargers 27, Browns 3. San Francisco (20) at Seattle (24): This is the last stand for the 49ers if they harbor any glimmer of playoff hope. The emergence of Justin Forsett at running back for Seattle puts a big damper on those hopes, but what makes it even dimmer is how the Seattle defense handled Steven Jackson and St. Louis? offense last week. Frank Gore is the primary and secondary weapon for the Niners, just as Jackson is for the Rams, and the linebackers and safeties did a great job slowing him down. Gore embarrassed Seattle earlier this year, but that was on the road where the Seahawks have been largely pathetic. This is in front of the 12th man, where they are birds of a very different feather. I like the Seattle offensive balance to prevail and to keep the Niners? peculiar streak of playing poorly on artificial turf going; they?ve lost 11 of their last 15 on the faux grass, with two of those wins over the lowly Rams. Seattle 20, San Francisco 16. St. Louis (31) at Chicago (25): The Bears finally catch a break. Even though they?ve been just as bad, if not worse, over the last month as the lowly Rams, St. Louis simply doesn?t match up well to exploit the problem areas for Chicago. The Rams don?t have a defensive line that can break down the Bears OL; they don?t have a passing offense that can reliably attack the intermediate and deep middle of the field, where the Bears really struggle; Steven Jackson is banged up and running behind an OL that isn?t real tough. The Rams do have a pretty darn good pair of safeties and an excellent rookie MLB in James Laurinaitis, which means Jay Cutler will have to be wary. I think this is the week where the Bears finally get something from their run game, and I don?t trust Kyle Boller at QB with Donnie Avery and Brandon Gibson (quietly playing quite well) to beat the Chicago defense given the short time Boller will have to throw. Bears 27, Rams 24. Oakland (28) at Pittsburgh (11): The Steelers are reeling, but it?s more to do with injuries than any overall fundamental lacking. Normally Oakland would be a nice slump-buster, but these Raiders are playing with more passion with Bruce Gradkowski at QB. He?ll be all fired up, as he is a Pittsburgh area native. He?s probably hoping this visit goes better than his last start at Heinz Field, when his second start for the 2008 Browns resulted in 18 yards passing, a QB rating of 1.0, and a 31-0 defeat that wasn?t as close as the score indicates. I expect the Raiders to do one of two things here. They?re either going to come out and try to out-physical the Steelers, which worked for them against Baltimore and Cincinnati, or they?re going to be flat, mistake prone, and get overwhelmed early and often. Either way, it looks like a Pittsburgh victory, though be careful if Big Ben and Polamalu are both still out. Steelers 23, Raiders 10. Drinking in the Dorm Room Games MAC Championship: Ohio U. vs. Central Michigan. I?ll be decked out in green and white, but I?m not sure my Bobcats will offer much resistance to Dan Lefevour & Co. The Chips are hot and will cruise to a 33-13 MAC title. SEC Championship: Florida vs. Alabama. I?ve found Florida to be a tad overrated all year long, and I think Alabama?s defense can answer Tim Tebow. Losing Carlos ?DUI? Dunlap is a big blow to the Gator defense, and the Bama OL is better than most people think. Roll Tide! Alabama 20, Florida 18. C-USA Championship: East Carolina vs. Houston. This game is in Greenville, which gives the Pirates a fighting chance. They?ll have to not waste any opportunities, but with Dominique Lindsay running very well lately, they should have little trouble carving up a Houston defense that essentially functions as rest time for the offense. Of course every time everyone anticipates a shootout, a defensive struggle emerges. Take the under in a Houston 28-22 win. PAC-10 de facto title game: Oregon State at Oregon. History bears the scars of our civil wars, and the Pac-10 will bear the scar of the Beavers pulling the improbable upset to win the conference title. Finally a team that Ohio State can beat in a BCS bowl! Beavers 33, Ducks 31. Big East de facto title game: Cincinnati at Pittsburgh. As much as I respect Brian Kelly and how the Bearcats always find a way to crank it up a notch when needed, I like the Panthers quite a bit at home here. Pittsburgh honors former coach and player Foge Fazio, who passed away this week, by winning the Big East title 24-23. ACC Championship: Georgia Tech vs. Clemson. The way both these squads struggled last week, this isn?t quite as sexy as the ACC would like. The Yellow Jackets are hard to prepare for with their throwback offense, and I haven?t seen the kind of defensive discipline from Clemson to handle it. C.J. Spiller is the wild card and a very electrifying one, but I think the GT defense can contain the Tigers inconsistent passing game and head to a BCS bowl with a 26-17 win. Big 12 Championship: Texas vs. Nebraska. The Cornhusker defense is better than any in the Big 12 South, and that could flummox the Longhorns, especially if they can?t get the running game working. But Texas has too many playmakers that can turn a simple play into a big score, and Nebraska simply cannot match that. Mack Brown has been here before and will have his team ready. Texas 30, Nebraska 17. Jeff.Risdon@RealGM.com