Teammate's suggestion to Collins? Shave it off

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Kerry Collins has the support of his Tennessee teammates as their starting quarterback. That doesn't mean they won't pick on him a little bit. He gives them too much material.

Consider the graying beard.

"He might need to shave it," left tackle Michael Roos said Monday.

Or watching the 14-year veteran who turns 36 in December run. Collins ran two bootlegs in Sunday's 31-12 win over Houston.

"It looks like slow motion," linebacker David Thornton said. "He has a long stride. He's very deliberate with his motion. But it's exciting to see Kerry get out there and have fun. He's definitely excited about having an opportunity to play."

Roos joked that Collins was a little out of breath when he returned to the huddle after sprinting first for 12 yards, then for 17 as they were trying to get the next play called. But Roos said it was special to be on the field when Collins completed a 17-yard pass that made him the 15th quarterback in NFL history with 35,000 yards passing in his career.

"He's definitely in great company," Roos said.

The offensive line also did its job in protecting Collins. He wasn't sacked by the Texans and has been sacked only once so far. Coach Jeff Fisher praised the unit for its work against Houston and defensive end Mario Williams.

"We had 62 snaps (Sunday), and they pressured us over 50 percent with all kinds of stuff, junk, twists, dogs, zone dogs, and we protected our quarterback, we sorted it out and we ran the ball effectively," Fisher said. "We knew we had to do that to have a chance."

Once Fisher said he was sticking with Collins as his starter as long as the team wins, the veteran announced he planned to make this his team.

"I think he took a step toward that way," Roos said.

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YOUNG'S VIEWPOINT:@ Vince Young watched Sunday's game against his hometown Houston Texans from the coaches' box. Coach Jeff Fisher hasn't decided where Young will watch the next game with Minnesota, but it sounds like he wants the quarterback down on the sideline.

"I haven't had a chance to talk to him specifically about the experience. The coaches thought it was good. He was really into it. He got the calls, he knew what we were doing, he could see Kerry make the decisions. I'll talk to him and see," Fisher said.

"It'd probably be a good idea now to get him down on the sideline and let him take that information that he got yesterday and that experience down on the sideline and see it from the sideline perspective."

Young has been declared out for the past two games with his sprained left knee and hamstring.

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DEEP BENCH:@ The Titans also are enjoying some of the benefits of quality depth. Cornerback Nick Harper bruised his thigh and had to come out in the fourth quarter with Houston threatening again. On came Eric King. He broke up a pass to Andre Davis on second-and-goal, then tackled Kevin Walter for a 1-yard loss on the next play. That set up Tony Brown and David Thornton stopping Slaton a yard short of the end zone on fourth down.

King said he tried to take advantage of his opportunities, knowing the Texans would attack him.

"If I was the offensive coordinator, and I saw a new guy coming in, I would definitely test him. He's coming off the bench a little cold right into the middle of the game, and those guys are trying to get back on the board. So it's going to come at you," King said.

Coach Jeff Fisher said they've got confidence in King to play cornerback or as the fifth defensive back in passing situations.

"He's a good football player, he makes the same kind of plays for us on special teams," Fisher said.

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CROWD NOISE:@ Tennessee fans once had the reputation as the loudest group in the NFL. Opening a stadium by watching a team go to a Super Bowl and winning an NFL record 12 games to christen the field can do that to people.

But that reputation has taken a hit in recent years as fans calmed down and watched the Titans go through two losing seasons, then an 8-8 year in 2006.

They may be working on earning back their distinction for noise, especially after how they cheered on Cortland Finnegan's 99-yard interception return.

Left tackle Michael Roos noticed the noise especially in the fourth quarter with the defense making a stand for more than 10 minutes on the game clock. He called it probably the loudest crowd he has heard in his four years in Nashville.

"Hopefully, they can keep it up this week," he said.

Linebacker David Thornton wants to hear more.

"I don't think it's the loudest it could possibly be. It was definitely loud. I definitely think our fans can get a little louder. That's a challenge for them to make some more noise. We need that," he said.

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SPEED RACER:@ Defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch prides himself on his speed. That's why he was a bit surprised to see Jevon Kearse beat him to Matt Schaub on Sunday.

"I felt like I got there as fast as I could, and he was there before I was. He is an explosive-type player, and he is going to make big plays for us. I am excited to see the things he is going to do for us down the road," Vanden Bosch said.

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EXTRA POINTS:@ Justin McCareins had four catches for 90 yards against Houston, his biggest game in yards receiving since Oct. 16, 2005, when he had 116 yards receiving for the New York Jets against Buffalo. ... The Titans have allowed 29 points through three games, second-fewest in that stretch in franchise history. ... Titans' fans helped raise nearly $20,000 at season opener for the LP Pencil Box, the free school supply program for Nashville. The supplies collected on Sept. 7 will be delivered Tuesday to help more than 3,450 students.