by Sports Xchange

The Titans last week promoted rookie WR Dominique Edison back to the active roster to fill in for injured Justin Gage. That meant that G Fernando Velasco had to be bumped off the roster, just one game after he was brought up from the practice squad to help out while David Stewart and Mike Otto were sidelined with injuries on the offensive line.

Velasco was added back to the practice squad on Tuesday.

PLAYER NOTES

--RB Chris Johnson is on pace for 1,939 yards rushing this season, and also leads the Titans with 30 receptions after his nine-catch game against Buffalo.

--QB Vince Young threw for 210 yards against the Bills, but got plenty of help from Johnson, who had 100 yards in receiving from screens and checkdowns.

--FB Ahmard Hall has been an unsung hero in Johnson's standout season, throwing key blocks on a number of Johnson's longest runs.

--CB Rod Hood will continue to start in the short-term for injured Nick Harper. Hood, a fill-in signed as a street free agent on Oct. 15, might be hard to remove from the lineup after interceptions in three straight games.

--DE William Hayes has four sacks and is providing the type of consistent pass rush the Titans had lacked earlier in the season. He is tied with Jason Jones for the team lead.

GAME PLAN: The Titans have to like their chances in this one if they keep playing the way they have played in the past three games. They lost to the Texans earlier this season, but Chris Johnson had a stellar game with three TDs of at least 50 yards (two rushing, one receiving). That effort was wasted because Matt Schaub shredded the secondary for 357 yards. Tennessee's defense has improved since then, perhaps enough to earn the win, provided the Texans don't slow Johnson down.

MATCHUPS TO WATCH: Titans CB Cortland Finnegan vs. Texans WR Andre Johnson. Johnson torched the Titans for 10 catches, 149 yards and two TDs in the first meeting in Nashville. Since then, Finnegan and the Titans' secondary have improved. The Titans are getting a more consistent pass rush and gambling with blitzes, as well as trusting their corners much more by playing them in more press coverage than earlier in the season when wideouts were running free from the line of scrimmage unimpeded into their routes.

Titans LT Michael Roos vs. Texans RDE Mario Williams. This matchup is always interesting to watch as it pits a pair of Pro Bowlers going against each other. The interesting part of this is that Roos is now protecting the mobile Vince Young in this meeting, rather than pocket passer Kerry Collins. Roos said that is an advantage and disadvantage in protection, because he can't always know where Young is when the QB scrambles, as opposed to Collins staying in the pocket.

INJURY IMPACT: WR Justin Gage is likely out again with a back injury, but many believed it was time for rookie Kenny Britt to get a longer look anyway. CB Nick Harper doesn't have to hurry back with his broken forearm given the way Rod Hood has filled in for him.