(Sports Network) – The Tennessee Titans and Arizona Cardinals will reprise their classic 2009 battle, albeit in lower-stakes fashion, when the clubs resume their preseason schedule at LP Field on Monday night.
The teams met in meaningful play in Week 12 of last season in Nashville, a game won by the Titans, 20-17, on a last-second touchdown pass from Vince Young to wide receiver Kenny Britt. Young, who threw for a career-high 387 yards in the win, led Tennessee on a momentous 18-play, 99-yard game-winning drive to lift the Titans.
Young’s heroics overshadowed a strong effort from his 2006 draft-class mate Matt Leinart, who while starting in place of an injured Kurt Warner, completed 21-of-31 passes for 220 yards to get the Cardinals in position for the win.
Less than nine months later, following the retirement of Warner, Leinart has become the Cardinals’ starter.
The former USC star played to mixed reviews in the preseason opener last week, completing 6-of-7 passes for 49 yards but also suffering two sacks and coughing up a fumble in the team’s 19-16 win over the Houston Texans.
Would-be backup Derek Anderson wasn’t much better, completing 13-of-22 passes for 88 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions.
Elsewhere in the bad news category for the Cardinals was the knee sprain suffered by star receiver Larry Fitzgerald, an injury that is expected to knock the Pro Bowler out for the remainder of the preseason.
Tennessee came up empty in its first preseason effort last week, dropping a 20-18 decision at the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday night.
Young completed 5-of-6 passes for 78 yards in the loss and also led a first- quarter touchdown drive, but was intercepted once during his brief action as well.
Young should play into the second quarter on Monday before yielding to backup Kerry Collins, who did not play against the Seahawks last week. Chris Simms relieved Young against the Hawks, but threw for just 24 yards on 7-of-13 passing with an interception, and did little to indicate he is capable of threatening Collins’ backup status.
On the injury front for Tennessee, defensive end Derrick Morgan (calf), defensive tackle Tony Brown (knee) and linebacker David Thornton (shoulder) are all expected to miss Monday’s contest.
The preseason series between the Cardinals and Titans is knotted, 2-2, with Arizona evening the series by virtue of a 27-17 home win in the last such meeting, prior to the 1999 campaign.
As mentioned, the teams last met in meaningful play in Week 12 of last season in Nashville, a game won by the Titans in 20-17 fashion.