Titans Run Wild, Rout the Packers

GREEN BAY, Wis. —  Lambeau Field is now a desired destination, as Chris Brown and the Tennessee Titans were the latest to learn.

Brown rushed for 148 yards and two long touchdowns, and Tennessee cruised to a 48-27 rout of the stumbling Green Bay Packers on Monday night, scoring more points than any visitor ever had at the stadium.

The Titans (2-3) ended a three-game losing streak and sent the Packers (1-4) to their fourth loss in a row. This is Green Bay’s first four-game losing streak since 1991 and their first 0-3 start at home since 1988.

Only eight teams in NFL history have overcome a 1-4 start to reach the playoffs, including the Titans two years ago.

Tennessee scored on five of its first six possessions with Brown, who had 27 carries, going in on its first two series, from 37 and 29 yards out. Only Na’il Diggs’ block of Gary Anderson’s 42-yard field goal prevented the Titans from scoring the most first-half points, 28, by an opponent in Lambeau Field’s 47-year history.

The Packers’ hopes for a comeback were killed by four second-half turnovers. They had six overall.

Steve McNair returned after sitting out Tennessee’s last game because of chest and ankle injuries, and threw two touchdown passes, including an 11-yarder to Eddie Berlin in the third quarter after Brett Favre’s third interception.

Favre extended his NFL record with his 213th consecutive start, including playoffs, despite numerous injuries, including a mild concussion he suffered last week. Favre also had a heavy heart over the death last week of his 24-year-old brother-in-law in an accident at the family home in Mississippi.

Both teams had lost three in a row, and much of the blame went to poor run defense, which showed up right away again for Green Bay as Brown carried nine times for 90 yards in the first quarter, and the early deficit altered Green Bay’s plan to give the Titans a steady diet of Ahman Green.

The Packers had only five yards rushing on five carries in the first half.

Packer cornerbacks Michael Hawthorne and Ahmad Carroll made the crowd miss the traded Mike McKenzie right away.

Hawthorne capped a poor first series by missing the tackle on Brown’s 37-yard touchdown run.

Brown made it 14-0 with a 29-yard run to beat the blitz on the Titans’ second possession, after which Packer Coach Mike Sherman chewed out his defenders on the sideline.

But soon his wrath was focused on Green.

The Packers’ fumble-prone running back coughed up the ball at the Packers’ 34 with nose tackle Kevin Carter recovering for Tennessee. Green, whose habit of always carrying the ball in his left arm not only gives tacklers a true target but doesn’t allow him to stiff-arm defenders, has fumbled four times this season.

Anderson converted Green’s gaffe into a 36-yard field goal that made it 17-0 with six minutes left in the first quarter. At that point, the Titans had outgained the Packers 145 yards to four.