and the traveling T.O. circus, and what seemed like just another NFL matchup now features the kind of drama and attention not even soap operas generate.
The Titans (0-3) only hope all the attention over receiver Terrell Owens' hospital visit distracts the Cowboys (1-1) enough to let them pull out their first victory this season, stopping a six-game skid going back to last season. And they're desperate enough to start Vince Young, the first quarterback drafted last April.
"Whatever you want to call it frustrated, desperate, hungry, in need of whatever you want to put on it, this team is definitely looking for a win any way we can get it," Titans receiver Drew Bennett said.
On Sunday morning, the Cowboys answered one of the biggest questions of the game when the team said Owens would start against the Titans.
His status had been questionable because Owens had a plate inserted before the Cowboys' bye last week to protect his broken right hand. Then he was hospitalized Tuesday night for what Dallas police classified as an accidental drug overdose.
The Cowboys went into their bye having won their home opener 27-10 over Washington despite nine penalties. They must avoid looking ahead a week to their visit to NFC East leader Philadelphia, and this is the second of three road trips in the first four games for Dallas.
Linebacker Bradie James has been hearing people already count Tennessee as an easy Dallas victory.
"This won't be an easy game because they have a lot on the line as far as their season. They're not a bad team. They've been in two of their last three games, losing by seven and three points.
So it's a good team that we're getting ready to face," James said.
"We can't fall into any trap. You got to respect all your opponents and fear none.
"
The Titans drafted Young out of Texas, then traded Steve McNair to Baltimore in June. Tennessee gave the starting job to Billy Volek, signed veteran Kerry Collins and then traded Volek to San Diego.
On Monday, coach Jeff Fisher chose Collins as his starter against Dallas.
Fans wanted Fisher to start Young, who had spot duty in the first two games but didn't play in last weekend's 13-10 loss at Miami.
"If you want to see if Vince is going to play, you're going to have to watch the game," Fisher said.
But the news leaked Saturday afternoon that Fisher indeed was starting Young, the junior who became the No.
3 pick overall after leading the Longhorns to the national title last January.
Young grew up watching Troy Aikman and said starting a rookie isn't a sign of a team giving up.
Dallas coach Bill Parcells prepared for both Collins and Young.
He has used practice-squad receiver Damarius Bilbo, who played some quarterback at Georgia Tech, to imitate Young at practice, but he said he didn't think any of the rookie quarterbacks are ready to start.
"It can be destructive," he said. "It can shake somebody's confidence as well.
"
One more loss mires the Titans in their worst start to a season since going 0-10 in 1984 as the Houston Oilers. The losing prompted two fans to start , while Fisher focuses on the positive of being back home.
"With coast-to-coast, back-to-back trips and then facing one of the top teams after a bye week is a challenge.
If we are going to meet the challenge there's no place better to do it than at home," he said. The Titans have won two of the last three in this series with their ex-Texas rival, but Dallas has a stingy defense that came up with six sacks in its last game. Injuries might leave Tennessee, averaging 11 points a game with none in the first quarter, without starting guards Benji Olson (right calf) and Zach Piller (left ankle), which might be why the mobile Young is starting.
That puts the pressure on a Tennessee defense that had six sacks of its own against Miami and is looking forward to chasing Bledsoe, who was intercepted three times in an opening loss at Jacksonville. "If we can get after him and make him see things that aren't really there as far as the secondary and underneath coverage is concerned, we might have a pretty successful day against him," Titans linebacker Keith Bulluck said.
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