Titans narrowly hold off Texans' rally with Bironas' record 8th FG

HOUSTON (AP) -- With Vince Young on the sidelines, the Tennessee Titans couldn't finish drives. With the day Rob Bironas had, it

didn't matter.

Bironas kicked an NFL-record eight field goals, including the

game-winner as time expired, to lead the Titans to a 38-36 win over

the Houston Texans on Sunday.

Top Boot
Heading into the Titans' game with the Texans, Rob Bironas had eight field goals on the season. He made eight in the game to set an NFL record, including the game winner as time expired. Here's the company he surpassed:
Year	Kicker	Field Goals
2007	Rob Bironas, TEN (vs. Texans)	8
2003	Billy Cundiff, DAL (vs. Giants)	7
1996	Chris Boniol, DAL (vs. Packers)	7
1989	Rich Karlis, MIN (vs. Rams)	7
1967	Jim Bakken, STL (vs. Steelers)	7

Backup Kerry Collins led the offense while Young missed playing

in his hometown because of a strained quadriceps. Collins didn't

make many mistakes, but the offense couldn't capitalize in the red

zone, ushering Bironas into the record book.

The record-setting kick foiled a spirited comeback by the Texans

(3-4), who scored 29 points in the fourth quarter, capped by a

53-yard touchdown pass from Sage Rosenfels to Andre' Davis to take

a 36-35 lead with 57 seconds to play.

The Titans (4-2) faced a third-and-10 at their 37 when Collins

found Roydell Williams on a 46-yard pass that set up the winning

kick.

Bironas said he didn't realize he was closing in on the mark.

"I knew we'd hit quite a few, but I try not to count," Bironas

said. "I try not to know the distances when I go out there, so I'm

always concentrating on making the same kick. I've never really

counted. I'll remember this one, though."

Bironas' last two field goals were from 29 yards and he

connected from 52, 43, 25, 21, 30 and 28 yards to break the

previous record of seven field goals held by Billy Cundiff, Chris

Boniol, Rich Karlis and Jim Bakken.

He doubled his field goal total for the season Sunday after

kicking eight field goals in the five previous games combined. When

someone pointed out that he had five field goals by halftime, he

found it strange.

"I was like: 'I've almost kicked as many as we've kicked the

whole season,'" he said. "I'll take them when we need them."

Bironas also kicked two extra points and set the NFL record for

most points by a kicker with 26. Cundiff's 23 points on Sept. 15,

2003, was the previous high.

Young was active, but didn't play and Collins got his first win

as a starter in Tennessee after losing the first three games of

last season. Coach Jeff Fisher said Young could have played if

Collins had been injured, but that he wasn't at "full speed."

"I wasn't going to play at all because I didn't have any

preparation or practicing," Young said. "I really feel like I

need to practice to play. I can't just go out there and go off just

off talent. That's not the type of guy I am."

Houston's offense stalled throughout the first three quarters

before the furious rally began with a 7-yard touchdown catch by

David Anderson early in the fourth quarter. Before that 70-yard

drive, the Texans had managed just 34 yards of offense. A two-point

conversion by Davis made it 32-15.

Texans coach Gary Kubiak blamed the offensive woes on himself.

"I'm just very disappointed in this guy you're looking at right

here," Kubiak said. "For us to go out there and play offensively

that way for that long, there's no excuse. That's my job."

Houston starter Matt Schaub missed big chunks of the first half

and the entire second half with ankle and hip injuries. Kubiak said

Schaub would have an MRI on his hip but that X-rays on his ankle

were negative.

Rosenfels accounted for four of Houston's six turnovers by

throwing three interceptions and losing a fumble in Schaub's place.

"If we just convert on a couple of those turnovers that we got,

deep in their territory and got touchdowns instead of field goals,

we wouldn't have been in the situation we were in at the end,"

Collins said. "That's obviously going to be a point of emphasis

for us and one we need to keep working on."

The Texans cut the lead to 32-22 on a 6-yard touchdown reception

by Kevin Walter with about eight minutes left. The Texans forced a

punt, but Anderson fumbled it and Tennessee recovered, putting a

damper on Houston's comeback hopes.

Bironas seventh field goal made it 35-22 with 3:47 remaining.

But Jeb Putzier's 7-yard touchdown catch with less than two

minutes remaining cut the lead to 35-29. The Texans recovered their

first onside kick attempt but had to re-kick after an illegal

formation penalty.

They recovered the second one, too, to set up Davis' touchdown.

Rosenfels four touchdown passes in the fourth quarter tied an

NFL record. He finished 22-for-35 for 290 yards.

Chris Henry and LenDale White scored Tennessee's only touchdowns

and White finished with 27 carries for 104 yards.

DeMeco Ryans sacked Collins, causing a fumble which he returned

26 yards for a touchdown that gave Houston a 7-3 lead in the first

quarter.

The Texans managed 24 yards and two first downs in the first

half, with the second one coming on a penalty. Jacoby Jones fumbled

early in the first quarter and Rosenfels threw an interception and

lost a fumble before halftime.

Rosenfels replaced Schaub midway through the first half after he

injured his ankle on a sack. He threw the interception to Nick Harper on his first play.

Schaub returned in the second quarter, but was knocked out of

the game just before halftime by a helmet-to-helmet hit by Albert Haynesworth. Rosenfels fumbled on the next play to set up a 28-yard

field goal by Bironas, his fifth of the half.

Haynesworth said he didn't think it was a helmet-to-helmet hit

and said it would have been better if Schaub would have stayed in.

"Well, heck, I mean we probably would have won this game 35-7

if he stayed in," Haynesworth said. "It was good to knock him out

I guess, but he's going to come back and I don't think there'll be

any kind of quarterback controversy because they pay that guy a lot

of money."

Game notes
The Texans had just 39 yards rushing. ... Titans fullback

Ahmard Hall has a broken arm and will have surgery, Fisher said.