Parker: Frustration grates on Titans

Tennessee tight end Alge Crumpler (83) fumbles in the fourth quarter after taking a lick from Baltimore safety Jim Leonhard at the Ravens 6-yard line. (T-G Photo by Danny Parker) [Click to enlarge]

NASHVILLE -- It's bad enough for teams with high expectations to see their seasons end prematurely, but when they're forced to clean out their lockers with a lingering feeling of self-destruction, the frustration becomes amplified.

The locker room after the Tennessee Titans fell 13-10 to the Baltimore Ravens in an AFC divisional playoff matchup was full of head scratching and it had nothing to do with the shampoo or hard water.

"I'm hurting," said Titans running back LenDale White, who totaled 45 yards on 15 carries. "This is worse than your girlfriend in high school breaking up with you. I'm trying to joke about it, but this hurts, it hurts more than anything."

In his second stint with Tennessee, defensive end Jevon Kearse enjoyed the ride but felt like it didn't last long enough.

"It's heartbreaking because we've got a great group of guys here," he said. "We've got something special going on, for us to lose it like this when we had a chance is frustrating."

Baltimore advances to face Pittsburgh in the AFC championship on Sunday. The Titans defeated both teams during the season.

So, does anybody think the Ravens will win it all now?

"No, not at all," Tennessee defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth said without hesitation. "I think their offense is weak. We shut down the run. We shut down pretty much the passing. They had about 2-3 pass plays. That's about it. We gave them a lot of stuff. The offense gave the ball away and kept them in the game."

Safety Michael Griffin was asked if the opening-round loss to the Chargers last season compared to Saturday's postgame emotions.

"It's worse than then. You play 16 games and go 13-3 with home field advantage is the same as saying you have to go through Nashville to get to the Super Bowl.

Tennessee's LenDale White (25) finds room to run as Baltimore's Jarret Johnson takes a tumble. (T-G Photo by Danny Parker) [Click to enlarge]

"I guess the Ravens took that saying and said, 'OK, we're going to go through Nashville to get to the Super Bowl.' Man, it's hard to even talk about it."

When the chips are down, typically ball control is what separates teams in a dog fight with their seasons on the line. The Ravens won the turnover battle 3-0 with two fumbles and an interception all coming inside the Baltimore 35-yard line.

"We're definitely the better team," Haynesworth said. "We just had too many mistakes to overcome. You can't do that in the playoffs. You can't have that many mistakes.

"We definitely should have won this game. It shouldn't have been close."

Coach Jeff Fisher was given the opportunity to shed some of the blame on his Titans receiving a bye in the opening round, which some think ruins a team's sharpness.

"Our time off had nothing to do with what happened today," he said firmly with a solemn look and bags under his tired eyes.

He went on to alleviate any finger pointing at the fumbles by White and tight end Alge Crumpler.

"It's disappointing, but it's football. It is, it's football."

White wasn't so quick to shrug off the mistakes. He put the ball on the ground with 36 seconds left in the first half with the line of scrimmage down to the Baltimore 16.

"I'm a tailback man, I should know somebody's coming," he said. "With the helmet being hit on my shoulder or the helmet going to my elbow and the ball popping out, I just feel like I could have done something else to hold on to the ball."

Now, it's back to the drawing board to prepare for the 2009 season. If anyone on the Tennessee roster needs extra motivation, all they'll need to do is tune in for the remainder of the NFL postseason.

Samari Rolle (22) returns an interception for Baltimore. (T-G Photo by Danny Parker) [Click to enlarge]

"I'm going to start working out this week," White said. "I will be back here when it's time, in shape, to get ready to play and win the championship. I don't care about no divisional championship. I could care less about an AFC championship. My goal from here on out is to win the Super Bowl. That's the only goal I have."

The shocked looks on the faces of the men in powder blue said it all as they tucked their heads and departed a soggy LP Field.

But, they're professionals, right? They get paid either way. Surely, this feeling won't last ... will it?

"Oh yeah," safety Chris Hope said, " 'cause there's nothing you can do to really get the taste out of your mouth. You have to sit back and watch them play or watch whoever play for the Super Bowl or the rest of the playoffs. You have to wait all the way to next year to suit up and play again."

Danny Parker is sports editor of the Times-Gazette. He can be reached at dparker@t-g.com.