The Titans did not celebrate wildly on the field or bust out the champagne in the locker room, yet tight end Frank Wycheck said there was a sense of relief and joy after Tennessee beat he Cleveland Browns on Sunday.
That's because it marked the team's ninth win, a plateau the franchise has fallen one game short of the past three seasons.
And the 33-21 victory kept the Titans (9-2), who face the Ravens on Sunday at PSINet Stadium, in good position to capture their first AFC Central title since moving from Houston three years ago.
"We really want to take each step to get to the playoffs," Wycheck said. "After the fact that we got our ninth win and shed that 8-8 mark, that was a relief, definitely. But that is just a little blip on the radar screen. Our main goal is to get to the playoffs."
Titans coach Jeff Fisher and Wycheck have been with the team the past three seasons, experiencing the frustration that comes with continued mediocrity. Although his job was secure, Fisher said he did feel pressure from outside the organization to exceed eight wins this season.
"Those pressures were external pressures," Fisher said. "Those are things that if coaches let bother them, they are destined to fail. We are just out there trying to win ballgames.
"I felt we were better than an 8-8 football team last year. We had some games that we should have won that we didn't for a number of reasons. We wanted to start fast this year, and we were able to do that."
Fisher can look to Wycheck as a major reason why the Titans will likely make the playoffs for the first time since 1993.
Wycheck is third in the AFC for receptions by a tight end with 40 for 345 yards.
Going into this season, it looked like Wycheck's role would diminish with the arrival of fullback Lorenzo Neal from Tampa Bay. When Neal is in, Wycheck and Jackie Harris rotate.
But with an injury to wide receiver Yancey Thigpen, Fisher has had to lean on Wycheck.
"At the end of the games when we need to pound the ball, he [Neal] is in there doing his thing," Wycheck said. "It has worked out well this year. Sometimes we are in there with Lorenzo with two tight ends. So it doesn't really take away from our game. It keeps us fresh. We get to switch off every series, so it's no problem."
Wycheck's numbers are slightly off pace from last season when he set career highs in catches (70) and yards (768) and made his first Pro Bowl.
