Bad news, NFL: Titans D is still moving up

NASHVILLE -- With four minutes left and Tennessee up by six, Titans coach Jeff Fisher had a decision: Does he go for a game-clinching field goal of 55 yards or trust his defense to protect a fourth consecutive victory?

Please.

The Titans' constant ballhawking is setting up wins. (AP)

The choice was a no-brainer. Fisher turned to his best weapon, and, no, I'm not talking about running back Chris Johnson. He called on his defense, one of the NFL's most underappreciated units, and it responded as it has all season -- with yet another stop.

Final score: Tennessee 30, Minnesota 17.

"It was methodical," Minnesota defensive end Jared Allen said of the Vikings' latest loss. "It came down to turnovers, and we didn't win (them)."

Get in line. People talk about how Tennessee and Minnesota are mirror images of each other, and that's true. But one area where the two diverge is takeaways, with the Titans entering this game with a league-leading eight, including seven interceptions.

That total jumps to 12 now, and it's one reason you better take Tennessee seriously. But here's another.

"We haven't played our best football yet," defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz said. "And that's encouraging for us."

It's not for the rest of the AFC because Tennessee might be the most balanced team in the conference. The Titans can run. They can stop the run. And they force turnovers. The one element that was missing was the pass, but look what Kerry Collins does for them.

Complete passes and make few mistakes.

That will make Tennessee formidable, and it makes its Oct. 27 game with Indianapolis here intriguing. The Colts are the division champions but lost two of their first three starts. Tennessee is the competition, off to the first 4-0 start in franchise history -- a record that includes a defeat of the 2007 division runner-up, Jacksonville.

There is a lot to like about the way the Titans play defense, and it was on exhibit here against Minnesota. With Adrian Peterson on the other side of the line of scrimmage, the Titans were compelled to commit to the run -- leaving their cornerbacks in single coverage most of the time.

It was dangerous, but it was necessary. It also worked.