Titans dominate winless Lions 47-10

DETROIT — Chris Johnson was untouched on a short run to the outside and a long gain up the middle.

The two plays were symbolic of the canyon-like gap between the once-beaten Tennessee Titans and the winless Detroit Lions.

Johnson ran for two touchdowns in the first quarter, LenDale White scored twice in the second and Tennessee coasted to a 47-10 win over Detroit on Thursday.

"We just came out swinging," White said. "We hit the first punch and they fell."

Johnson finished with 125 yards rushing and White added 106 on the ground as Tennessee met its goal of re-establishing the running game.

The Titans (11-1) bounced back from their first defeat of the season, surging to a 28-3 lead in the opening minute of the second, and have their best 12-game record in franchise history.

With a 34-point lead midway through the fourth quarter, Vince Young played for the first time since spraining his left knee in the opener. He skipped a scheduled MRI exam a day later, then prompted a police search when he panicked someone by taking off hours later without his cell phone.

"I'm good," Young said as he walked away from reporters. "I'll talk about it Monday."

The Lions (0-12) moved a step closer to becoming the NFL's first 0-16 team, losing by a franchise-worst 37 points and giving up a franchise-record 47 points in their 69th game on Thanksgiving.

"We got embarrassed," defensive tackle Shaun Cody said.

Six teams have lost at least their first 12 games since Tampa Bay finished 0-14 in 1976 and the Lions have done it twice. They started 0-12 in 2001 before beating the Minnesota Vikings, who visit Detroit on Dec. 7.

"We are desperate for a win," said quarterback Daunte Culpepper, who was benched for the third time in four games.

It was a rare nationally televised game for both teams and it didn't take long for the nation to witness why Tennessee is terrific and Detroit is awful.

Did the Titans prove anything to their doubters?

"No, because people are going to say, 'It was just Detroit,"' cornerback Nick Harper said.

Wide receiver Shaun McDonald fumbled on Detroit's second play from scrimmage and Tennessee needed just two snaps to take the lead. Brandon Jones ran for 28 yards on an end around, then Johnson had so much room on a 6-yard run to the left that pulling guard Eugene Amano didn't have anybody to block.

"When I got to the outside, there was no one there," Amano said. "I had to turn around to find somebody to hit."

Johnson took a handoff up the middle on the fourth play of Tennessee's next drive, ran through a huge hole and sprinted past helpless safety Dwight Smith to make it 14-3.