It gets hard to ignore Titans

The NFL’s burning question in 2007: Can the New England Patriots win them all?

This year’s version: What are the Tennessee Titans doing winning them all?

The Titans are the league’s only undefeated team, 9-0 for the first time in franchise history, and winners of their last 12 regular-season games.

While we were distracted following the Brett Favre saga, or wringing our hands about Peyton Manning and Tom Brady sitting out the exhibition season, or wondering whether this was the year the Chargers would cash in on all that talent, the Titans were quietly assembling their best team ever.

The Titans have long complained they don’t get enough national attention, and this season they’re correct.

And secretly loving it.

“Put it like this, [Coach] Jeff Fisher wouldn’t have it any other way,” said Brad Hopkins, who played left tackle for the Houston-turned-Tennessee franchise for 13 seasons before retiring two years ago. “He’s into guerrilla warfare. He’s gotten away from the whole side-by-side Revolutionary War style. These guys are going through the weeds on their bellies, hiding behind trees.”

Maintaining that element of surprise is getting more difficult by the week. The Titans, who before this season had never started better than 3-0, are starting to get the respect they so richly deserve.

And a 16-0 season is not out of the question. Of Tennessee’s final seven opponents, only the New York Jets (6-3), Pittsburgh (6-3) and Indianapolis (5-4) have winning records.

Linebacker Keith Bulluck told reporters Monday that Tennessee’s undefeated record is giving opponents extra incentive to be the first to beat the Titans.

“Little do they know we’re not trying to go undefeated,” he said. “We’re trying to win as many games so we get home-field position in the playoffs.”

It starts with Tennessee’s defense, which has allowed a league-low 13.0 points a game, and has virtually no weak spots. Tennessee’s front four does such a good job of pressuring passers, the Titans seldom need to blitz. That creates all sorts of opportunities for a ball-hawking secondary with a trio of players -- Chris Hope, Cortland Finnegan and Michael Griffin -- who each have four interceptions.

The Titans are deep too. They were missing three defensive starters because of injury or illness Sunday at Chicago, and they still held the Bears to 243 yards and forced six three-and-outs.

The most remarkable thing about the Titans’ offense is they switched quarterbacks after the first week, benching Vince Young -- the face of the franchise -- and replacing him with 35-year-old Kerry Collins, who hadn’t been a regular starter since 2005 with the Oakland Raiders.

More than anything, Collins has been a seasoned game manager, minimizing mistakes in an offense built around an explosive running game. He has just three interceptions in nine games and hadn’t thrown for 200 yards in a game until he needed to Sunday at Chicago.

In that game, the Bears loaded up to stop the run, and Collins took advantage of the strategy, throwing for 289 yards and two touchdowns.

Typically, he has relied on rookie running back Chris Johnson -- as rare and spectacular a runner as his name is common -- and former USC bruiser LenDale White. Despite gaining just 20 yards on the ground against the Bears, one more than the franchise low, the Titans still have the league’s sixth-ranked rushing attack.

And Fisher’s reaction to that 21-14 victory was telling.

“We [stunk],” he said.

Most coaches would have been elated to come away with a hard-fought road victory over a respectable opponent. Just look at how relieved the San Diego Chargers were to get their home victory over the one-win Kansas City Chiefs, or how the Minnesota Vikings celebrated their one-point squeaker over Green Bay at the Metrodome.

But Fisher expected more. And, with the way things are going for the Titans, maybe we should too.

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sam.farmer@latimes.com