By Terry McCormick, sports@timesfreepress.com

INDIANAPOLIS — Sunday's 23-0 pounding courtesy of the Indianapolis Colts meant rest and relaxation for many Tennessee Titans players.

But for quarterback Vince Young, it was his most extensive playing time since losing his starting job after being injured in the season opener against Jacksonville.

Since that time, Young had played only in mop-up duty in a blowout of Detroit before replacing Kerry Collins on the Titans’ second offensive series on Sunday.

The results were mixed, as Young ran five times for 25 yards, and completed 9 of 13 passes. However, he managed just 55 yards passing and the Titans — running a pretty bland scheme — did not score in the game, with Rob Bironas missing a 48-yard field goal on Tennessee's only real scoring chance.

“I'd say the first series I was a little rusty getting into the rhythm of the game, but after that it started to slow down,” Young said. “It felt good to get in there and get that rush. I got hit bad one time, but it was good to get hit like that.”

Young was referring to a hard hit from the Colts’ Jamie Silva that knocked him out of bounds after a scramble.

“I just wanted to be loose. I told the guys earlier that my body feels real good,” Young said. “I told the guys earlier that I didn’t want to force anything and throw any interceptions, so I was checking the ball down and using my legs. Overall, I thought I did a pretty good job of getting the ball out and moving around. We didn’t really have too much in the offense today, but I think I did all right just to get back in my rhythm.”

GLAD TO BE BACK

If Young was glad to see action again, that probably wasn’t anything compared to third-stringer Chris Simms, who replaced Young in the fourth quarter for Tennessee's final offensive series.

It was his first game action since he ruptured his spleen in September 2006 while a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

“It was just good to get some action and get some of the anxiousness away. I’m just happy to get anything I can get,” Simms said.

Simms had two pass attempts, completing one for a seven-yard gain and a first down. He was sacked for a 10-yard loss.

“It was good to get hit again. It made me feel alive again. It wasn’t that bad,” he said of the sack.

The Titans wanted to get Simms one more series of action, but after calling timeout, the Colts converted a third down late in the game and ran the clock out.

“That’s why Coach (Jeff) Fisher called timeout, they were going to try to do the two-minute, but then they ended up getting the first down and that was that,” Simms said. “I'm just glad to be out there again and feeling good and being on a team that’s successful.”

FIRST ONE

Simms’ completion was significant for another reason, as it marked the first NFL reception for Titans wide receiver Paul Williams after two years with the team.

The third-round pick from 2007 was inactive for all 16 games as a rookie and was in uniform for only the fifth time this season.

“It definitely feels great to get out there and be a part of it. Too bad I was part of a loss, but just to be a part of the team feels real good,” Williams said.

INJURIES

Part of Tennessee’s plan for resting so many players was not risking players to injury. However, linebacker Josh Stamer, starting in place of David Thornton, who was resting his sore hip, suffered a groin injury. Stamer is one of Tennessee's key special teams players.

“We came through this somewhat healthy. The only concern I have right now is Josh Stamer. We’re going to have to do some tests,” Titans coach Jeff Fisher said.

Linebacker Keith Bulluck, scheduled for limited work, came back into the game and played when Stamer went out in the first half.

“We got down a man and we were kind of hurting at the position, so it didn’t hurt me to go back in for a quarter,” Bulluck said. “I actually told (Fisher) to let me go back in.”

MILESTONES

In addition to the convincing win, the Colts also accomplished several team and individual milestones on Sunday, winning their ninth straight game and reaching 12 wins for the sixth straight year.

Individually, Peyton Manning passed for 95 yards, which put him over 4,000 yards for the ninth straight season.

Marvin Harrison caught his 1,102nd career reception, which moved him past Cris Carter into second place on the NFL's receptions list, behind only Jerry Rice.