Tennessee Titans rookie quarterback Jake Locker threw a 45-yard touchdown pass in his NFL debut, and Tennessee beat Minnesota to make new coach Mike Munchak a winner in his preseason opener.
Matt Hasselbeck started for Tennessee, and the veteran signed to a three-year contract to mentor Locker and make the Titans competitive this season looked sharp in his lone series. He completed 5 of 6 passes for 55 yards in an opening drive marred by a botched handoff leading to a 30-yard loss.
Donovan McNabb made his first start for Minnesota, and completed four of his first five passes before having the sixth knocked down by rookie linebacker Akeem Ayers. McNabb came back for a second series before leaving the game 6 of 11 for 40 yards.
Locker, the eighth pick overall from Washington, had his moment, too. He dropped the ball off the snap before picking it up, rolling to his right and throwing a perfect pass to Yamon Figurs for a TD. Locker played one series into the third quarter, and he was 7 of 10 for 89 yards with a passer rating of 130.8.
Locker and Hasselbeck won't have much stand-alone value this season, but Locker is a good prospect in keeper leagues and solid quarterback play will help Chris Johnson (if he ever shows up) and Kenny Britt.
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