Tennessee Titans running back LenDale White is just one of the many reasons the Titans are 12-1 heading into today's game at Houston (6-7). The AFC South champion Titans will be without the services of defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch today after he aggravated a groin injury in a win over the Cleveland Browns last week. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

By Terry McCormick

sports@timesfreepress.com

HOUSTON — In years past, losing a player like Pro Bowl defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch might have spelled disaster for the Tennessee Titans.

After all, Vanden Bosch had been an iron man, starting 54 consecutive games for the Titans until earlier this season. He almost never left the field during his first three seasons with the Titans.

But that all changed when he suffered a groin tear on Oct. 5 in Baltimore. He has been hampered on and off by the injury almost ever since, recovering enough to play full games against the New York Jets and Detroit Lions.

But after aggravating the injury in a win over the Cleveland Browns last week, Vanden Bosch will sit out today when the Titans visit the Houston Texans at Reliant Stadium. And the Titans again will turn to the tandem of Dave Ball and Jacob Ford to fill the slack.

To say Ball and Ford were unknown commodities coming into the season would be putting it very mildly. Ball had, yes, bounced around from the San Diego Chargers to the Jets and into Carolina Panthers camp last year before being released and out of the NFL altogether in 2007.

Ford, a sixth-round draft choice in 2007, tore an Achilles’ tendon in training camp last year and missed his entire rookie season.

But in stepping in while Vanden Bosch is scheduled to miss his fourth game of the season when the Titans take on the Houston Texans today, Ball and Ford have become key contributors in the defensive line.

Ford has started twice and Ball once in place of Vanden Bosch, and they played extensively while the Titans star was unable to finish four other games. They have combined for 9.5 sacks.

Ball has 4.5 sacks, 44 total tackles and 12 quarterback pressures, while Ford has five sacks, 29 tackles and seven pressures.

“We’ll just come in and tag-team it,” Ball said.

The Titans have already clinched a first-round bye and are within one win and one Pittsburgh Steelers loss of clinching home-field advantage through the AFC playoffs. So resting Vanden Bosch for the postseason makes plenty of sense.

“I think at this point, every game is important, but we’re in the playoffs,” Vanden Bosch said. “We have a bye, and ... that playoff game is going to be one of the most important games in the organization’s history. It’s going to be a home game and it’s going to be a playoff game. I want to be out there every chance I can get, but if there’s any erring, it’s probably going to be erring on the side of caution.”

Ford’s and Ball’s capable play makes the decision easier.

“We’re just doing our job,” Ford said. “There’s more snaps, but people have to pull together and play harder just because we’re missing such a big part of our defense.”