Titans-Browns certainly isn't the marquee game in Sunday's action, but deep in the trenches, there's an intriguing matchup you might not want to miss: Shaun Smith vs. Alex Mack.
This defensive tackle-center feud dates to 2009, when Smith and Mack didn't get along in training camp before the former was released by the Browns. Last year, when Smith played for the Chiefs, the two went at it, and things ended ugly, with Mack accusing his former teammate of grabbing his genitals.
Now Smith plays defensive tackle for the Titans, and what do you know? He'll duke it out again with Mack.
Smith has every intention of punking Mack the way he claims he regularly did in Browns practices.
"During his rookie year, I used to tell him he should give his money back. I used to tell him he wasn't worth a first-round pick," Smith told The Tennessean of Mack, who was drafted 21st overall in 2009 and made his first Pro Bowl last season. "It's nothing personal or anything like that. That's just how I felt. ...
"He didn't say nothing. I mean, I was kicking his (butt) the whole camp, and I had a good game when we played them last year."
That might be true, but Smith's performance was sort of marred by the alleged junk-grabbing incident.
"You can't believe everything you hear," Smith said. "The league sorted it all out -- no fine."
Smith was fined $10,000 for allegedly doing the same thing to San Francisco 49ers offensive tackle Anthony Davis one week after the alleged Mack incident. However, the league rescinded the fine.
Regardless, Mack said after last year's game that he was fired up about being grabbed, and we imagine he hasn't let it go, either. This could get interesting.
