Ryan Fitzpatrick likes how he looks with a bushy beard, it makes him feel comfortable.

NASHVILLE -- Ryan Fitzpatrick likes how he looks with a bushy beard, it makes him feel comfortable. Haloti Ngata Jersey . Now, about to make his first start in Tennessee with Jake Locker sidelined with a sprained hip, Fitzpatrick is a little upset with himself for shaving his face clean a month ago. His current beard isnt nearly as impressive, and Fitzpatrick needs any edge he can get. "Its never easy I think to step in from a backup role to the starter kind of mid-stream I guess," Fitzpatrick said Wednesday. "I got to go in there and make these three days very productive. ... Being 3-1 with our defence playing great, I think with the confidence just in general that our team is playing with, this is a fun situation to step into." The Titans signed Fitzpatrick to a two-year contract in March wanting the veteran in his ninth season to mentor and back up Jake Locker. Now Locker is out a few weeks with a sprained right hip and knee, its time for Fitzpatrick to step in and try to keep Tennessees momentum going until Locker returns. Fitzpatrick said his role now is different than a week ago. He spent plenty of time talking with receivers during practice Wednesday in what he called side conversations. He also threw to them during defensive drills with some extra work after practice "With Jake now being injured, Ive got to go out and let them know what I expect," Fitzpatrick said. "If youre not on the same page, thats what leads to some of the miscommunication and things that cant happen." Titans coach Mike Munchak said its an adjustment for everybody with Fitzpatrick. "Hes been through it before," Munchak said. "Hes been in the league a long time, so were hoping he can make this adjustment rather quickly because we need that on Sunday." The Titans have plenty of confidence in Fitzpatrick because they saw how he nearly beat them last year in Buffalo where he started 32 games over the previous two seasons. Fitzpatrick had 80 touchdowns and 64 interceptions in 55 games with the Bills. He also set Bills records for the longest completion with a 98-yard TD pass and longest TD rushing by a quarterback with a 31-yarder both in 2009. The Bills cut Fitzpatrick in March to escape the six-year, $59 million deal he signed in October 2011. The Titans scooped him up as a cheaper alternative to back up Locker. Now Fitzpatrick makes his first start Sunday against Kansas City (4-0). Chiefs coach Andy Reid has seen plenty of Fitzpatrick from his time coaching in Philadelphia where he said the quarterback got after his Eagles pretty good. "So Im well aware of him, and have a ton of respect for him, and our team here knows him," Reid said. "They played against him in the past. Everyone knows how capable he is and well prepare ourselves to play a heck of a quarterback and a heck of an offence." Fitzpatrick is 4-1 against the Chiefs. Munchak has said they likely will not call run plays like they did for Locker, who is averaging 6.5 yards a carry this season. Fitzpatrick said hes never been a real speedster himself. "Usually Im running out of fear because those guys are big," Fitzpatrick said. Chiefs linebacker Derrick Johnson isnt buying that talk. He called the Harvard graduate a smart quarterback who improvises with his legs just like all the other running quarterbacks. "Hes been in the league for a while," Johnson said. "He knows when you make a mistake, he can capitalize off it. This isnt a regular, backup-type quarterback game for us. He can still run all their plays." Notes: Locker spoke to reporters Wednesday, walking very stiff and with a neoprene sleeve covering his right leg. He said the injury was pain like hed never felt before and with the hip joint so big he thought about all the worst possibilities. Locker shared no timetable for his return, saying only that he will be working hard to get back as soon as possible. ... Munchak said the Titans will promote Rusty Smith off the practice squad to back up Fitzpatrick at quarterback. ... WR Kenny Britt returned to practice. RB Shonn Greene (right knee) and DT Sammie Hill (right ankle) worked inside with trainers. DE Ropati Pitoitua (shoulder) did not practice. RT David Stewart (right leg) got the day off. Michael Bennett Jersey . - This win was more the New Jersey Devils style. Avonte Maddox Jersey . The kind he has every so often. The kind he has when Dwyane Wade sits. James scored 43 points -- 25 in a bewildering first-quarter shooting display -- and Chris Bosh added 21, leading the Miami Heat to a 100-96 win Tuesday night over the Cleveland Cavaliers, who played their first game without injured All-Star guard Kyrie Irving. http://www.theeaglesshoponline.com/Youth-Josh-Sweat-Eagles-Jersey/ .Y. -- That hangover from the Big East tournament is gone for Villanova.In the May 2 edition of The MMA Report, John Pollock is joined by former UFC heavyweight champion Mark "The Hammer" Coleman to discuss his time as an assistant coach on the 19th season of "The Ultimate Fighter", coming to terms with retirement and his near venture into professional wrestling earlier in his career. Also, MMA journalist Todd Martin (Sherdog, L.A. Times blog, Wrestling Observer) returns to the show to talk UFC 172 aftermath. The MMA Report: Featuring Mark Coleman and Todd Martin You can catch The MMA Report every Friday at 11pm et on TSN 1050 in Toronto. -- Coleman, the former Olympic wrestler, talks about coaching alongside BJ Penn on the UFCs hit reality show and what it was like to lend his knowledge and experience to a new generation of fighters, despite a nagging hip injury. "BJ Penn gave me that offer and its just something that I felt I cant refuse," Coleman said. "I was just so excited to do it ... When I walked through the gym doors, I just kind of, like riding a bike it just came back to me and I gave my heart and all to it and it was probably one of the coolest things I ever got to do. Not probably, it was one of the coolest things Ive ever done in my life." And while Coleman had the opportunity to teach the next wave of fighters, he also admits he leearned a few things himself. Markus Wheaton Eagles Jersey. "I still was lucky enough. I did get through and I did still get to whoop their butts in straight wrestling because Im still a pretty good wrestler but I would not want to do an MMA fight with these guys or any of these UFC guys any more. Its amazing how far this sport has come," he said. -- Martin, who had the pleasure of covering UFC 172 live from the Baltimore Arena on April 26, says the event lived up to the hype even in an older venue. "From the literal standpoint, not so well. From a figurative standpoint, tremendously," Martin said. "Literally, the Baltimore Arena is a dump, I mean, its a very very old arena that has bee hosting events for decades and its not in a very good shape at all, but its a great building. The acoustics are great, the live crowd, for whatever reason." And for a guy who has been to shows all across the U.S., Canada and overseas, Martin said the fans in Maryland were a big part of a great show. "This show was a crowd that was really super enthusiastic and very knowledgable about the sport," he said. "It was really quite the crowd and it made for a really exciting event ... (UFC president) Dana White, after the event, seemed really enthusiastic aboutrunning Baltimore in the future." Cheap Chargers Jerseys