The unbeaten Tennessee Titans have a tough stretch of games ahead that will start with a battle against the Chicago Bears this Sunday at Soldier Field.

Tennessee, which will play two straight and five of its last eight games of the regular season on the road, also has AFC South-rival Jacksonville and the Brett Favre-led New York Jets on the horizon. It can't afford to look past the Bears for a showdown with the Jaguars, otherwise the team's unblemished record has a good chance at getting its first smudge of the season.

Titans head coach Jeff Fisher, though, has been in the NFL a long time and is wise enough to have his players prepared for the current task at hand. That has been the recipe for Tennessee's success this season, taking on its opponents one week at a time. A lot of the achievements can also be attributed to a great running game and a strong defense. Running backs LenDale White and rookie Chris Johnson have become household names for their efforts this year, while the defense has solidified its case as a top unit in the league with stars such Albert Haynesworth, Keith Bulluck, Kyle Vanden Bosch and Cortland Finnegan.

Tennessee, which has won 11 straight in the regular season dating back to last year, is 3-0 on the road for the first time since 1975. It owns a four-game lead in the AFC South over once-dominant Indianapolis and Jacksonville .

The Titans will try to tee off on whoever plays quarterback for the 5-3 Bears, as starter Kyle Orton is nursing a right ankle injury suffered in last weeks 27-23 win over Detroit. Orton was carted off the field and is thankful that the results revealed only a sprain. He has not yet been ruled out against Tennessee, although Bears offensive coordinator Ron Turner said it will be tough to for Orton to make a start if he doesn't practice at all during the week. If he is unable to go on Sunday, backup Rex Grossman will start.

Grossman took over for Chicago in the second half of last week's game and guided the team to two touchdowns. His one-yard scoring run in the fourth quarter lifted the Bears to victory, and he finished the game 9-for-19 with 58 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

Many Bears fans were likely disappointed that Grossman was back on the field, but they'll have to deal with what head coach Lovie Smith feels is necessary for the betterment of his team. Grossman and undrafted rookie Caleb Hanie are the remaining healthy quarterbacks on the roster, and the team has no plans on signing any more in the future.

Chicago has been playing solid football lately, having won two straight and four of its last five games thanks to a revitalized passing attack. With or without Orton, the Bears must prepare for a rocky month of November that contains games with Tennessee, Green Bay, St. Louis and Minnesota.

The Bears have won three straight at home.

SERIES HISTORY

The Bears have a 5-4 lead in their all-time series with the Titans, breaking a deadlock in the series with a 19-17 overtime victory at LP Field in 2004. That marked the first overtime contest in NFL history to end with a safety. The Titans have lost three straight in the series since the then-Houston Oilers claimed a 24-7 decision at the Astrodome in 1992. The last road win in the series for the Titans/Oilers occurred in 1989.

Fisher, who played for the Bears from 1981 through 1984, is 0-3 as a head coach against his former team. Smith is 1-0 against both the Titans and Fisher as a head coach.

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