For its statistical intrigue, let’s go with Sunday’s game between the Tennessee Titans and Chicago Bears as the NFL Matchup of the Week. The showdown in Chicago features a pair of first-place teams who are calling on No. 2 quarterbacks and rookie running backs to get it done.

The visiting Titans, 8-0 on the season, are in pursuit of their sixth straight regular-season road victory. They will face a Bears team that is all but certain to be without its No. 1 quarterback Sunday, as Kyle Orton suffered an ankle sprain in last week’s win over Detroit.

Orton walked without a limp in the presence of the media Friday -- and told reporters he had made remarkable progress over the two previous days -- but Rex Grossman looks like the starter against Tennessee. Grossman, who led the Bears to a Super Bowl appearance in 2006, will make his first start since Dec. 6.

The Titans, of course, have been relying on their backup quarterback all season. When Vince Young suffered a knee injury in Week 1, Kerry Collins stepped in and has directed the club with poise and confidence. The statistics won’t impress, but they don’t always tell the story -- and they certainly don’t matter to an 8-0 club.

The Titans and Bears also feature two of the NFL’s top rookie backs. Titans speedster Chris Johnson leads the AFC with 715 rushing yards, and he and LenDale White head a Tennessee ground attack that ranks third in the NFL by averaging 149.1 yards a game.

Bears rookie Matt Forte is seventh in the league with 614 rushing yards. Throw in 228 receiving yards, and the Bears’ touchdown leader has 869 scrimmage yards -- the sixth-most in the league. Fifth is Johnson with 879. Both running backs have scored six touchdowns.

If one of the two rookies excels Sunday, that would go a long way in securing a victory for his team. Otherwise, Collins may give Tennessee the advantage Sunday. He’s been solid and dependable. Going into the game, Collins has thrown 119 passes without being intercepted. The only active streak that is longer is 130 consecutive passes by Orton, but we aren’t likely to see him anywhere but on the sideline Sunday.