McNair still is suffering from turf toe, but he has shown the ability to overcome the pain. That is critical, because of his role as an athlete as well as a passer. Nevertheless, if McNair were to be taken out of the game, the Titans are still in capable hands with veteran Neil O'Donnell.

O'Donnell is playoff experienced and is the type of technician that makes a head coach comfortable if there ever were need for relief. O'Donnell was 4-1 as a starter this season, and he is a classic caretaker who will not fold under the pressure of a big game situation.

Running Backs
Eddie George has proven himself worthy of being considered one of the elite backs in the NFL. He is not only a powerful back with great quickness and awareness, but he is also the obvious leader of the offense. It is George's ability to wear down defenses late in games with his bruising style that makes the Titans offense formidable.

Although Rodney Thomas has not had much of a role in the offense, he has done an admirable job of spelling George when necessary. Thomas is an undersized back who has some trouble with blitz pick-up on passing downs, but he has great speed and poses a threat as a receiver out of the backfield.

With the team playing a lot more two tight end sets, FB Lorenzo Neal's playing time has been limited. He had an excellent season for the Titans as a lead blocker and a receiver out of the backfield, but the coaching staff has been unable to disguise the play calling with the fullback in the game. Neal is one of the top isolation blockers in the league, and it was his success as a lead blocker this season that allowed George to stay so fresh late in the season.

Tight end
Jackie Harris has taken care of most of the tight end duties this season. With the Titans concentrating so heavily on the short-to-intermediate passing game, Harris has become a bigger part of the offense than originally anticipated. Playing opposite H-back Frank Wycheck has made Harris' job easier because of the attention that Wycheck receives off the line of scrimmage in coverage.

One thing to note has been Harris' run blocking throughout the season and especially in the playoffs. Harris is targeted as a receiving tight end in this league with limited blocking skills, but because he was able to step up his play as a run blocker, the Titans have been able to run more two tight end sets that favors their offensive scheme.

H-Back
Frank Wycheck has done an excellent job this season as the team's go-to receiver. Wycheck's ability to create favorable matchups with his great combination of size and speed has been the biggest reason the Titans offense has seen success. Wycheck also has done a better than average job as a run blocker, and now that the team has used him in so many motions in formation, Wycheck is learning angles and can take on just about any outside linebacker on a downhill block.

Offensive line
This isn't the most athletic group in the league, but toughness and experience up front have brought the Titans to where the are today. The leader of this group is obviously Bruce Matthews, who in his 17th season is still a reliable and versatile inside player.

Jon Runyan and Brad Hopkins have done a solid job at the tackles. Hopkins is a crafty veteran who added some weight this season without losing his quickness vs. the edge rush. Runyan is a good looking player who likes to engulf defensive ends with his great size and strength.

The play of center Kevin Long has been a big boost for the offense. Long does not have much experience and is still a bit raw, but he is active and has shown great recognition of the inside blitz. Benji Olson is the unsung hero of this group, winning over the right guard position because of his great work ethic and ability to create an inside surge in the rushing game.

Defensive line
The obvious boost to this unit has been the play of rookie defensive end Jevon Kearse. Kearse has done it all this season, proving to be one of the top pass rushers in the league as well as a formidable force against the run. The coaching staff has done an excellent job of moving Kearse around on the line of scrimmage to create favorable matchups, and his ability to draw a double team has freed up the rest of the defensive line to work with in mostly one-on-one situations.

Henry Ford and Kenny Holmes have had above-average seasons, giving the Titans a strong rush opposite Kearse. Ford is a versatile player who can play end or tackle. His ability to stop the run has allowed the rest of the Titans front seven to be more aggressive within the zone-blitz scheme.

Perhaps the most unrecognized players on this Titans defense have been DTs Josh Evans and Jason Fisk. Evans and Fisk have been dominant inside, creating great surge in the one-gap system and freeing up the linebackers to be more active around the line of scrimmage. Mike Jones has also been a contributor inside. Jones is a solid overall player who has finally developed into the player that his measurables always indicated he could become.

Linebackers
This unit did an awful lot of shuffling around early in the season, but as it stands, the linebacking corps is an extremely solid unit that makes a lot of plays within the aggressive defensive scheme.

Barron Wortham's ability to step up as a dominant player on the inside has given the defense a boost versus the run. Wortham is an undersized linebacker in the middle, but he is extremely active and shows great shedding ability because of his strong upper body and hand use.

Eddie Robinson has also been a big story for the Titans because of his playmaking ability on the outside. Robinson has great instincts and pays with excellent leverage vs. the run. Joe Bowden was forced to make the transition from inside to outside where he is better suited because of his size and athleticism. He is extremely active and tough to block, showing great feet in space and a nose for the ball.

Secondary
The secondary took a big hit with the loss of FS Marcus Robertson. Robertson is a great ballhawk who will be missed against the pass, which means Anthony Dorsett and Perry Phenix are going to have to step up their level of play agianst the explosive receiving corps of the Rams.

Denard Walker and Samari Rolle are solid corners who have done an excellent job when left on an island without safety help. The Titans take a lot of chances on defense, because of their aggressive scheme, which means Walker and Rolle are going to find themselves in a lot of single-man coverage situations on the Rams wideouts. Walker and Rolle are both undersized corners, but they have developed into physical corners who can play in a lot of bump and run coverage.

Dainon Sidney is going to be a key player this week as the nickel corner. Sidney has done a fine job of covering receivers out of the slot position because of his great speed and ability to matchup with bigger, more physical receivers on the inside.

SS Blaine Bishop is a punishing hitter who does an excellent job of playing close to the line of scrimmage in run support. Bishop has only marginal athleticism, but he has shown an ability to match up with running backs and tight ends off the line of scrimmage.

Special teams
Al Del Greco is still an extremely consistent place kicker, finishing the regular season 21 of 25 with a long of 50 yards. He does not have great range but is a reliable field goal kicker who has shown the ability to kick in pressure situations.

Craig Hentrich is one of the top overall punters in the league, and although he did not have a great average on the season, he did an excellent job of directional punting when given the opportunity.

Derrick Mason has shown flashes throughout the season as a big play return specialist, and his 80-yard free kick return against the Jaguars was just a glimpse of how explosive this young talent can be on special teams.