By George, the Titans Pull Off an Upset of the Colts

In 1996, they were the laughingstock of Houston.

In 1997, they were the outcasts of Memphis.

In 1998, they were the strangers at Vanderbilt.

In 1999, they were finally permanent residents in Nashville.

And now, they find themselves one postseason victory away from Atlanta, and a berth in Super Bowl XXXIV.

The Tennessee Titans, the team that nobody wanted, the team few took seriously, the team that needed a miracle to get to the second round of the playoffs, needed no help Sunday in advancing to the third round.

On the strength of their overpowering defense and the unstoppable legs of running back Eddie George, the Titans beat the favored Indianapolis Colts into submission in an AFC divisional playoff game, 19-16, in front of a stunned RCA Dome crowd of 57,097.

That sends the Titans into Sunday’s AFC championship game against the Jaguars at Jacksonville. And for those who still doubt this team, who shudder at the thought of the Titans in the Super Bowl, remember that Tennessee already has defeated the Jaguars twice this season.

“We know the road to the Super Bowl goes through Jacksonville,” said George, whose 162 yards rushing Sunday, including a 68-yard touchdown run, was the difference. “Especially after Saturday [when the Jaguars beat the Miami Dolphins 62-7], it’s going to be a long road.”

No longer than the road the Titans already have traveled. After winning 13 of 16 regular-season games, Tennessee needed an improbable lateral on a 75-yard kickoff return in the closing seconds of its opening-round postseason game to beat the Buffalo Bills.

There was nothing quite so dramatic Sunday, just hard-nosed defense that shut down the offensive triumvirate that had powered the Colts to a 13-3 regular-season season record and the AFC East title.

All season, the Colts were led by quarterback Peyton Manning, whose 90.7 quarterback ranking was the AFC’s best, running back Edgerrin James, who led the NFL in rushing with 1,553 yards, and receiver Marvin Harrison, who led the NFL in receiving yardage with 1,663.

Sunday, however, that trio ran into a defensive wall.

“We live on our mano-a-mano defense,” Titan safety Blaine Bishop said. “We say to people, ‘Hey, beat us.’ We don’t always get credit, but we let our defense win games. [Sunday], we brought our ‘A’ game.”

The result was an afternoon that began with Colt fans waving white handkerchiefs in celebration and ended with those handkerchiefs serving as white flags.

Manning went to the air 43 times, but completed only 19 for 227 yards. James rushed for only 56 yards, averaging 2.8 a carry as he banged his head against the unyielding Titan defensive front all day. He also caught only one pass for eight yards. Only Harrison had a decent afternoon, catching five passes for 65 yards. But Harrison also failed to hang onto three passes he should have caught.

“We have a very, very young offense that is not near what it is going to be at some point,” Indianapolis Coach Jim Mora said. “Sometimes you do big things and expect it to happen every game.”

James was impressed with the Titans.

“They did a lot of blitzing to keep me in,” he said. “I wasn’t able to get out on the pass route as much as I wanted to. I had to do a lot of blocking and wasn’t able to play that side of the game.”

All this talk might lead one to believe that the Titans dominated Sunday’s game. But for the first 30 minutes, neither side could do much.

It was the Colts who took a lead into the locker room at halftime, leading a battle of field goals, 9-6. Indianapolis’ Mike Vanderjagt was successful from 40 yards twice and from 34 once. Tennessee’s Al Del Greco countered with field goals of 49 and 37 yards.

Indianapolis seemed tentative. Gone were the free-wheeling days of the regular season. The Titans, on the other hand, were doing what they usually do, playing good defense and mistake-free football and waiting for something to break their way.

And break it did on the opening drive of the third quarter.

On the third play from scrimmage, George, receiving a key block from tackle Brad Hopkins, went up the middle from his own 32-yard line, broke free and raced to the end zone.

“The guys did a great job up front,” George said. “The field was open, so I just took it.”

George was so free that he had time to look up at the giant video screen in front of him.

“I finally realized I’d better just look ahead,” George said, “or the turf monster was going to get me.”

By way of comparison, while the Titans were moving into the lead in the third quarter, 13-9, the Colts, the team that was ranked No. 1 in the AFC and fourth in the league in offense, was piling up a total of six yards in that third quarter.

Continuing to nibble at the Colt defense, Tennessee added a 25-yard Del Greco field goal early in the fourth quarter to boost its lead to 16-9.

But then the Colts appeared to regain the momentum when punt returner Terrence Wilkins fielded a Craig Hentrich punt at his own 10, avoided a would-be tackler near the right sideline and raced all the way to the Titan three-yard line, a gallop of 87 yards, before being forced out of bounds.

Had the Titans, whose special teams had given them the special moment they needed for an unlikely victory a week earlier, been brought back to earth by special teams Sunday?

Not quite.

Tennessee Coach Jeff Fisher was told by his alert strength and conditioning coach, Steve Watterson, that Wilkins had stepped out of bounds back at his own 33-yard line.

A replay actually showed that Wilkins had stepped out twice, first with his right foot and then his left.

The officials called the play back.

The replay camera had again supplied a crucial verdict for the Titans, as it had a week earlier in Buffalo when it validated the miracle kick return.

When Del Greco added his fourth field goal, from 43 yards out, Manning’s 15-yard scramble into the end zone in the closing minutes proved to be too little to avoid the upset.

Are you watching Houston? Are you paying attention Memphis?

Are you ready Jacksonville?

And Atlanta?

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JOHNSON STEPS DOWN

Jimmy Johnson resigns as coach of the Miami Dolphins, and is replaced by Dave Wannstedt. Page 10