Titans Take a Big Step Forward

As Tennessee quarterback Steve McNair was escorted to the locker room cradling his numb left arm, the Titans braced themselves for the worst.

But once McNair got the feeling back, it wasn’t long before the Titans’ playoff chances returned too.

McNair, who had his arm stepped on in the first half, threw two of his three touchdown passes to Derrick Mason as Tennessee kept its postseason hopes alive with a 31-15 victory Sunday over the Cleveland Browns.

“I’ve always been a big Steve McNair fan, but this was something else,” said Titan guard Bruce Matthews. “I don’t think anybody thought he was coming back. You can’t count that guy out.”

Tennessee (5-6) hadn’t looked like a team two seasons removed from the Super Bowl before pounding the Browns (6-5).

The Titans will probably have win their last five games to reach the playoffs a third consecutive season--a task that would be difficult without McNair, who thought his season was over when 266-pound linebacker Jamir Miller stepped on him.

“The first 15 minutes, I couldn’t even move it,” said McNair. “When the X-rays came back negative, I thought, ‘If I can go, I’m going.”’

McNair didn’t play most of the second quarter after getting hurt, but by then he had given the Titans a 17-0 lead. He sat most of the fourth quarter and finished 11 for 17 passing for 244 yards.