There’s Excitement in the Air for McNair

Steve McNair can’t hide his enthusiasm.

The Tennessee quarterback always has done exactly what his coaches asked for -- whether it was making the safe pass, handing off the ball or having only two or three audibles to use per game.

Now the Titans have a new offensive coordinator in NFL rookie Norm Chow, and the 10-year veteran feels like his hands have been untied.

“We can do just about anything we want in this offense as far as being a quarterback and making changes. The only thing he asks is why we did that, and give him a good reason. I think that is something we haven’t had in the past,” McNair said.

“As a quarterback, that’s the exciting part about being a quarterback. Being a leader, you have to have that leeway to where you can change plays and not just put yourself in a bind.”

Chow is one of 13 changes at the offensive coordinator position in the NFL this season. He may be new to the league after 32 years in college, but the man who tutored Heisman Trophy winners Matt Leinart, Carson Palmer and Ty Detmer has one guiding principle: Use your talent.

“The guy’s one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL,” Chow said of McNair. “To tie him up and say he just has to do what we expect him to do, hey, the defense may not be cooperating and there may be something better ... why not? He’s out there, he’s a good athlete, and he understands what we’re trying to get done.”

Titan Coach Jeff Fisher didn’t switch coordinators to juice up the offense. In five seasons under Mike Heimerdinger, the Titans ranked among the league’s top-11 offenses in 2001, 2003 and 2004, and McNair shared the MVP award in 2003.

But Heimerdinger, who hopes to be a head coach some day, was lured away by the Jets for more money and the New York spotlight.

The Jets were looking for someone to help Chad Pennington and Curtis Martin find the end zone more often after firing Paul Hackett because they scored only two touchdowns in four games against Pittsburgh and New England.

“With the New York media, it’s either going to be good or bad and nothing in between,” Heimerdinger said.

He promises that he hasn’t made big changes to the Jets’ offense, but Pennington is excited to have the shotgun available.

“There are a few dinosaurs in the league, as far as coaches that don’t want to use the shotgun. Paul is one of them. Jon Gruden is one of them, and you’re not going to teach an old dog new tricks,” Pennington said.

Ted Tollner is another coordinator who switched teams.

Tollner left San Francisco when Dennis Erickson was fired and resurfaced in Detroit with Steve Mariucci, his former boss with the 49ers.

Said Tollner: “I knew I’d love to work for him and the feeling was mutual, so here I am.”