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Remembering Steve McNair: Once a Titan, always a Titan

By Michael Moraitis

PITTSBURGH-SEPTEMBER 28: Steve McNair #9 of the Tennessee Titans smiles while talking to a teammate during the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on September 28, 2003 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Titans defeated the Steelers 30-13. (Photo by Tom Pidgeon/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH-SEPTEMBER 28: Steve McNair #9 of the Tennessee Titans smiles while talking to a teammate during the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on September 28, 2003 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Titans defeated the Steelers 30-13. (Photo by Tom Pidgeon/Getty Images) /
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31 Oct 1999: Steve McNair #9 of the Nashville Titans points as he runs with the ball during a game against the St. Louis Rams at the Adelphia Coliseum in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans defeated the Rams 24-21. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Daniel/Allsport
31 Oct 1999: Steve McNair #9 of the Nashville Titans points as he runs with the ball during a game against the St. Louis Rams at the Adelphia Coliseum in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans defeated the Rams 24-21. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Daniel/Allsport /

The 1999 Playoffs

With a stellar defense, the Titans made their way to a 13-3 season and through the playoffs, all the way to Super Bowl XXXIV. Granted, McNair’s numbers through the first two rounds were anything but exceptional; however he saved his best for last.

In the AFC Championship Game against a Jacksonville Jaguars team that had just destroyed the Miami Dolphins in the round prior, McNair was a hero and one of the key stars in the 33-14 win.

He completed 61 percent of his passes for 112 yards and one touchdown with one pick. It was in this game that McNair flashed that unmatched athleticism we spoke about earlier, as he ran all over the Jags for 91 yards and two touchdowns on nine attempts.

It was before No. 9’s second touchdown run that was perhaps one of the more iconic plays of his career. McNair scorched the Jags for a 51-yard scamper that set himself up for a one-yard score, effectively putting Jacksonville away for good.

And with that, McNair had physically helped carry the Titans into a Super Bowl matchup with the then-St. Louis Rams. But McNair wasn’t done there. Little did we know he was saving his best game for the biggest stage in sports.

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