ALSO SEE
Media Day: Sublime meets ridiculous

Route to Atlanta started with U-turn

Garber: Lyght at the end of the tunnel

Garber: From out of the blue ... and gold

Question of the Day
Which team arrives in Atlanta closer to its physical and mental peak?

Sean Salisbury: Titans. Tennessee has played the best football in the league for the last six weeks. The Titans have scored at least 30 points in three of the last five weeks. I'm shocked St. Louis is favored by more than a touchdown.

Mark Malone: Even. Mentally, the Titans are at their peak, coming in with seven straight wins. Physically, however, the Titans come in depleted, with Thigpen and Robertson injured. The Rams are physically better prepared to play.

Marty Schottenheimer: Rams. The injuries sustained by Yancey Thigpen and Marcus Robertson will have a definite impact on Tennessee. As to who will be rested, relaxed and prepared, each team will be wired and ready to play.


 Jeff Fisher
Joe Theismann played in two Super Bowls.

As quarterback of the Redskins' Super Bowl teams in 1983 and 1984, Joe Theismann became familiar with all the intricacies of the NFL title game. In his exclusive Super Bowl XXXIV column for ESPN.com, Theismann describes the pressures facing first-time participants on football's biggest stage.

After attending Tuesday's Media Day, Theismann says most of the media members are as unfamiliar with the Titans and Rams as these two teams are with the Super Bowl.



Heard through NFL grapevine
Titans receiver Yancey Thigpen and quarterback Steve McNair both attended Tuesday's Media Day wearing orthopedic boots, Thigpen for his fractured foot and McNair for his turf toe. Thigpen is still listed as doubtful. ... The Titans defense uses the old Buddy Ryan 46 defense only about 18 percent of the time, but they registered six safeties this season because coach Jeff Fisher loves to bring the heat near the opponent's goal line.

If Chan Gailey becomes the offensive coordinator in Miami -- and he's Dave Wannstedt's first choice -- don't be surprised if quarterback Jim Miller winds up with the Dolphins, too. Gailey was offensive coordinator in Pittsburgh when Miller played there. ... Falcons offensive line coach Art Shell, the former Raiders head coach, will interview for the coaching vacancy in New Orleans.



Matchup to watch
 Jevon Kearse
Will The Freak come out on Super Sunday.
When the Titans beat the Rams 24-21 on Halloween, it served as a coming-out-party for Tennessee rookie defensive end Jevon Kearse. The kid from Florida had one sack, forced a fumble and caused Rams offensive tackle Fred Miller to be whistled for six false-start penalties.

So will Miller and the Rams offensive line be up to the challenge in the rematch? ESPN's Marty Schottenheimer makes the case for St. Louis, while Sean Salisbury expects the Titans to wreak havoc again.

Spotlight
Chat:
Chris Mortensen tackles all your NFL questions Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET.

Video:
  • Coach's clipboard. Analyst Marty Schottenheimer discusses Super Bowl preparation with Dan Reeves.

    Video:
  • News of the day: ESPN's Ed Werder updates the condition of Titans QB Steve McNair.


  • They certainly can't call this place "Hotlanta" this week. In fact, Atlanta has looked more Alaska through the first few days of Super Bowl week. Driving through the streets of downtown, it's impossible not to notice the icicles hanging off stoplights and street signs. In fact, it snowed Monday -- perhaps the first trace of the white stuff since Super Bowl XXVI was held in Minneapolis in 1992.

    On Tuesday, clear skies and sunshine meant no repeat of Monday's flurries, but it was still bitterly cold with highs in only the 30s and winds blowing at 10-15 mph. The outlook is for more sunshine, cold and wind Wednesday. The blizzard conditions on the East Coast have kept many Super Bowl travelers from even getting to Georgia.

    Rams coach Dick Vermeil floated the idea that should the weather turn drizzly, the teams should be allowed to use the Georgia Dome to practice. As it is now, both are scheduled to begin practicing outside on Wednesday, the Rams at the Atlanta Falcons' practice facility, the Titans at Georgia Tech.




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