NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Maybe it was the new uniforms or the new nickname.

Either way, the Tennessee Titans are in the NFL playoffs for the first time since 1993, when they were the Houston Oilers.

	Tennessee's Dainon Sidney picks off a pass intended for Atlanta's Eugene Baker. Sidney finished with two interceptions.

Steve McNair threw for one touchdown and ran for a second, and Al Del Greco kicked three field goals as the Titans beat the Atlanta Falcons 30-17, clinching a playoff berth in their first season since changing nicknames.

The Titans (11-3) came back onto the field and celebrated by slapping high-fives with fans ringed around the edge of the stands. McNair, Eddie George and Frank Wycheck then met on the field and hugged for a minute.

George said he and McNair remembered how they walked around the field at Adelphia Coliseum before the season started and talked of the playoffs and winning a championship.

"We're happy we won. We're in it. Now it's time to take it to that next level," said George. "We're excited, but we're going to make that next step."

The Titans still have a shot at their first AFC Central title since 1991. They remain two games behind Jacksonville with two games left and play host to the Jaguars next week. Veteran lineman Bruce Matthews said the Titans haven't given up hopes of pulling out the division title.

"It's nice to have the formality of it, but immediately we're looking to position ourselves the best we can in the playoffs, get a bye, do all those things, and hopefully knock off Jacksonville and somehow still win the Central," he said.

But Tennessee didn't look like a team ready for the playoffs against the Falcons (3-11). The Titans forced a season-high six turnovers and wound up settling for just two field goals. They jumped offsides repeatedly, and even McNair got into the act with a false start.

"Penalties and turnovers have been the story of our football team all year," said Atlanta coach Dan Reeves.

The Falcons, who looked lifeless in a loss last week to the San Francisco 49ers, tried to play the spoiler with Danny Kanell starting in place of injured Chris Chandler. He easily beat the pressure from Tennessee's blitzing defense and had the Falcons trailing 20-17 in the third quarter when he was knocked out of the game.

Kanell was trying to hit O.J. Santiago when tackled by Joe Salave'a and Henry Ford, spraining a ligament in his left knee. Kanell called it a weird feeling being carted off the field for the first time in his career, an injury that will end his season.

"I was having fun, and things were coming really clearly to me. I had all the confidence in the world we were going to win the game," Kanell said.

Tony Graziani immediately was sacked by Titans end Jevon Kearse while chasing a bad snap out of the shotgun. It was Kearse's second sack of the game, giving him 13½, the NFL rookie record.

GAME NOTES

Titans safety Blaine Bishop left in the first half after reinjuring his right thumb. He had pins inserted in the hand on Nov. 29, and he will see a specialist Monday. The Titans are 7-0 this season when Steve McNair rushes for a touchdown. Falcons left end Lester Archambeau sprained the medial collateral ligament in his knee just before halftime. Center Robbie Tobeck hurt his quad muscle in the first quarter. Titans kicker Al Del Greco moved into ninth place on the NFL's scoring list with his second field goal. That broke a tie with Jim Turner, and he finished Sunday with 1,446. The Titans are 11-3 for only the second time in franchise history, the first since 1962. They are 7-0 at home.

"You have to account for him," said Reeves. "He's the Lawrence Taylor-type where you use different blocking schemes, and he still gets a couple sacks."

McNair finally gave the Titans some breathing room by driving them 75 yards. He kept the possession alive by running 38 yards on a fourth-and-1, and he ran for a 3-yard TD run on the next play for a 27-17 lead with 14:19 to go.

He finished with 76 yards on nine carries, and he was 15-of-29 for 216 yards passing.

The Titans revived their dormant passing attack. McNair, who hadn't thrown a touchdown pass since the first quarter on Halloween, broke his drought on the Titans' first possession.

He threw a slant to Chris Sanders, and the receiver slipped loose and scored on a 48-yard TD play.

The pass worked so well for Tennessee that even tight end Frank Wycheck, who had not scored a TD all season, took a long lateral from McNair and found a wide-open Isaac Byrd for a 61-yard TD pass play and a 14-7 lead. It was the Titans' longest pass of the year.

Tennessee had trouble putting away the Falcons. Atlanta turned the ball over four times in the second quarter, and the Titans managed only a 38-yard field goal by Del Greco. He later added field goals of 37 and 43 yards.

The Falcons trailed 20-14 at halftime as Kanell connected with Jammi German on touchdowns of 16 and 6 yards.