Steve McNair and the Titans jumped to a 21-0 lead and held off the Rams in their Oct. 31 clash.

For obvious reasons.

Dungy's Buccaneers were the first team this season to go into St. Louis and all but shut down the Rams. St. Louis averaged 36 points in the Trans World Dome during the season. The Rams scored 11 to beat Tampa Bay on Sunday in the NFC Championship Game, and they needed a fabulous catch by journeyman Ricky Proehl, their least-heralded receiver, to do it.

If nothing else, Tampa Bay's performance against the Rams gives the Titans a psychological boost by proving that good defense can bother Kurt Warner and control Marshall Faulk.

The Rams and Titans have already met, with Tennessee winning 24-21 in Nashville on Halloween, St. Louis' first loss.

But it wasn't easy.

The Titans jumped off to a 21-0 first-quarter lead, then stopped, playing their usual conservative game while sitting on the lead. They got a third-quarter field goal and that was it -- they avoided overtime only when Jeff Wilkins missed a 38-yard field-goal attempt that would have tied it in the waning seconds.

One factor in the Rams' favor at the Super Bowl in Atlanta: It will be in a dome, on artificial turf. The Rams were 10-0 at home -- in a dome, on artificial turf. The Rams even won at the Georgia Dome this season, beating the Falcons 41-13.

On the other hand, Tennessee matches up well with St. Louis, particularly on defense.

Just as the Bucs harried Kurt Warner into three interceptions, the Titans got two picks off Mark Brunell and six turnovers altogether. They also got their sixth safety in 19 games, forced when Jevon Kearse occupied two blockers and allowed Jason Fisk and Josh Evans to sack Brunell in the end zone.

Tennessee also has more offense than Tampa Bay -- Steve McNair has four years of experience on Shaun King, who tried but couldn't rally the Bucs in the final minutes. The Titans also have Eddie George, who is more explosive than Mike Alstott and more powerful than Warrick Dunn, the Bucs' two offensive weapons.

Tampa Bay's defense is probably tougher than Tennessee's.

But this is a neutral field, and Tennessee fans travel well, particularly with Atlanta only four hours from Nashville.

It probably means a pretty good Super Bowl.