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 Steve McNair and the Titans plan to control the clock.
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Focal Point: Chasing Hare McNair

The Matchup:
The Rams defensive line vs. Titans QB Steve McNair.

The Game:
Super Bowl XXXIV: Titans vs. Rams, Sunday, 6:18 p.m. ET, ABC.

The Question:
Will the Rams defensive tackles be able to take away inside running lanes from Steve McNair?

Rams defensive tackles Steve McNair
By Mike Golic
Special to ESPN.com

What makes Steve McNair so dangerous as a running quarterback is that he runs up the middle as well as he does outside. It's incumbent on the Rams defensive tackles, D'Marco Farr and Ray Agnew, to not just both rush up the field or there will be a hole that opens up.

When they line up over the guards, the defensive tackles will run what is called a "home" call. One tackle rushes between the center and the guard. The other tackle can rush between the guard and the tackle. Farr and Agnew will stay in their lane, not giving McNair anywhere to run. If Farr and Agnew get pushed out of those lanes, they will open up a running lane in the middle.

What St. Louis will also do is run a stunt with the defensive tackles. The Rams bring one man across and the other man would move behind him. Basically, Farr and Agnew would be changing responsibilities. The stunting tackle has to get the other side and stay there. What happened to the Rams a couple of times against McNair is that they would run a stunt and the tackle who was supposed to now change to the other side got pushed back to the side he came from. That created a big hole in the middle for McNair, and he will take advantage of that opening.

Farr and Agnew do a good job, but as the game goes on, maybe they ought to try something on a rush or a certain move. But they have to remind themselves every time they line up in a passing situation about who will have the home call. Which tackle will make sure he is going between the center and the guard so he doesn't allow the big opening in the middle. Farr and Agnew can try moves, but they have to know what each other is doing and be disciplined enough to stick to their responsibilities. If not, McNair could have a big day running the ball.

By Merril Hoge
Special to ESPN.com

When the Rams try to pressure Steve McNair, they must come with the mindset to tackle him. He is so big, physical and strong that the Rams will not bring him down with an arm tackle. I don't care if it's a defensive lineman.

The Rams almost have to swarm and gang-tackle him. Pressure actually can work out to be a negative for the Rams if they do not have the ability to tackle McNair. If they break down the pocket, they force him to run. Then he becomes a runner, not a scrambler. That is what everyone has been missing about McNair. He is not a scrambling quarterback. He runs the football and is excited to run the football. He has speed and agility -- everything a running back has. He can make people miss and break tackles. He has great instincts and knows where the first-down marker is. So great pressure on McNair could be a negative for the Rams.

People have talked this week about McNair's turf toe and how that might affect him playing on the turf at the Georgia Dome. The turf toe will impact him -- when the game is over. During the game, it won't affect him at all. He played last week's game with the same injury. There is medicine that will help ease the pain. I don't expect the injury to slow him down against the Rams.

He does not fit into the mold of any other quarterback. He has created his own niché. Jacksonville did what people say defenses should do against McNair. The Jaguars rushed two, dropped nine, and McNair ran the ball on third-and-10 and got the first down. They also tried to bring the house, and that didn't work either. I don't know if there is a sound scheme against McNair's mobility.




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