NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Before there was Michael Vick, there was Daunte Culpepper and Donovan McNabb. And before them, there was "Air" McNair.

He doesn't get the hype, but Steve McNair may be the NFL's most dangerous quarterback in the air and on the ground -- and at 29, he's still entering his prime. He was practically perfect in a 27-17 win over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.

"I catch myself watching him during a play," said Titans center Gennaro DiNapoli. "I just turn around and shake my head sometimes, that's how amazing he is."

	McNair avoids the sack by Brad Scioli en route to a 16-yard run.

McNair threw for a career-high 21 touchdowns a year ago, and has already equaled that amount this season. He's been an alternate for the Pro Bowl each of the last two years. And after completing over 60 percent of his passes for 2,988 yards so far this season, he should be a candidate to start the next one.

So why aren't there many McNair jerseys in the Tennessee stands? You'll see plenty of Jevon Kearses (who hasn't played since Week 1) and Eddie Georges. But there were more Peyton Mannings than Steve McNairs in the Coliseum on Sunday.

He's not as quick as Vick. Not quite the size of Culpepper. Nor as strong-armed as McNabb. But he's been to a Super Bowl -- something none of the others have accomplished.

Most importantly, he's tougher than just about anyone.

McNair hasn't practiced the past two weeks because of an assortment of injuries -- primarily a pulled ribcage muscle and a bad case of turf toe. He's received a painkiller shot before each of the past two games. Yet he threw for 334 yards and three touchdowns against the Giants last week, and was 19 of 23 for 237 yards and a touchdown against the Colts. At one point he connected on 14 passes in a row, a stretch that lasted from near the end of the first quarter to midway through the fourth.

"His play speaks for itself," said Titans coach Jeff Fisher. "It's hard to describe what he's doing."

What he's doing is playing like Rambo. While Manning zipped 25-yard bullets in pregame warm-ups right before kickoff, McNair settled for 5-yard tosses. McNair said this week that he dreads sneezing because of the pain in his ribs, yet on the first play from scrimmage he scrambled for nine yards, just asking to be hit.

Amazingly, McNair had pinpoint accuracy, hitting his receivers between the numbers time and time again. The one time he went deep, he lofted a perfect spiral to John Simon for a 42-yard score. And he had no picks, while Manning threw three.

	“	Just trying to get him down is tough because he is a very strong man. I've played guys like Michael Vick and Donovan McNabb. They will shake you and run around you, and you can't catch them. However, McNair has both speed and strength. ”
		— Colts DE Dwight Freeney, on Steve McNair

And he did damage with his legs, too. When blitzed, he constantly found the right receiver, or scrambled for positive yardage. On a critical third down in the fourth quarter, after the Colts had cut the lead to seven, McNair was caught stone-cold in the grasp of Colts defensive tackle Brad Scioli. But somehow he wiggled free, and ran for 16 yards to set up the game-clinching field goal.

"Just trying to get him down is tough because he is a very strong man," Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney said of McNair. "I've played guys like Michael Vick and Donovan McNabb. They will shake you and run around you, and you can't catch them. However, McNair has both speed and strength."

McNair was asked after the game how he makes plays like that. "I think it's just a matter of not giving up," he said. "You gotta continue to fight."

That sums up Tennessee's season. Written off after a 1-4 start, the Titans have toppled seven of their last eight opponents, and now find themselves in the driver's seat of the AFC South. They are deadlocked with Indianapolis at 8-5, but own the tiebreaker thanks to their season sweep.

And what sums up "Air" McNair is what he does after the whistle.

After each of the Titans' touchdowns, and the point-after attempt, McNair lingered on the field by the sidelines, waiting for his offensive linemen and the rest of the unit to run off, slapping five with each and every player.

And he always waited for No. 72, Brad Hopkins, the last guy to leave the field. And he'd give him a pat on his helmet. Hopkins is his left tackle, his security blanket, the one who protects his blind side.

"Steve's one of those guys that doesn't take the supporting cast lightly," said Hopkins. "It means a lot."

Makes you wanna go jersey shopping for Christmas, doesn't it?

Kieran Darcy covers the NFL for ESPN The Magazine.