Hard-hitting strong safety Blaine Bishop is the leader of the Titans secondary.

The Titans finished the regular season ranked No. 25 in the league against the pass, surrendering 231 yards per game and allowing opponents to complete 56 percent of their passes. But against three very good passing teams in the playoffs, the numbers have been very different: 180 yards per game and a completion rate of only 47 percent.

And the most important number of all: three consecutive playoff victories.

With the pass-happy Rams next on the schedule in Super Bowl XXXIV on Sunday, the Titans' defensive backs have one more test, one coach Jeff Fisher has called "our biggest defensive challenge of the year, trying to corral the weapons they have on offense."

With Kurt Warner looking to throw his darts to the likes of Isaac Bruce, Az-Zahir Hakim and Torry Holt, and with Marshall Faulk lining up anywhere and everywhere to exploit even the slightest defensive weakness, Tennessee has its work cut out for it.

But this is a unit that thrives on challenges, and they're prepared to line up Sunday and do what they've done all year -- pressure the passer into mistakes with Jevon Kearse and Co. and blanket the receivers with big, speedy corners Samari Rolle and Denard Walker and active safeties like Blaine Bishop and Anthony Dorsett.

The million-dollar question, of course, is, "Will it work?" Recent results indicate it just might.

"Our front guys -- and I don't say this to be bragging -- but Jevon, Jason Fisk and Josh Evans are going to get the job done," Walker said. "They have shut down some of the best running backs in the league. We figure if that's going to happen up front, what's going to happen in the back half? As the back half, we have to pick it up."

TITANS' PRACTICE REPORT

The Titans practiced for two hours Wednesday on the campus of Georgia Tech, and coach Jeff Fisher reported no problems despite the bitter cold and wind. WR Yancey Thigpen (foot) was held out because of his injury and is listed as questionable on the official injury report. "We'll see how he improves during the week and then make our decision on Sunday," Fisher said. QB Steve McNair, despite his sore toe, took approximately 65 percent to 75 percent of the offensive snaps. "I was encouraged by Steve's work," Fisher said. "It's about what we expected on Wednesday, and I would expect him to duplicate what he did today when we practice tomorrow." RB Rodney Thomas (back strain) moved fairly well in the workout.

That's exactly what defensive coordinator Gregg Williams wanted to see when he laid a serious butt-chewing on his defensive backs after Oakland's Rich Gannon completed 20 of 28 passes for 273 yards in early December.

"I kind of hung them out to dry after Oakland," Williams said Wednesday. "I put the burden on them from about Oakland on, and they have risen up to the challenge."

He didn't have to tell them twice, either. Strong safety Bishop said it was just a matter of the defensive backs facing up to the team's overall defensive strategy and playing their part.

According to Bishop, Williams' lecture went something like this: "You guys just cover; we're going to let the big guys hunt. I don't want to hear no excuses about 'I didn't get no help,' because you're not going to get help."

With that, they knew the onus was on them. It wasn't an immediate turnaround, of course, but the proof is in the playoffs.

Buffalo's Rob Johnson threw for only 131 yards on 10-for-22 passing, Peyton Manning was just 19-for-43 for 227 yards, and Mark Brunell was 19-for-38 for 226 yards. Only Brunell threw a touchdown pass, but he also was picked off twice.

"(Williams) was frustrated that we weren't making plays when we had the opportunities," Rolle said. "After a while he got on us and told us that was the reason we were here, to defend guys and make plays. He told us our success was up to us. Basically, we took that as a challenge. We set out to do our jobs. We jelled together, and now everything is coming along for us."

There is one hitch, though, as starting free safety Marcus Robertson will miss the Super Bowl with a fractured leg suffered in the AFC title game. Anthony Dorsett will start in his place, and he is more than ready to line up and take his chances against the speedy Rams.

"This is not my first football game," Dorsett said. "The Rams need to understand that. I've played this game for four years. If they want to view me as a target, they can come at me and try me all they want. I'm here to play football this week, and that's the bottom line."

If the secondary holds up its end, defensive coordinator Williams is free to apply pressure up front with the Titans' variation of the old Bears 46 defense. While the Titans only run the true 46 about 15-20 percent of the time, they employ its principles all the time.

"You have to have the right personnel to run it," Bishop said. "You have to have some great cover corners, and you have to have some great pass rushers in this type of scheme. And that's definitely what we have, and that's why we're here today. All those things came together this year."

In order to get pressure up front, the 46 utilizes a variety of blitzes designed to create mismatches in the opponent's pass protection or, at best, to give someone a clear path to the quarterback. However, that kind of approach requires the defensive backs to match up one-on-one and keep the opposing receivers locked up long enough for the pressure to get there.

"At the beginning of the season we didn't like it too much," Rolle said. "But finding out how we play, and knowing where the ball has to come out on a certain blitz, has helped us out a lot. Now that we've had more success with it, we're more comfortable with it."

Or, as Bishop said, "We're a nasty, aggressive style defense. That's what we do. Sometimes you're going to get beat, but if you do, you just line up and do it again.

"We like challenges. We feel like if we go down, we're going to go down challenging and fighting, and that's our whole motto."