NFL Playoff Capsules: Titans give Collins 2nd postseason shot at Ravens

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The answer is no. Kerry Collins has not watched the 2001 Super Bowl in a long time.

Really, there's no reason for the quarterback to relive the most miserable 60 minutes on a football field at the worst possible time. The Baltimore Ravens ripped him apart in winning that Super Bowl, sacking him four times and coming up with four interceptions.

Now eight years later, Collins finds himself two wins away from another chance at a Super Bowl title with the Tennessee Titans, and guess who's in his way once again? Those pesky Ravens.

The perfect chance at redemption, right?

"I'm not really thinking too much about the personal side of things," Collins said. "It's a big game for us. I want to win it. That's the bottom line."

Collins is a big reason the Titans (13-3) are hosting Saturday's AFC divisional playoff as the No. 1 seed. He entered the season opener when Vince Young sprained his knee, then went 12-3 as a starter. Collins exorcised some of his demons with Baltimore on Oct. 5 when he led the Titans to 10 fourth-quarter points in beating the Ravens 13-10.

"Kerry did a great job coming in managing a lot of football games, winning a lot by passing the ball or whatever he had to do, doing the things people said we couldn't do as an offense ..." Titans linebacker Keith Bulluck said.

Collins threw for 2,676 yards with 12 touchdowns and only seven interceptions this season with an 80.2 passer rating that is the third highest of his career. He's looked nothing like the quarterback the Ravens harassed into a measly 7.1 passer rating in winning that Super Bowl 34-7.

"I didn't play very well," Collins said of that game. "Obviously, it was a tough day. We played a good defense and it was their year. Hats off to them."

Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis isn't looking back either. He's more interested in being a step away from his second AFC championship game with a team that has won 10 of its last 12 and three straight.

"This defense is totally different. We've got a totally different mind-set. We're a totally different team than we were in 2000, and (there are) totally different people on their side, as well. Our job is to stay focused on the now. Yesterday is gone. Let's leave it there," Lewis said.

Baltimore didn't sack Collins, the quarterback not known for his legs, once in October. But Collins had regular center Kevin Mawae in front of him for that game. The All-Pro is out with an elbow injury now.

Overall, Collins is 2-2 against the Ravens, with only three touchdown passes and eight interceptions.

The Ravens did intercept Chad Pennington four times in their 27-9 wild-card win last Sunday, and that's what they hope to do to Collins.

"We respect the fact that he takes care of the football very well," Baltimore coach John Harbaugh said. "It's been a big part of their success, and it's going to be a challenge for us."

Switching to Collins gave Tennessee coach Jeff Fisher a veteran who understands what he has around him. Fisher also likes Collins' composure in helping the Titans earn home-field advantage.

"It's certainly helped him this year in a lot of unusual situations that we faced throughout the season. He's poised and calm and doesn't get rattled. And he believes it's OK to throw the ball away and come back and fight again," Fisher said.

Collins credits experience. He turned 36 on Dec. 30, and he's with his fifth team in 14 seasons. He's a father now and happily married.

"You live and you learn. I've had eight years to live and learn. Hopefully, I'm better off than I was," he said.

So Collins may be focusing on the game and not thinking of the irony that this season's Super Bowl is in Tampa, site of his title loss. His teammates are happy to have a quarterback who has been there before on a franchise whose lone Super Bowl appearance came in 2000 with Steve McNair at quarterback. The Rams won that game 23-16 in Atlanta.

"It's great to have a quarterback that knows the way there and feel he has unfinished business because of the time that he has gotten there he didn't come out the victor," Bulluck said. "Hopefully, that fuels his fire. A lot of different things fuel a lot of people's fires in this room. We're all burning for the same thing."

Cardinals confident they can end East Coast hex

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - The Arizona Cardinals spent the week devising ways to slow dynamic running back DeAngelo Williams, speedy receiver Steve Smith and disruptive defensive end Julius Peppers.

But perhaps the biggest obstacle the Cardinals face in Saturday's NFC divisional playoff game against the Carolina Panthers is not player matchups, but location.

They're returning to that dreaded place on the map, the abyss of the franchise for years: the Eastern time zone.

The Cardinals are 0-5 in the East this year and 2-19 since 2003. It's where their defense turns to mush, mistakes pile up and they play the role of homecoming opponent.

A week after winning their first home playoff game in 51 years, the Cardinals venture to Bank of America Stadium - where Carolina went 8-0 during the regular season - to try to end their road hex and win consecutive playoff games for the first time in franchise history.

"That jubilation that you felt after that win last week, I mean it's indescribable - and that was only a first-round win," Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald said of the 30-24 victory over the Falcons in front of the Arizona fans. "I can't imagine winning this game or to win the Super Bowl, I just can't imagine how intense that would feel."

Despite their West Coast bias, the Cardinals (10-7) say they're confident heading to Charlotte. Unlike that ugly 56-35 loss at the New York Jets, the 48-20 meltdown at Philadelphia and the 47-7 embarrassment in the snow at New England, the Cardinals came close to winning here in October.

Behind Kurt Warner and his band of dominant receivers, Arizona led 17-3 in the third quarter. But then came the miscues. Turnovers, missed tackles and Smith's 65-yard touchdown catch put Carolina ahead to stay in a 27-23 win despite Warner's 381 yards passing.

"We were able to move the ball up and down the field, kind of shot ourselves in the foot with turnovers in the red zone," said receiver Anquan Boldin, who had two touchdown catches. "But other than that, I think we did what we wanted to."

Arizona won't know if Boldin will play until he tests his strained left hamstring before the game Saturday, where rain is in the forecast and the Panthers (12-4) enter as a 10-point favorite in their first home playoff game in five years.

"Guys are focused, and they realize what's at stake," Panthers safety Chris Harris said. "We've got enough older guys who know they might not ever get this opportunity again."

One of those old guys celebrates his birthday Saturday. Jake Delhomme turns 34 and hopes to add to his impressive playoff resume against Warner, his former NFL Europe teammate and a friend.

Delhomme is 5-2 in the playoffs and his 95.0 playoff passer rating is better than any other quarterback in this year's postseason. Delhomme is also 4-0 against Arizona and the Panthers have beaten the Cardinals five straight times.

Delhomme's successful return from reconstructive elbow surgery has coincided with Carolina's turnaround after consecutive seasons out of the playoffs.

"We have a few of us here who have been to the Super Bowl, who have been to the (NFC) championship game," Delhomme said. "You treasure winning 12 games in a season. That just doesn't happen. We've got guys that have been there and we've let the other ones know that you need to make the most of it."

Expect Carolina to try to quickly establish its potent ground game to keep the rejuvenated Warner and his dynamic receivers off the field. Williams, who set a team record with 1,515 yards rushing and led the league with 18 touchdowns rushing, went for 108 yards and a score in the first meeting with Arizona.

The Panthers have been dominant offensively, scoring at least 28 points in the past seven games. But the Cardinals held Atlanta's Michael Turner to 42 yards rushing last week.

"They can stop the run and they can stop the pass. They did both last week," Williams said. "So we're not taking them lightly. We respect them to the utmost."

Williams should be helped by the return of right tackle Jeff Otah, sidelined in the second half of the regular-season finale with a toe injury.

Carolina's starting defensive tackles Maake Kemoeatu (ankle) and Damione Lewis (ankle) are also back, while the Panthers hope Peppers can harass Warner and prevent another quarterback from having a big game against Carolina's secondary. Drew Brees of New Orleans threw for 386 yards two weeks ago.

That chance of rain, with the temperature dipping into the 40s, won't help the pass-happy Cardinals, who have struggled in bad elements - and good weather - when they come East.

Hoping to improve their chances 2,100 miles from home, Whisenhunt decided to have the team fly to Charlotte on Friday instead of the customary two days before the game.

Whisenhunt, who kept the team on the road between consecutive games at Washington and New York only to get blown out by the Jets, didn't want his players sitting around for the better part of two days with Saturday's game starting at 8:15 p.m. local time.

Might as well try anything when you've been outscored 202-102 in five games in the Eastern time zone.

"We know it's going to be difficult coming into Carolina just as it was difficult for Atlanta to come into our home stadium," Whisenhunt said. "Hopefully that will help prepare us to come out and play well."

-- Mike Cranston

Long, rocky history marks Bidwills' ownership

TEMPE, Ariz. - The Arizona Cardinals have a history that dates to 1898, when a Chicago athletic club formed a neighborhood football team. They've been losing almost ever since.

For the past 75 years the Cardinals have been owned by the Bidwill family, a name that became synonymous with futility in professional sports.

That seems finally to be changing as owner Bill Bidwill cedes more responsibility of operating the family business to Michael, the second oldest of five children who forever gained his father's appreciation by heading the drive for a new stadium.

Michael Bidwill left his job as a federal prosecutor to lead the stadium effort and now, as Cardinals president, is in charge of the franchise's daily operations. His main motivation has been to erase the stigma that had accompanied the Bidwill name.

Michael calls his father the most misunderstood man in the Valley of the Sun.

"It's mainly because a lot of things that have been written and said about him just aren't true," the younger Bidwill said. "that he didn't care about winning, that he didn't put money back into the team. ... He cared deeply about winning."

Bill Bidwill shies away from the media, but the 77-year-old owner, in his Arizona-style bolo tie, is a familiar figure to sports writers at the team's headquarters and training facility. He usually walks past saying nothing, looking straight ahead, but will stop from time to time for small talk, usually sharing some story from the team's ancient history. He rarely talks about current issues facing the team and declined to be interviewed for this story.

Coach Ken Whisenhunt, hired by Bidwill two seasons ago, said he has regular, cordial conversations with the owner.

"He's very kind to me," Whisenhunt said. "He has a great knowledge of this game and the history of this league. I think he really wants to win. I mean, the excitement on his face after we won the division and then after we won the playoff game was really special."

Last Saturday's playoff victory was only the third in the history of the franchise. The others were an upset at Dallas in the first round of the 1998 postseason, and in the NFL championship game in 1947.

Bill Bidwill was a ball boy in that game, the teenage son of Charles Bidwill, a vice president of the crosstown rival Chicago Bears. Charles Bidwill purchased the Cardinals for $50,000 in 1933 and was one of the founders of the NFL; he is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

From 1933 to 1945, the Cardinals had only one winning season.

The franchise gained a reputation of penny-pinching later, but not in those days. Charles Bidwill paid $100,000 - a remarkable sum for the times - to sign University of Georgia running back Charley Trippi, who led the team to a 28-21 victory over the Eagles at frigid Comiskey Park for the 1947 NFL title.

Charles Bidwill didn't live to see his team make it to the top. He died of pneumonia in April of that year. Bidwill's widow Violet took control of the team and moved the franchise in 1960 to St. Louis, the Cardinals' home for the next 28 years.

When Violet Bidwill died in 1967, sons Bill and Charles Jr. inherited the team. Bill Bidwill took over sole ownership in 1972.

The Cardinals had some high-scoring, entertaining seasons in St. Louis under Don Coryell, but never won a playoff game. Bidwill eventually looked to move the team, with Baltimore, Oakland and Arizona the leading candidates.

He chose Arizona with a handshake deal for a new stadium in 1988.

A savings and loan crisis wrecked any immediate chances for a stadium, Michael Bidwill said, and the franchise played for 18 years at Arizona State's Sun Devil Stadium, often in searing heat. The crowds dwindled and the visiting team, especially the Dallas Cowboys, often had more fans there than Arizona did.

Star quarterback Neil Lomax saw his career end prematurely with a hip injury, and the losses mounted. Coaches Gene Stallings, Joe Bugel, Buddy Ryan, Vince Tobin, Dave McGinnis and Dennis Green all got their chances. Only Tobin succeeded, guiding the Jake Plummer-led 1998 team to a 9-7 record and a wild-card victory at Dallas.

The Cardinals failed to re-sign several crucial members of that team, and 1998 was the franchise's' lone winning season from 1984 to 2008.

Then came the successful drive for a new stadium, a proposition cleverly tied to improvement of facilities for the highly popular baseball spring training venues, as well as creation of youth sports fields.

University of Phoenix Stadium, the state-of-the-art home of the Cardinals, stands like a silver spaceship in the western suburb of Glendale.

Meanwhile, Michael Bidwill guided the team out of some of its outdated business practices and oversaw the signing of big contracts to lure new players, such as Edgerrin James, and keeping existing ones (Larry Fitzgerald and Adrian Wilson).

"I saw things that I thought needed to be changed," he said.

Forbes Magazine says the franchise is worth $914 million.

This year's Cardinals won the franchise's first division title in 33 years. Last Saturday's 30-24 victory over Atlanta came in the Cardinals' first home playoff game since that cold day in Chicago 61 years before.

Bill Bidwill was a kid on the sidelines in the first one and watched from a suite in the second.

"I know it's been a tough road out here," Whisenhunt said, "and there's a number of factors as to why. Not having a stadium like we've had has been very difficult. I'm happy to see this team have some success for him."

-- Bob Baum

Giants haven't put pressure on McNabb this year

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - One of the enduring images from the New York Giants' Super Bowl victory over the New England Patriots was Tom Brady being pounded by Justin Tuck and the rest of the defense.

The Patriots quarterback absorbed five sacks in the title game and was either hit or hurried at least a dozen other times. It was the difference between winning and losing for Tom Coughlin's team.

Fast forward a year.

The Giants (12-4) are beginning their quest to repeat and that ferocious pass rush that led to a title is very much in question heading into Sunday's NFC semifinal against the Philadelphia Eagles (10-6-1) at Giants Stadium.

While the Giants had 42 sacks this season, they have failed to get one against Donovan McNabb and the Eagles in two meetings. They also only had a dozen in the second half of the season.

"You don't really sit back and think about why you didn't get the sacks," defensive tackle Barry Cofield said of the lack of production against the Eagles. "You think about getting the sacks the next time. You very rarely get an opportunity to play a team three times, so if I had to choose to get sacks in any game, it would be this one. So this is the game we are looking forward to and we know that if we're able to pressure McNabb then that will slow the whole offense."

What the Eagles' offensive line has done this season against the Giants is remarkable.

A year ago, the Giants sacked McNabb 15 times in winning two regular-season games. The bulk of that total came in the first game at Giants Stadium when Osi Umenyiora recorded six and the Giants set a franchise-record with 12.

The Eagles made protecting McNabb an emphasis this season. They allowed only 23 sacks and set a team record by not giving up a sack in five games.

"It's all-encompassing," Eagles offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg said. "First, the offensive line has done a good job and the past history means nothing going into this game, so they have to do it again. And I think our backs and tight ends have done an excellent job in some of the aspects within the protection."

The Eagles have also helped McNabb with the play calling, using three-step drops and quick releases, short pass patterns and a variety of swing passes and screens to Brian Westbrook.

And when Westbrook can run the ball, like he did in Philadelphia's 20-14 win over the Giants on Dec. 7, that also slows down the pass rush.

"They are pretty good at what they do," said Tuck, who led the Giants with 12 sacks. "I think after last year when we had the 12-sack game against them they made a true emphasis on protecting their quarterback. They are keeping a lot of guys in. But that is no excuse for it. We just have to play better. It is as simple as that."

What needs to be pointed out is that the Giants' defensive line is not the same as a year ago. Seven-time Pro Bowler Michael Strahan retired after last season and Umenyiora was lost for the season when he suffered a major knee injury in a preseason game against the Jets.

Tuck, who moved into one of the starting defensive end positions, has been slowed for more than a month with a lower leg injury.

"He is not 100 percent, but this is the NFL," said fellow defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka, who was moved from linebacker back to defensive end after Umenyiora's injury. "You have 16 games, plus preseason and you are going to have guys who aren't 100 percent. Justin is one of those guys. I'll take him at 50, 60, 70 percent over a lot of guys at 100. We know how tough he is and how much he contributes to this defense even when he is not at his best."

Defensive tackle Fred Robbins is another starter who has struggled down the stretch with a shoulder injury. He missed two of the final five games. He has not had a sack since Oct. 19.

"Our job is to generate pressure and harass the quarterback a little bit and sack him and frustrate him a little bit, and we haven't done that in two games," Robbins said. "It makes it easy on our defensive backs when we get the quarterback rattled. When you don't get to the quarterback, it gives him confidence when he is not rattled and not getting hit a lot. That's the major issue for us. We have to do a better job this time around of putting pressure on McNabb."

McNabb expects Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, a former Philadelphia assistant, to have some new wrinkles for his blitz package this weekend.

"We expect him to bring the heat," McNabb said. "Obviously, coming off a bye week and seeing how we played last week, we expect them to bring the heat. And we will be prepared and go out and try to make some big plays."

The key for the Giants will be to put McNabb and the Eagles in some third and long situations. Philadelphia had a lot of makable third-down chances last month and converted 12 of 18 third-down tries. That allowed the Eagles to control the ball for almost 35 minutes.

"They just out-executed us," Kiwanuka said. "That is the bottom line. It is always going to be a physical game whenever these two teams meet each other, but a lot of what it comes down to is stopping big plays and, like you said, getting off the field, especially on third down. We just didn't do that. They did a lot of good things, you have to give them all the credit in the world, but we understand that we did not play a good game that time."

The defense needs to come up big this weekend if the Giants want a shot at another championship.

-- Tom Canavan

Snow and sleet forecast for Eagles-Giants game

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - The NFC semifinal between the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants on Sunday probably will be played in near-freezing temperatures with wind gusts reaching 25 mph.

The National Weather Service said Friday a storm is expected to start Saturday afternoon and end early Sunday, leaving 6 to 8 inches of snow in the area where Giants Stadium is located.

"It looks like by gametime, it should be dry, but it will be cold," meteorologist Brian Ciemnecki told The Associated Press on Friday.

Ciemnecki said temperatures for the noon kickoff will hover around 32 degrees, with winds gusting out of the northwest from 15 to 25 mph.

"It looks like classic cold football weather," Ciemnecki said. "There could be some snow showers left over for those heading to tailgate really early. That also could be an issue for clearing the parking lots."

The New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority, which operates the 78,000-seat stadium in the Meadowlands sports complex, salted the plazas, seating areas and stadium spirals on Friday and covered the field after the Giants practiced.

The authority plans to bring in 300 people starting around 3 p.m. Saturday to clear the snow out of the stadium. The crew will work through the night.

"We're shoveling," sports authority spokesman John Samerjan said.

The authority hopes to avoid another snowball game.

The Giants finished a woeful season (5-11) against San Diego in 1995, and many fans spent most of the second half throwing snowballs at the field. A Chargers trainer was hit and injured by a snowball, and several fans were arrested. The Giants later sent out letters to their fans warning that any future violations would result in them losing their tickets.

Samerjan said crews would continue to remove snow until 11 a.m. Sunday, when the gates open.

"Just because there is snow on your lawn doesn't mean you have to throw it at a neighbor," Samerjan said, noting the sports authority will have a no-tolerance policy toward anyone violating its fan code of conduct.

Giants players said the field conditions should not be a problem.

Halfback Brandon Jacobs said the ball might be wet and slippery, but it's something both teams have to handle.

"It's an artificial surface and the water doesn't absorb the same way it does on grass," defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka said. "You just have to adjust your shoes. We're used to playing on this stuff. You have to make sure your cleats are the right length. Once that is done, all you have to do is play ball."

-- Tom Canavan

Time line: off-field time aiding Steelers' O-line

 PITTSBURGH - They spend as many as eight hours a day together for at least five months, practicing three to four times a week. They lift weights. Watch film. Break down game plans. Not surprisingly, they occasionally get tired of seeing one another's faces.

For a Pittsburgh Steelers offensive line that often seemed like anything but a cohesive unit this season, they decided all that time wasn't enough.

After losing longtime All-Pro guard Alan Faneca to free agency, followed by starters Marvel Smith and Kendall Simmons to early season injuries, the Steelers' linemen felt so many personnel changes merited a change in their work habits.

So, about midseason, the linemen began hanging out regularly after practice. Sometimes they'll go to a player's house and watch film, doing their own self-analysis rather than letting offensive line coach Larry Zierlein do it.

Sometimes it's nothing more than a night munching wings and sipping beers, just as NFL linemen did back in the 1950s and 1960s when the pay was a fraction of what it is now and the NFL was a buddy-filled extension of college football.

"There's always food involved," right tackle Willie Colon said. "Always a lot of food."

As the Steelers move into the playoffs with a divisional game against San Diego on Sunday, the linemen think the time was well spent.

"We got tired of hearing, ‘You're not on the same page,' we got tired of all the criticism, so as a unit we took it upon ourselves," Colon said. "If we've got to take an hour outside of this place to get on the same page, that's what we've chosen to do and it's been successful so far."

Their on-field results told them something different was needed. Traditionally one of the NFL's best rushing offenses, the Steelers slipped to 23rd this season - partly because Willie Parker, who gained at least 1,200 yards in each of the previous three seasons, fought through knee and shoulder injuries.

Ben Roethlisberger also was sacked 46 times, an unusually high number for a quarterback good enough to have won a Super Bowl.

"Sometimes there's not enough time in the day to get into details with stuff, so we wanted to make sure to cover all our bases," said Colon, the only Steelers lineman starting at the same position as last year. "We kind of started in the middle of the season. Someone just came up with the bright idea."

With four different starters, and tight end Sean McHugh effectively serving as the fullback, this is the most changed Steelers offensive line in years.

Chris Kemoeatu moved in for Faneca at left guard. Max Starks shifted to left tackle to replace Smith. Darnell Stapleton, a non-drafted lineman from Rutgers, replaced Simmons at right guard. Justin Hartwig took over at center after a one-year experiment with Sean Mahan at a position once manned by All-Pros Mike Webster, Dermontti Dawson and Jeff Hartings.

With new players, and players at new positions, there is bound to be disorder when so much is happening along the line of scrimmage at the snap.

"Justin being the guy who makes most of the calls, we had to understand the reason why he's saying this," Colon said. "We understand if this happens, we might have to go to this. It all takes time. Sometimes you don't get that (in practice), because the coaches have to go over so much. We kind of backtracked and made sure everybody is on the same page."

The injuries meant the line's overhaul didn't stop when the season started.

"We definitely have had our highs and our lows running the ball, but this is the time that we have to step up and get it done," Hartwig said.

Roethlisberger also sought to build chemistry with the players who protect him, taking the linemen to Chicago to celebrate Hartwig's birthday the weekend after their Thursday night game against Cincinnati on Nov. 20.

"They have come a long way. I still remind people that you have to remember that Max Starks and Darnell Stapleton are fill-ins," Roethlisberger said. "They have gotten so much better. They have played against some phenomenal defenses. I wish people would understand what kind of defenses they played against and how good they are. They have done a great job. I am fine. I am up walking around. I will always have their back and I know they will always have mine."

Strong praise from a player who could have been angry after being sacked so often - 23 times in the first eight games - and sustaining a concussion while being sacked late in the first half against Cleveland on Dec. 28.

Roethlisberger is cleared to play against the Chargers, though it remains uncertain how much the concussion will affect him.

The Steelers are encouraged going into this game because Parker ran for 115 yards during their 11-10 victory over San Diego on Nov. 16. His only other 100-yard game during the second half of the season was a 116-yard effort in the meaningless game against Cleveland.

Meaningless except to the linemen, who felt it was a major step toward coming together for the playoffs. So does Parker, who said opponents still don't properly fear Pittsburgh's once-formidable run game.

With Parker out with a broken leg, the Steelers found out last season what not having a running game in the playoffs meant when they were limited to 46 yards in a 31-29 loss to Jacksonville.

"If I was on the defensive side of the ball, I wouldn't respect the running game because we haven't been that special this year," Parker said. "So we've just got to make our own respect."

 -- Alan Robinson

Titans give Collins 2nd postseason shot at Ravens

 NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The answer is no. Kerry Collins has not watched the 2001 Super Bowl in a long time.

Really, there's no reason for the quarterback to relive the most miserable 60 minutes on a football field at the worst possible time. The Baltimore Ravens ripped him apart in winning that Super Bowl, sacking him four times and coming up with four interceptions.

Now eight years later, Collins finds himself two wins away from another chance at a Super Bowl title with the Tennessee Titans, and guess who's in his way once again? Those pesky Ravens.

The perfect chance at redemption, right?

"I'm not really thinking too much about the personal side of things," Collins said. "It's a big game for us. I want to win it. That's the bottom line."

Collins is a big reason the Titans (13-3) are hosting Saturday's AFC divisional playoff as the No. 1 seed. He entered the season opener when Vince Young sprained his knee, then went 12-3 as a starter. Collins exorcised some of his demons with Baltimore on Oct. 5 when he led the Titans to 10 fourth-quarter points in beating the Ravens 13-10.

"Kerry did a great job coming in managing a lot of football games, winning a lot by passing the ball or whatever he had to do, doing the things people said we couldn't do as an offense ..." Titans linebacker Keith Bulluck said.

Collins threw for 2,676 yards with 12 touchdowns and only seven interceptions this season with an 80.2 passer rating that is the third highest of his career. He's looked nothing like the quarterback the Ravens harassed into a measly 7.1 passer rating in winning that Super Bowl 34-7.

"I didn't play very well," Collins said of that game. "Obviously, it was a tough day. We played a good defense and it was their year. Hats off to them."

Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis isn't looking back either. He's more interested in being a step away from his second AFC championship game with a team that has won 10 of its last 12 and three straight.

"This defense is totally different. We've got a totally different mind-set. We're a totally different team than we were in 2000, and (there are) totally different people on their side, as well. Our job is to stay focused on the now. Yesterday is gone. Let's leave it there," Lewis said.

Baltimore didn't sack Collins, the quarterback not known for his legs, once in October. But Collins had regular center Kevin Mawae in front of him for that game. The All-Pro is out with an elbow injury now.

Overall, Collins is 2-2 against the Ravens, with only three touchdown passes and eight interceptions.

The Ravens did intercept Chad Pennington four times in their 27-9 wild-card win last Sunday, and that's what they hope to do to Collins.

"We respect the fact that he takes care of the football very well," Baltimore coach John Harbaugh said. "It's been a big part of their success, and it's going to be a challenge for us."

Switching to Collins gave Tennessee coach Jeff Fisher a veteran who understands what he has around him. Fisher also likes Collins' composure in helping the Titans earn home-field advantage.

"It's certainly helped him this year in a lot of unusual situations that we faced throughout the season. He's poised and calm and doesn't get rattled. And he believes it's OK to throw the ball away and come back and fight again," Fisher said.

Collins credits experience. He turned 36 on Dec. 30, and he's with his fifth team in 14 seasons. He's a father now and happily married.

"You live and you learn. I've had eight years to live and learn. Hopefully, I'm better off than I was," he said.

So Collins may be focusing on the game and not thinking of the irony that this season's Super Bowl is in Tampa, site of his title loss. His teammates are happy to have a quarterback who has been there before on a franchise whose lone Super Bowl appearance came in 2000 with Steve McNair at quarterback. The Rams won that game 23-16 in Atlanta.

"It's great to have a quarterback that knows the way there and feel he has unfinished business because of the time that he has gotten there he didn't come out the victor," Bulluck said. "Hopefully, that fuels his fire. A lot of different things fuel a lot of people's fires in this room. We're all burning for the same thing."

-- Teresa M. Walker