Two Bills Drive

”’Billy’s my MVP right now,” McNair said. It was the first time he didn’t play since Sept. 23, 2001, a streak of 45 starts.’

”’They probably don’t want to come back here anytime soon,” Titans tight end Frank Wycheck said.’

”’He was wonderful and outstanding,” said wide receiver Derrick Mason, who caught nine of Volek’s passes for 137 yards, including a 37-yarder that set up a late touchdown. ”(The Bills) threw everything at him … to confuse him. But Billy kept his poise.”’

”’The Titans did a good job of mixing up coverages,” Bledsoe said. ”You are never, in this league, going to have guys running around wide open. Sometimes you have to make a tight throw and have to make a good catch in tight coverage.”’

”’You try to show him that you have it because it’s low to the ground. As far as I am concerned, it’s a very bad call. How long do I have to have it before they rule it complete?”’

”’I had blitzed earlier, and I told (defensive coordinator) Jim Schwartz I could beat ’em, I could get there,” Bulluck said. ”So then he came back to it, and like I told him, I got there and the rest is history.”’

‘For the Bills, however, visions of the Music City Miracle appeared again. Another wind-swept winter day in Nashville. Another referee’s face flush against the replay monitor. Another long flight home from a game they believe was taken away from them.’

”’I couldn’t have gotten out of harm’s way,” he said. ”I couldn’t get out of my own way. I just couldn’t play.”’

‘Passing defense: The Titans played exceptionally well against the pass until the very end, when Buffalo quarterback Drew Bledsoe drove the Bills to their last score. Bledsoe had just 51 yards passing heading into the fourth quarter, but finished with 168. Cornerbacks Samari Rolle and Andre Dyson played well against Bills receivers Bobby Shaw and Eric Moulds. The Titans had an opportunity for a couple of interceptions, but failed to pull them in.’

‘Q: How important was this game? A: ”It’s very important. We play the No. 1 team, the No. 1 defense in the NFL, and we were able to score 28 points. We knew we can do it. Our previous weeks we just let it slip. This week we didn’t. We were able to score some points and put ourselves in position to score. This is a big lift for this team, knowing that we can go out there and play with the best.”’

‘Q: Was this game symbolic of how your season has gone? A: ”All year. It was the same story all year. It’s just so frustrating, we’re losing all these games that we really shouldn’t be losing and that’s the difference between teams that are going to the playoffs or not. It’s not like we don’t have the effort, it’s not like we’re not playing good ball. For four quarters we’re just not there completely as a team.”’

‘White is the referee who was fined earlier this season for not handling the clock correctly in a Ravens-Seahawks game.’

‘The Titans appeared headed down another slippery slope, when the defense, which had gone eight quarters and counting without a turnover, came through. Keith Bulluck sacked Bills QB Drew Bledsoe, stripping and recovering the ball at the Buffalo 24. From there, Volek directed the Titans to a score on a 14-yard pass to Erron Kinney, and with Robert Holcombe’s two-point conversion run, cut the Bills lead to 17-14.’

‘”I had fun out there actually,” Mason said of his stint as a returner. “The first play, I was kind of anxious, because I hadn’t been out there for a whole year, and I was anxious to get my hands on the ball.”‘

‘”I felt like this was the best thing to do,” McNair said. “You’ve got a healthy No. 2 and a lame No. 1. Who gives you the best chance to win [Sunday]? I felt like at this point in time, it was Billy.”‘