Editing Super Bowl XXXIV (section)

===Tennessee Titans===
{{Main|1999 Tennessee Titans season}}
The Titans advanced to their first Super Bowl in team history, after originating as a charter member of the [[American Football League]].<ref>{{cite book |title=The History of the Tennessee Titans (NFL Today) |last=Frisch |first=Aaron |date=July 2004 |publisher=Creative Education. |isbn=1-58341-316-2 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/historyoftenness0000fris }}</ref> From 1960 to 1996, the team was owned by [[Houston, Texas]] businessman [[Bud Adams]] and known as the [[History of the Houston Oilers|Houston Oilers]]. By 1995, however, Adams, like Rams owner [[Georgia Frontiere]], was lured to move his team from Houston, in this case to a new stadium in [[Nashville, Tennessee]]. Since this new stadium was not ready until the 1999 season, Adams decided to move his team to [[Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium]] in [[Memphis, Tennessee|Memphis]], Tennessee in [[1997 NFL season|1997]] after playing before small Houston crowds in [[1996 NFL season|1996]].

The renamed Tennessee Oilers also played before sparse Memphis crowds, and thus spent the [[1998 NFL season|1998 season]] playing at Nashville's [[Vanderbilt Stadium]]. After the new Adelphia Coliseum (now known as [[Nissan Stadium]]) was completed in 1999, the team's name was changed to Tennessee Titans.<ref>{{cite news |title= Tennessee will have a name of its own |url= http://www.nfl.com/Titans/news/980729name.html |work=[[NFL.com]] |date= July 29, 1998 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20000824043206/http://www.nfl.com/Titans/news/980729name.html |archive-date= August 24, 2000 |access-date= September 8, 2015 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Tennessee Titans (NFL Today) |last=Nelson |first=Julie |year=2000 |publisher=[[Creative Education]] |isbn=1-58341-062-7}}</ref> With Tennessee's Super Bowl appearance, every former AFL team had now played in the Super Bowl, including the original eight AFL teams and two AFL expansion teams: the [[list of Miami Dolphins seasons|Miami Dolphins]] and the [[list of Cincinnati Bengals seasons|Cincinnati Bengals]].

The 1999 Titans were led by quarterback [[Steve McNair]] and running back [[Eddie George]]. McNair had missed five games due to injuries during the season, but he was still able to put up solid numbers, throwing for 2,179 yards and 12 touchdowns with 8 interceptions. Despite his injury problems, McNair finished the season as the second-leading rusher on the team with 337 yards and 8 touchdowns.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Steve McNair 1999 Game Log |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/M/McNaSt00/gamelog/1999/ |access-date=2024-06-17 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] |language=en}}</ref> When McNair was out with injuries, the team was able to rely on backup QB [[Neil O'Donnell]], who threw for 1,382 yards and 10 touchdowns, with only 5 interceptions. George also had an outstanding season, rushing for 1,304 yards, and catching 47 passes for 458 yards (his receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns were all career highs). In all, George scored a grand total of 13 touchdowns, and was selected to play in the [[Pro Bowl]] for the 3rd consecutive year.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Eddie George 1999 Game Log |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/G/GeorEd00/gamelog/1999/ |access-date=2024-06-17 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=1999 NFL Pro Bowlers |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1999/probowl.htm |access-date=2024-06-17 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Tennessee Titans: Season to Remember |last1=Fisher |first1=Jeff |last2=Jones |first2=Donn |year=2001 |publisher=Sports & Entertainment Group w/Hambleton-Hill Publishing, Inc. |location=Nashville |isbn=1-58029-109-0}}</ref>

Another contributor on the Titans' offense was fullback [[Lorenzo Neal]], who frequently served as George's lead blocker and was widely considered one of the best blocking backs in the league. The team did not have any outstanding deep threats, but wide receiver [[Yancey Thigpen]] recorded 38 receptions for 648 yards, wide receiver [[Kevin Dyson]] had 54 receptions for 658 yards, and tight end [[Frank Wycheck]] caught 69 passes for 641 yards. Thigpen, however, would not play in the Super Bowl because of a right foot fracture he suffered in the AFC Championship Game.<ref name="Titans Singing Now">{{cite news|title=Titans Singing Now|url=https://www.nydailynews.com/2000/01/24/titans-singing-now/|newspaper=[[New York Daily News]]|date=January 24, 2000|access-date=December 5, 2023}}</ref> Up front, their line was anchored by Pro Bowl tackle [[Bruce Matthews (American football)|Bruce Matthews]].<ref>Fisher (2001) pg. 15–21</ref> On special teams, [[Derrick Mason]] racked up 1,030 combined return yards and a touchdown.

Tennessee's defense was also extremely effective. Pro Bowl defensive end [[Jevon Kearse]] anchored the line, recording 14.5 sacks to go along with 8 forced fumbles and was named the NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Year. The linebackers corps was led by [[Eddie Robinson (linebacker)|Eddie Robinson]], who recorded 64 tackles and 6 sacks, while also recovering and forcing 3 fumbles. Their secondary was led by cornerback [[Samari Rolle]], who led the team with 4 interceptions,<ref>Fisher (2001) pg. 17–18</ref> and veteran safety [[Marcus Robertson]], who would miss the game with a broken leg.<ref name="Titans Singing Now"/>

The Titans finished the regular season with a 13–3 record (including a home win over the Rams), but finished second behind the 14–2 [[1999 Jacksonville Jaguars season|Jacksonville Jaguars]] (who had the best record in the NFL that season) in the [[AFC North|AFC Central]]. The Jaguars' only two losses were to the Titans, but Tennessee's three losses forced them to enter the playoffs as a [[wild card (sports)|wild-card]] team.<ref>Fisher (2001) pg. 7</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=1999 NFL Standings & Team Stats |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1999/index.htm |access-date=2024-06-17 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] |language=en}}</ref>