NASHVILLE, Tennessee (Ticker) -- Steve McNair had the New Orleans Saints wrapped around his finger.
McNair passed for two touchdowns while reaching a milestone and the Titans received a huge effort from their defense en route to a 27-12 victory over the Saints.
Playing with a dislocated right ring finger that he suffered last Sunday against Indianapolis, McNair had little trouble dissecting the injury-depleted Saints' defense.
McNair completed 22-of-33 passes for 252 yards, including touchdown passes of two yards to Justin McCareins and five yards to Drew Bennett.
"I was so pumped up. I was ready for the game," McNair said. "I needed people to squeeze my hand before the game to get my mind off it. I think I shook everybody's hand coming out of the locker room with my right hand and didn't realize it until I got finished that I was shaking with the wrong hand.
"That's something I don't think about when it's time to play the game. I just went out there and didn't let it bother me."
McNair also joined some exclusive company, becoming the fifth quarterback in NFL history to notch 20,000 yards passing and 3,000 yards rushing. He joined Fran Tarkenton, John Elway, Randall Cunningham and Steve Young as quarterbacks to accomplish the feat.
"I'm glad to be among those elite guys," McNair said. "It's an honor to me just to be mentioned."
While McNair enjoyed a big afternoon so did the Titans' defense that limited Deuce McAllister to 15 yards rushing. The Titans held the Saints (1-2) to 11 first downs and 188 total yards while also sacking Aaron Brooks three times.
"When we stop the run, a team can't beat us," Titans free safety Lance Schulters said. "If you can't run on us defensively, you don't have a chance against us, and that's just how we feel. We stopped their tandem of McAllister and Brooks and got a good up-front rush on them."
Eddie George carried the ground game in the second half for the Titans (2-1), when he rushed for 65 of his 100 yards. His six-yard TD run with just over six minutes remaining gave the Titans a 27-12 lead.
Brooks went 15-of-23 for 187 yards, including a 10-yard TD pass to Jerome Pathon in the fourth quarter.
Without three defensive starters, the Saints struggled as the Titans rolled up 385 total yards and 28 first downs and held the ball for nearly 40 minutes. Tennessee also converted 8-of-14 third-down conversions.
"Offensively, what can you say?" Titans coach Jeff Fisher said. "We kept the ball for almost 40 minutes. That is how you win these games when you play a team that has the offensive weapons they have."
"We were on the field a lot today," Saints cornerback Ashley Ambrose said. "That was the first game where we could not get off the field on third down. They had our number today."
Titans linebacker Keith Bulluck also thought the time of possession was key.
"The offense played great today," Bulluck said. "They kept the ball almost 40 minutes which gave us a rest and wore down the Saints defense. When I was out there, I was like gasping for air because I wasn't used to being out there. So I take my hat off to the offense."
McNair had little trouble moving his team, directing scoring drives of 73, 38, and 72 yards on the Titans' first three possessions.
On the game's first play from scrimmage, McNair found Derrick Mason for 17 yards. He also had a 13-yard connection to Mason and found McCareins for 14 yards before the drive stalled at the New Orleans 4.
Gary Anderson, the NFL's all-time points leader, came on and booted a 22-yard field goal to give the Titans the early lead.
After the Saints went three-and-out, they received a break on special teams when McCareins fumbled a punt. Tony Beckham recovered for the Titans in the end zone and he lateraled the ball, resulting in a safety.
But on the ensuing kickoff, the Saints came up with their own special teams blunder when they failed to field Craig Hentrich's kickoff. Rookie Tyrone Calico recovered for Tennessee at the New Orleans 38.
McNair went right to work with completions of 14 yards to tight end Erron Kinney and seven yards to McCareins. McNair capped the short drive by using a play-action fake, rolling to his left and finding McCareins with a two-yard TD, giving the Titans a 10-2 lead with 4:11 left in the first quarter.
Special teams continued to play a factor early in the second quarter. On 4th-and-6 from their own 46, the Titans faked a punt and punter Hentrich found McCareins for 15 yards.
"That was something they (coaches) knew was going to be there and it was a matter of getting into the right situation to use it," Hentrich said. "Really, it was an easy play. The press guys on the outside were so far off that we decided we were going to run a little hitch. It worked perfectly."
The Titans' drive stalled at the 25 and Anderson came on to boot a 43-yard field goal, extending the lead to 13-2.
Brooks finally made a big play on the Saints' ensuing possession, finding Paton down the middle for 38 yards to the Titans 28.
But with a 1st-and-goal at the 9, Brooks threw two incompletions around a sack by defensive tackle Robaire Smith. John Carney kicked a 31-yard field goal with 1:50 left in the half, bringing the Saints within 13-5.
It looked like the Titans would extend the lead before the half after having a 1st-and-goal at the 6. But on third down, McNair ran up the middle and dropped the ball and Kenny Smith recovered for New Orleans.
In the first half, the Titans held a 240-77 advantage in total yards and garnered 16 first downs, compared to three for the Saints.
"After the loss last week, we needed to try to get back to what's made us successful in the past," Titans linebacker Peter Sirmon said. "I think that's what we did today."
McAllister was a complete non-factor, carrying five times for minus-nine yards in the first half.
"We never found a rhythm," McAllister said. "They did a good job putting eight men in the box. They put a guy in every hole, every cut back lane and every lane. We did not execute as an offense."
The struggles for the Saints continued in the second half. On the second play from scrimmage, Donte' Stallworth caught a ball in the flat and fumbled after getting drilled by Sirmon. Cornerback Samari Rolle recovered for the Titans at the Saints 37.
McNair converted the miscue into points, rolling to his right and finding Drew Bennett for a five-yard touchdown, giving the Titans a 20-5 lead with 10:41 left in the third quarter.
"Everybody contributed, everybody had some big catches," Bennett said. "When everybody's contributing like that, you can't stop a team and focus on one guy."
Bennett finished with eight catches for 115 yards. McCareins has five receptions for 44 yards.
Brooks capped a nine-play, 79-yard drive with a 10-yard TD pass to Pathon 1:37 into the fourth quarter, pulling the Saints within 20-12.
But the Titans responded with a 14-play, 76-yard drive. McNair highlighted the march with a 23-yard completion to Shad Meier to the New Orleans 39 and a 14-yard connection to Kinney on 3rd-and-13 to the 28.
George, who reached 100 yards rushing for the 35th time in his career, capped the drive with a powerful six-yard TD around the left side with 6:13 remaining.
