sports briefs Titans pummel Jags, earn first Super Bowl birth in 40-year team history JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) - The Tennessee Titans found another improbable way to win. This time it's taking them to their first Super Bowl in the franchise's 40 seasons - 37 of them as the Houston Oilers. The Titans upset Jacksonville 33-14 on Sunday to win the AFC title, beating the Jaguars for the third time this season with a burst of 16 points in about 4 1/2 minutes in the third quarter. Steve McNair led the way, running for 91 yards on nine carries and scoring on two 1-yard quarterback sneaks, despite limping all week with a boot to protect an injured toe. Tennessee won as it has all season: a little offense, a lot of defense, and a big contribution from special teams. The defense forced six turnovers. The Titans trailed 14-10 at the half - but then came their third-quarter scoring binge. It began with a 76-yard drive on six plays for the go-ahead touchdown on a sneak by McNair. Forty-three of the yards came on penalties - 15 on a roughing the passer call when McNair somehow ducked out of a 10-yard sack by Kevin Hardy, rolled left and completed a 15-yard pass to Eddie George. Tennessee's trip to the Super Bowl follows three straight 8-8 seasons, one in Houston, one in Memphis and the third and Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville. This year, in their new home at Adelphia Coliseum, they went 13-3 and qualified as a wild card, a game behind Jacksonville in the AFC Central even though they beat the Jaguars twice. Dream season continues for Rams ST. LOUIS (AP) - The Midwest Express offense came alive just in time. Kurt Warner threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to Ricky Proehl with 4:44 to go Sunday, lifting the mistake-prone St. Louis Rams to an 11-6 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC Championship. The Rams, who struggled all day on offense, rode their unheralded defense and Warner's late heroics to the Super Bowl. St. Louis opens as an 8-point favorite for next Sunday's game against Tennessee in the Super Bowl. Tampa's gallant defensive effort wasn't enough against the Rams because backup cornerback Brian Kelly couldn't stay with Proehl down the left sideline on the long third-down pass. Proehl, the Rams' No. 4 wide receiver, leaped to haul in his first touchdown of the season. He finished with six catches for 100 yards. "If you are every going to bet on someone coming up with a big play, bet on Ricky Proehl,'" Rams coach Dick Vermeil said. The winning score was set up when Bucs rookie quarterback Shaun King was picked off by another rookie, cornerback Dre' Bly, at midfield. Originally on page 2B in the 1-24-2000 issue of the Daily.