SAN DIEGO - There's smash-mouth, and then there's Shawne Merriman's mouth.
Sunday's playoff game between the Tennessee Titans and San Diego Chargers wouldn't be such an eagerly anticipated grudge match without the two.
On Dec. 9 at Nashville, the Titans dominated the Chargers for three quarters in a virtual slugfest. The Chargers rallied from 14 points down in the fourth quarter to force overtime, then won it 23-17 on LaDainian Tomlinson's 16-yard touchdown run.
In the second quarter, Merriman, San Diego's three-time Pro Bowl outside linebacker, collided with Tennessee's Vince Young after he handed off, sending the QB to the sideline for a spell. Merriman hobbled off the field with a sprained left knee later in the period, the result of what he claimed was a retaliatory "hit" ordered by Titans coach Jeff Fisher.
Merriman said his collision with Young was accidental. While lauding his teammates for coming back, Merriman took a swipe at the Titans.
"We're going to fight you to the end, regardless of what they do. There were a bunch of cheap shots out there, but they can get some cheap shots on the sofa at home while they watch us," Merriman said.
So imagine the reaction when the Titans (10-6) squeaked into the playoffs as the No. 6 seed, earning a trip to face AFC West champion San Diego (11-5).
"If people missed the first one that we played, tune in," Titans linebacker Keith Bulluck said after learning of the rematch.
"Comments were made after that game that we would see them from our couch watching the playoffs," Bulluck said. "They need to retract that statement. We're coming to see them on Sunday."
Even though it's a beat-up bunch of Titans who will travel west to what could be a wet and wild Qualcomm Stadium, the Chargers are trying to hold their tongues going into this one.
"We know what we're up against," said Tomlinson, the two-time NFL rushing champion who is 0-2 in the playoffs in his brilliant career. "It's not going to come easy."
Merriman, an excitable sort known as "Lights Out" for his punishing hits, has softened his stance about the "hit." Fisher wrote it off to emotions, and said he even voted for Merriman for the Pro Bowl.
"It's going to be a physical game, and not because of what happened the first time," said Merriman, who led the Chargers with 121/2 sacks. "It's going to be a physical game because whoever loses goes home. I think there's more at stake now than it was four games ago."
And, he added, "We're going to all give each other hugs before the game starts."
Giants banking on Manning: One team hasn't won a playoff game in seven years, the other has gone through hard times since winning the Super Bowl five seasons ago.
The New York Giants and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are counting on this trip to the postseason to be different.
No more one-and-done.
"I was brought here to help this team get back to the position where we can compete in a playoff game," said quarterback Jeff Garcia, one of the big changes the Bucs (9-7) made to transform themselves from a last-place team into NFC South champions.
"This is when the great players step up. I understand what is put on our shoulders, what is put on my shoulders, and I will do anything and everything to help this team reach that next level."
The Giants (10-6) will be looking for the same from Eli Manning in Sunday's NFC wild-card game.
The top pick in the 2004 draft has New York in the playoffs for the third straight season, but he's still trying to deliver the team's first postseason win since January 2001.
The Giants have lost in the opening round three times since, including the 2005 and 2006 seasons with Manning struggling at quarterback.
In two career postseason games, he's completed 26 of 45 passes for 254 yards, two touchdowns and four interceptions. He was sacked five times, lost one fumble, and New York exited quickly against Carolina (23-0) and Philadelphia (23-20).
"I am just looking at the game ahead of me. I'm just going to try to play smart, put our team in a situation to win the game - whatever that is," Manning said.
"Just make plays here and there, don't force any turnovers, and don't force anything to happen unless you have to."
The Bucs' only other playoff appearance since winning the Super Bowl five years ago ended in a first-round loss to Washington.
They had the NFL's stingiest pass defense this season and hope to take advantage of Manning's inconsistency and knack for making critical mistakes.
The 27-year-old threw for 3,336 yards and 23 touchdowns. He also tossed 20 interceptions, tied for the league lead with Carson Palmer and Jon Kitna.
It certainly doesn't help that he's the younger brother of Peyton Manning.
"Eli has more pressure on him than anybody in this league, but I think he handles it extremely well. ... If his last name were Smith, I don't think it would be such a big deal," Giants defensive end Michael Strahan said.
"He hasn't always been great and hasn't been nowhere near as bad as people like to say. I know as teammates we stand behind him because we know how talented he is. We feel like he definitely is that guy who's going to take us to the next level. We're sure he's going to do it, and this might be the year."
Not if Garcia has his way.
One of the main reasons Tampa Bay has missed the playoffs three of five seasons since its Super Bowl run has been the absence of an experienced quarterback who could protect the ball and make plays.
Enter Garcia, whom coach Jon Gruden considers an ideal fit for his version of the West Coast offense.
The 37-year-old signed with the Bucs as a free agent in March, two months after leading the Eagles past the Giants in the playoffs. He's 2-0 against New York in the postseason and 4-1 overall against the Giants.
"We wouldn't be here, I don't think, without him. And we wouldn't have a chance to advance without him, either," Gruden said, adding teams generally don't win this time of the year "despite" their quarterback.
"You usually win because of the play of your quarterback," the Bucs coach said. "Garcia has been superb for us. He's protected the ball, he runs our offense and he's truly a great competitor."
Garcia's passer rating of 94.6 was seventh in the league this season. He threw for 13 touchdowns against four interceptions, and the ninth-year pro did not throw a pick in 11 of 13 games he played.
Manning lost seven fumbles, Garcia two.
Gruden doesn't buy the argument Manning could be overmatched. The coach thinks too much is being made of the young quarterback's rate of development, calling him a "winner."
"I don't know about all that criticism, man. I loved him when he came out of Mississippi, and I like the fact that he's taken his team to the playoffs three times in a tough league," Gruden said. "I'm a big fan of his, personally."
Garcia began his pro career in the Canadian Football League before moving to the NFL in 1999. He spent five seasons with San Francisco and one each in Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia before landing in Tampa Bay.
He can only imagine the pressure Manning feels to deliver in the postseason for a New York team.
"Unless you have actually lived it before, it is hard to really put yourself in his shoes," Garcia said.
"He is not just dealing with the scrutiny of playing in New York; he is also dealing with the scrutiny of being one of the top quarterbacks to ever play the game's younger brother. You are always somewhat working from a shadow, but I think that Eli has done some great things himself for being such a young guy. I think sometimes we lose sight of how young he still is, and how much more he still is going to learn, and how much more he is going to grow as a quarterback."