George faces nemesis in Lewis

When Eddie George looks back on an outstanding NFL career, he won't have too many fond memories of running past Ray Lewis into the end zone..

The Tennessee Titans (12-4) will seek to snap a five-game losing streak against Baltimore (10-6) in a first-round AFC playoff game Saturday. The biggest roadblock in the Titans' path to the Super Bowl is Lewis, the NFL Defensive Player of the Year and one of the fiercest competitors in the game.

During their five-game run against Tennessee, the Ravens limited George to one touchdown and an average of 55.4 yards rushing per game. As much as it pains him to say so, George admits that Lewis had pretty much had his way.

"Definitely, and he has a Super Bowl ring, too," George says. "They've had our number the past couple of years. They have a great team; they have some great athletes over there."

Throughout a stellar career in which he's run for 10,009 yards and gone to four Pro Bowls, George has been tormented by Lewis in much the same fashion Joe Frazier was badgered by Muhammad Ali and the Boston Red Sox remain bedeviled by the New York Yankees.

"Me and Eddie have been going at it since Day 1. We were drafted together, came out in the same year," Lewis says. "He started better because his team was playing better, but that changed a few years ago."

Baltimore's reign over the Titans began in 2000, when the Ravens became the first visiting team to win at Tennessee's new Nashville home. Two months later, Lewis' plucked a screen pass from George's hands and rambled 50 yards for a touchdown to clinch a 24-10 victory that sent the Ravens to the AFC championship game.

Titans tight end Frank Wycheck, who's been witness to all the Lewis-George confrontations, compares it to a winner-take-all prize fight.

"Eddie is a competitor, and those guys have had some classic heavyweight battles over the years," Wycheck says. "Obviously we've come up short as a team, but Eddie prides himself as being one of the best. Going up against one of the best has to get his juices flowing and get him motivated."

Because Baltimore and Tennessee are no longer in the same division, they don't play twice a year anymore. But the rivalry remains intense -- just like the one between Lewis & George.

"It's always going to be special. It always has been," George says. ``He's beaten me the last five times, and here it is an opportunity for us both in the playoffs. That's what it's all about.''

Lewis says, "It's always been a good, heated rivalry; we get at each other pretty well. So it should be exciting once again."

Most Valuable Players

Star quarterbacks Peyton Manning and Steve McNair reached the individual pinnacle of the NFL on Friday when they shared AP's NFL Most Valuable Player award.

In just the third tie since the award began in 1957, the premier passers each received 16 votes from a panel of 50 US sports writers and broadcasters who cover the NFL.

Manning and McNair led their teams to 12-4 records, with Manning's Indianapolis Colts edging McNair's Tennessee Titans for the AFC South crown by winning both games against the Titans.

New England quarterback Brady finished third with eight votes, followed by Baltimore running back Lewis, the AP Offensive Player of the Year, with five. Kansas City running back Priest Holmes got three votes, and Baltimore linebacker Ray Lewis, the AP Defensive Player of the Year, received two.