IINDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Peyton Manning, Edgerrin James and many of the Indianapolis Colts have no playoff experience. Steve McNair, Eddie George and many of the Tennessee Titans have just one game -- albeit one of the most memorable games in NFL playoff history.

Does that equalize things for Sunday's AFC quarterfinal at the RCA Dome?

"This is a time when our veterans have to step up," Manning says. "It will be a learning experience for us and the only way to learn is to go out there and play and experience it."

The problem for the Colts is that those veterans are primarily on defense. Tight end Ken Dilger, who is 27, is the oldest offensive starter. And Cornelius Bennett, who's played in five Super Bowls with the Bills and Falcons, will miss this game with a knee injury.

The Titans are a little more experienced.

They have eight players back from the Houston Oilers of 1993, the last time the itinerant franchise made the playoffs. And they have nine more who had postseason experience with other teams.

And, of course, they all played last week in the Music City Miracle, the 22-16 win over Buffalo won on Frank Wycheck's lateral and Kevin Dyson's 75-yard return after the Bills had gone ahead with 16 seconds left.

The most experienced Titan is one of the most experienced players in NFL history -- 38-year-old guard Bruce Matthews, who this season set an NFL record for games by an offensive lineman with 264. He has 11 playoff starts, more than anyone on either team but Bennett, who has played in 20 postseason games.

But a lot of players on both teams don't think that matters much given their big-game college experience.

The Titans start two rookies on the defensive line -- Jevon Kearse, who was defensive rookie of the year and an All-Pro and John Thornton, their second-round draft choice.

"Jevon played for a national championship every year," Thornton said. "We have a whole lot of guys that come from winning programs in college."

The Colts, meanwhile, have a small group of veterans left from the 1995 and 1996 playoff teams, including Dilger, defensive linemen Bernard Whittington and Ellis Johnson and safety Jason Belser. The other starters in the secondary also have playoff experience -- Jeff Burris with Buffalo and Tyrone Poole and Chad Cota with Carolina.

That seems to make Sunday's game a wash in terms of experience, or lack of it. That doesn't make it very different from the rest of the this weekend's four games in the Super Bowl countdown.

"I read in the paper where there's not much fan interest because the Denvers and the Dallases and the 49ers and teams like that are not playing now, but I'm not sure that's right," Indianapolis coach Jim Mora said.

"We have fans. Tennessee has fans. The Rams have fans. People want these teams to win, too. So I think it's good. I think it's great."

Mora himself has some playoff experience, all of it bad. He was 0-4 in 10 seasons in New Orleans.

"That makes no difference," Mora said. "I'd feel the same way about this game if I was 4-0. This is one you want to win for the team."

TENNESSEE Season schedule and results

INDIANAPOLIS Season schedule and results

September 12 Cincinnati W 36-35 September 19 Cleveland W 26-9 September 26 @Jacksonville W 20-19 October 3 @San Francisco L 22-24 October 10 Baltimore W 14-11 October 17 @New Orleans W 24-21 October 31 St. Louis W 24-21 November 7 @Miami L 0-17 November 14 @Cincinnati W 24-14 November 21 Pittsburgh W 16-10 November 28 @Cleveland W 33-21 December 5 @Baltimore L 14-41 December 9 Oakland W 21-14 December 19 Atlanta W 30-17 December 26 Jacksonville W 41-14 January 2 @Pittsburgh W 47-36 January 8 Buffalo W 22-16 January 16 @Indianapolis 4:05pm ET

September 12 Buffalo W 31-14 September 19 @New England L 28-31 September 26 @San Diego W 27-19 October 10 Miami L 31-34 October 17 @NY Jets W 16-13 October 24 Cincinnati W 31-10 October 31 Dallas W 34-24 November 7 Kansas City W 25-17 November 14 @NY Giants W 27-19 November 21 @Philadelphia W 44-17 November 28 NY Jets W 13-6 December 5 @Miami W 37-34 December 12 New England W 20-15 December 19 Washington W 24-21 December 26 @Cleveland W 29-28 January 2 @Buffalo L 6-31 January 16 Tennessee 4:05pm ET

Records source: STATS, Inc.

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