By Teresa M. Walker
Associated Press
Sunday, September 12, 1999; 5:17 p.m. EDT

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Titans, as if the excitement of their new nickname and new stadium wasn't enough, added plenty of fourth-quarter drama to their regular-season debut.

Al Del Greco kicked his second field goal of the game, a 33-yarder, with eight seconds left as the Titans rallied for a 36-35 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday in the first game at the $292 million Adelphia Coliseum.

But the Titans took their fans through a gamut of emotions from boos to a standing ovation as they blew a 26-7 first-half lead with four turnovers before playing catch-up with 10 points in the fourth quarter. Steve McNair, booed after fumbling away the ball with 9:26 left, drove the Titans for 10 points in the final minutes for the victory.

Cincinnati's Jeff Blake nearly ruined the Titans' homecoming singlehandedly. He ran for 90 yards and threw for 182 yards and two touchdowns before being forced from the game with heat exhaustion and cramps.

That forced rookie Akili Smith, who held out for most of training camp, into the game. He finished off two drives started by Blake with simple handoffs as Cincinnati settled for field goals of 33 and 38 yards by Doug Pelfrey for a 35-26 lead with 7:56 remaining.

McNair, who twisted his ankle the drive before, led the Titans back on the field to a chorus of boos, and he responded with a scramble for 9 yards. He capped the drive by tossing a short pass to Eddie George who ran 17 yards for a touchdown, pulling Tennessee to 35-33.

Cincinnati turned to emergency quarterback Scott Covington, but he failed to get a first down as the Titans defense forced the Bengals to punt after a three-and-out.

McNair took over with the ball at the Cincinnati 49 after a 21-yard punt return by Yancey Thigpen, and he threw three passes and ran twice in setting up Del Greco's game-winner, the 13th of his career. McNair wound up 21-of-32 for 341 yards with three touchdowns and one interception.

The Titans looked ready to blow the game open as they built a 26-7 lead early in the second quarter. They intercepted Blake twice and blocked a punt for a safety. McNair connected with Kevin Dyson on TD throws of 13 and 47 yards after interceptions by Denard Walker and Dainon Sidney, and Del Greco kicked a 50-yarder following the safety.

But Blake rallied the Bengals with 22 points in a span of 6:18 for a 29-26 lead, and the Titans managed only 12 yards total offense in the third quarter.

He set up Ki-Jana Carter's 2-yard TD run with 1:55 left in the second quarter. Rodney Heath, playing left corner in place of the injured Charles Fisher, stripped Thigpen of the ball after a 31-yard reception, and Greg Myers recovered.

Blake hit five different receivers as he drove the Bengals 61 yards for his 3-yard TD toss to Tony McGhee just before the half, and he put Cincinnati ahead for the first time on the opening drive of the third quarter. He found Willie Jackson on the sideline for a 17-yard TD, and he hit Brian Milne for a two-point conversion and a 29-26 lead.