NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Throughout their 1-and-6 start the Titans preached that they were close. They just weren’t complimenting one another and breaking through for wins. On a glorious early November day at Nissan Stadium Sunday the Titans finally did just enough to outlast the Patriots 20-17 in overtime.
Getting back to the win column wasn’t easy. The Titans still struggled in the red zone offensively, including another scoreless goalline sequence as Mason Rudolph’s pass bounded high off the hands of Chig Okonkwo and was intercepted in the endzone by Patriots’ linebacker Jhalani Tavai. The special teams continued to struggle in coverage, giving up 44- and 25-yard punt returns by Marcus Jones.
Even the defense – which has been the Tennessee strength all season – surrendered the game-tying touchdown with :00 left on the clock when Drake Maye bought time against a three-man pass rush, bouncing around the pocket before finally lobbing a ball back to the right side of the endzone where it was brought down by running back Rhamondre Stevenson for the touchdown. Joey Slye’s extra point attempt slid just inside the right upright to tie the game 17-17 and force overtime.
The Titans have struggled to overcome adversity all season, but this time they found a way. They won the overtime coin toss, elected to take the ball and returned to their early gameplan of running the football with Tony Pollard and using Rudolph in a quick strike passing attack.
Tennessee went 75 yards in eight plays on the game’s first possession. Nick Westbrook-Ikhine was open across the middle for a first down on the game’s second play. Pollard ran for 36 yards on three carries. And Rudolph used two tight ends, including a nine-yard touchdown to Nick Vannett off of playaction.
The final drive saw gutsy middle of the field completions to Calvin Ridley for 16 yards on the first play and then another gain of 14 as Rudolph stood in the pocket against pressure, absorbing a huge hit to convert a third and five. Pollard then capped his season-high 128-yard day with runs of 7, 5, 4, 3, 9, 3 and five yards to get the Titans in the red zone on the 13-play, 72-yard drive that ate 7:28 off the clock in the 10:00 extra period.
The drive nearly ended in disaster as Rudolph fumbled a snap from backup center Corey Levin, who entered the game in the third quarter when starter Lloyd Cushenberry suffered an ankle injury, but Rudolph was able to fall on the ball and set up Nick Folk’s 25-yard field goal.
The Patriots had an opportunity to tie or win the game but Maye attempted to go for it all with a deep ball for Keyshawn Boutte and Amani Hooker came over from his centerfield safety position to grab his second interception before taking a knee to seal the Titans’ first win since Sept. 30th in Miami.
The Titans defense has consistently ranked at or near the top of the NFL this season statistically, but they’ve been unable to come up with turnovers and big plays to alter the course of games. On Sunday the defense made its presence felt with three turnovers and four sacks.
And while Tennessee couldn’t cash in on Hooker’s first interception, the last two were critical to the outcome. Arden Key’s fourth quarter strip sack of Maye was recovered by Jeffery Simmons at the New England 26.
Just five plays later Rudolph hit Westbrook-Ikhine for a six-yard touchdown and a 17-10 lead. It was the fourth straight week NWI has caught a touchdown pass after not having a single target through the first four weeks of the season.
Hooker’s interception sealed the deal and sparked the first postgame celebration by the home team at Nissan Stadium since the Titans’ week 18 upset of the Jaguars last season in Mike Vrabel’s final game as head coach.
Brian Callahan still has plenty of things to fix in his first season on the sideline, but it will be much more fun to go back to work this week, in preparation for a trip to Los Angeles next week to face the Chargers, coming off a win.
The Titans said they were close and Sunday they showed resiliency, sticking together through the adversity and finding a way to win a close game. Proof that if you keep working good things can happen.
