Just 304 Days Later, Titans Finally Get Win That Counts in OT Thriller Over Chargers

Despite a slow start, the Tennessee Titans made a lot of big plays on offense and got huge overtime stops on defense to beat the Los Angeles Chargers 27-24 on Sunday, snapping an eight-game losing streak dating back to last November.

Tom Brew | Sep 17, 2023

Just 304 Days Later, Titans Finally Get Win That Counts in OT Thriller Over Chargers /

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NASHVILLE — It's been 304 days since the Tennessee Titans had won a football game that mattered, which is — as defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons says — "a crazy, crazy long time.''

The long, sad and frustrating loss-filled journey finally ended on Sunday at Nissan Stadium, when the Titans won a 27-24 overtime thriller over the Los Angeles Chargers. It ended an eight-game losing streak that stretched all the way back to last Nov. 17.

It was getting old, the losing. But now that's over, too. The Titans are 1-1 and, at long last, feeling good about themselves.

"It feels great, just the energy, you can tell it in the locker room,'' said Simmons, who had five tackles, a huge sack and two quarterback hits. "We needed it really bad, and it's good to get back on the winning side. At the end of the day, football is four quarters.

"We had to be better in the second quarter, and we had to be better in the second half. Turned out, we had to be at our best in the overtime, and we were. We know it's going to be tough. It's the NFL and it's never easy. That wasn't easy, either, but we got it done.''

He's sure right about it not being easy. The Titans were coming off a season-opening loss in New Orleans where they failed to score a touchdown and lost 16-15 in a game where quarterback Ryan Tannehill threw three interceptions.

It looked like more of the same was going to happen on Sunday. The Titans were completely overwhelmed in the first quarter and had only 20 yards of total offense.

And when the Chargers scored a touchdown four minutes into the second quarter on an 8-yard touchdown pass from Justin Herbert to Keenan Allen, the boo birds were out at Nissan. The Chargers went for two and led 11-0, and not a single thing had gone right thus far for Tennessee.

But on the first play after the kickoff, second-year wide receiver Treylon Burks got free up the left side and Tannehill hit him right on stride for a 70-yard gain, with Burks being dragged down by Chargers cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. at the 5-yard line. Derrick Henry scored from the 1 two plays later, and the Titans were suddenly back in the game.

The mood on the Titans' sideline changed in an instant, too. Tannehill and Burks had flipped the switch with that bomb. It was obvious how life snapped back in to the Titans.

"Yes, it was critical. We need that from Treylon, being able to run through the catch there. The protection held up and Ryan gave him a fantastic ball,'' Titans coach Mike Vrabel said. "But I'm with you on that. We were leaking oil (in the first quarter) and we needed somebody to step up and make a play, and that was a huge play.''

The Chargers kicked a field goal on their next possession, but then the Titans doubled up scoring drives on either side of halftime, pulling ahead 17-14. They had a nine-play, 60-yard drive to close out the half, getting three points from Nick Folk on a 33-yard field goal as time expired.

After the break, they got the ball first and went 75 yards in nine plays for the go-ahead score. Five different players were involved in plays, and then a roughing the passer call took the ball to the 12-yard line. On an option play, Tannehill and his 35-year-old legs took it in himself for the score and a lead.

Los Angeles, which had lost a heartbreaker to Miami last week, grabbed the lead back on another Herbert-to-Allen touchdown on the second play of the fourth quarter to make it 21-17.

The teams exchanged punts twice and the Titans got the ball back at their own 18-yard line with 6:00 to go in the game. But on the first play, Tannehill went deep again and found Chris Moore for a 49-yard gain. On third-and-4, Tannehill found DeAndre Hopkins for a 13-yard gain and a first down, and a roughing the passer penalty took the ball all the way down to the 6-yard line. After two Derrick Henry. runs, Tannehill found Nick Westbrook-Ikhine in the back of the end zone from 4 yards out for the go-ahead score with 2:25 to go.

The Titans defense, which couldn't get the ball back in the final two minutes of last week's loss, couldn't stop the Chargers at the end, either. They went 60 yards quickly in 10 plays and Cameron Dicker kicked a 33-yard field goal to send the game into overtime.

The Chargers won the toss, but this time the Tennessee defense stepped up. Herbert threw three straight incompletions, all in tight coverage with a decent rush, and they were forced to punt.

This time, the defense came through.

"There are a lot of plays in a game, but it comes down to a few,'' Vrabel said. "These games are tight every week and you've just got to stay in there and keep fighting. ... It was great to be able to challenge them in overtime. Three fantastic plays by the defense with some really tight coverage. Every week is different, and we were able to get stops this time.''

Tannehill — who was 20-for-24 on the day for 246 yards and zero interceptions — did something to validate the stop, too. Rookie running back Tyjae Spears rushed for 14 yards on first down and then Henry got 6 more on a screen pass. Two more Henry runs got a first down at the Chargers' 37-yard line, and then Hopkins got free on a crossing route for a 14-yard gain to the 23.

Then, on what was a bright yet comfortable sunny day, it started to rain, and fairly hard. Folk, who was perfect on his first six kicks this season, was sent out to win it on third down, despite the rain. He was perfect from 41 yards out, and the Titans had their long-awaited win.

‘’We talked about (the rain),'' Vrabel said. "Is it going to stop? Is it going to slow down? We had a couple of downs to play with, and it’s like, how much harder is it going to rain? Do we give it another minute and run another play, or just put a foot on this thing?’’

Folk did it, treating it like any other kick, he said. And even though he's only been here a few weeks, he was glad to get that victory. He hasn't had to wait as long as many of his other teammates.

"It's just great to look around (the locker room) and see so many people enjoy it,'' Simmons said. "Treylon had a big play, and Ryan really played great. I told him he was our guy and to just keep playing. He made a lot of big throws.

"And you've got to feel great for someone like Nick (Westbrook-Ikhine) scoring that touchdown after all he's been through here (as an undrafted free agent). It was a great win and we're going to enjoy it, but we're going to build on it, too. We've got to keep on getting better. And we're going to win a lot more.''

The Titans are back on the road next Sunday, with a Noon CT game against the Cleveland Browns.

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