Titans ride QB’s arm
Marcus Mariota threw a 53-yard touchdown pass to Taywan Taylor with 5:29 left, and the Tennessee Titans beat the Indianapolis Colts 36-22 on Monday night to snap an 11-game skid that was tied for the NFL’s longest active losing streak against one team. Mariota didn’t move around much after missing a game with a strained left hamstring, but he managed to throw for a season-high 306 yards.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Marcus Mariota shuffled around the pocket, carefully protecting a strained left hamstring that already cost him one game this season.
So the quarterback known for his legs showed off his arm.
Mariota threw a 53-yard touchdown pass to Taywan Taylor with 5:29 left, and the Tennessee Titans beat the Indianapolis Colts 36-22 on Monday night to end an 11game skid tied for the NFL’s longest active losing streak against one team.
Titans Coach Mike Mularkey said Mariota followed their instructions, doing whatever he could to lessen the risk of further injury.
“He’s as tough as I’ve been around and made some throws that were, obviously that one to Taywan was a big throw,” Mularkey said. “It was a real big throw. I mean he did. He played well.”
Mariota was 23 for 32 for a season-high 306 yards. He completed each of his three passes on the drive that ended with Taylor’s tiebreaking score.
The Titans (3-3) stopped a two-game slide and moved into a tie for the AFC South lead with Jacksonville and Houston.
Jacoby Brissett tried to rally the Colts (2-4) to a second straight overtime. But Titans linebacker Wesley Woodyard forced Brissett out of bounds shy of the first-down marker on fourth and inches with 2:19 left before going toward midfield to celebrate.
Coach Chuck Pagano lost his challenge of the spot and said he wouldn’t blame officials.
“Disappointing to say the least,” Pagano said. “Got to play 60 minutes. It’s a recurring thing; I know that.”
The Titans were pleased to put their skid against the Colts behind them.
“We feel like every game’s a must-win, but this was definitely a must-win, especially with the 11-game streak on the line,” Woodyard said. “We came in and answered the call.”
Derrick Henry clinched the victory for Tennessee with a 72-yard TD run with 47 seconds left. Henry, the 2015 Heisman Trophy winner, finished with a career-high 131 yards on 19 carries. DeMarco Murray also scored.
The Titans looked like the NFL’s worst scoring defense in the first half instead of Indianapolis, with Brissett directing the Colts to a 13-9 halftime lead. John Simon then intercepted Mariota’s first pass of the third quarter and returned it 26 yards for a TD and a 19-9 lead after a mixed extra point.
But the Titans forced the Colts to go three-and-out on three of their first four drives of the second half, and Avery Williamson stripped tight end Jack Doyle of the ball after a catch.
“It’s a long season,” Mariota said. “You’re going to have to play with some sort of nick or ding. I’m just really happy for the guys. I mean they did a great job of putting protection up front.”
Tennessee kicker Ryan Succop went 5 for 5 to break the NFL record for most consecutive successful field goals inside of 50 yards. He connected from 48, 32 and 40 yards in the first half and then hit from 23 and 48 yards in the third.
Succop began the day tied with Matt Bryant, who connected on 46 consecutive field goals inside 50 yards between 2013 to 2015 for the Atlanta Falcons.
Adam Vinatieri, the Colts’ accomplished kicker, got three field goals himself, including a 52-yarder. But he missed an extra point off the left upright.