Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Titans win

- STEVE MEGARGEE AP SPORTS WRITER

Ryan Tannehill threw for 333 yards and two touchdowns Thursday night to lead the Tennessee Titans past the Green Bay Packers 27-17. He went 22 of 27 and had 1 intercepti­on as the Titans won for the seventh time in eight games. Former Arkansas Razorbacks receiver Treylon Burks had his best game as a pro, catching seven passes for 111 yards. Green Bay has lost six of its past seven games.

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Ryan Tannehill and the Tennessee Titans showed they don’t have to rely exclusivel­y on their bruising ground attack.

With Green Bay focusing on trying to slow down Derrick Henry, Tannehill threw for 333 yards and two touchdowns as the Titans beat the Packers 27-17 on Thursday night.

Since dropping their first two games, the AFC South-leading Titans (7-3) have won seven of eight. The Titans continued their surge by posting season highs in points and yards (408).

“We want to be a balanced attack,” said Tannehill, who went 22 of 27 with an intercepti­on. “We’re going to run the football. We’re going to be physical, and then try to take advantage of some opportunit­ies that arise from that in passing. I don’t think the formula’s any different than it’s been for the past four years. Be physical, establish the run and have our opportunit­ies in the passing game off that.”

Tannehill looked much sharper in his second game back after missing two games with an injured right ankle. His performanc­e helped the Titans improve to 10-2 when playing on short rest under Coach Mike Vrabel.

“It’s tough mentally, it’s tough physically to turn the page on the last one and then get yourself ready to go on a quick turnaround,” Tannehill said. “Like I said, on Monday we came in. We set our mind to it that there’s going to be no excuses. We’re going to find a way to get yourself mentally and physically ready to go and come out and win.”

Green Bay (4-7) has lost six of seven.

“Extremely disappoint­ed right now to put on a performanc­e like that,” Packers Coach Matt LaFleur said. “I don’t even know what to say. It was nothing like a few days ago, and that’s why you’re only as good as your last game and every time you step out on that field, you’ve got to go out and do it.”

Rodgers went 24 of 39 for 227 yards with two touchdown passes to rookie Christian Watson, a 14-yarder to close the first quarter and an 8-yarder in the third quarter. That followed Watson’s three-touchdown performanc­e in a 31-28 overtime victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.

Watson became the first Packers rookie since Max McGee in 1954 to have multiple touchdown catches in consecutiv­e games.

The Packers limited Henry to 87 yards and a touchdown on 28 carries — a 3.1-yard average — but the Titans still did what they wanted on offense.

Henry even got into the act by throwing a 3-yard jump pass to Austin Hooper for a touchdown. Former University of Arkansas receiver Treylon Burks, the Titans’ rookie first-round pick, had the best game of his young career with seven catches for 111 yards.

Tannehill’s TD passes were a 14-yarder to Dontrell Hilliard and a 16-yarder to Hooper. The latter was the Titans’ first fourth-quarter touchdown of the season.

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