Cowboys cough up early lead, fall 28-14 to Titans to drop to 3-5 on the season.
Cooper scores TD, but game turns on pick celebrated like T.O. on logo
ARLINGTON — Kevin Byard secured the interception that sparked the sluggish Tennessee Titans and turned toward midfield.
The flashback for the Dallas Cowboys was just as disheartening as the original.
Byard mimicked Terrell Owens' mocking celebration on the star logo at the 50-yard line from 18 years ago, Marcus Mariota accounted for three touchdowns and the Titans spoiled Amari Cooper's Dallas debut with a 28-14 victory on Monday night.
The end-zone pick of Dak Prescott came after Mariota fumbled on the first two Tennessee possessions. Just as T.O. did at old Texas Stadium 18 years ago, Byard ran to midfield, under the huge videoboard at spacious AT&T Stadium, and spread his arms.
Owens did it twice in a blowout San Francisco win over a bad Dallas team that time. This win by the Titans (4-4) ended their threegame losing streak while handing the Cowboys (3-5) their first loss in four home games and making their road to the playoffs a difficult one.
“It was huge,” Mariota said of Byard, while adding that he didn't see the celebration. “The defense has done an unbelievable job throughout the year in building us up. They found ways to give us plays, to get turnovers.”
The Cowboys looked like the team headed for a blowout win, but led just 7-0 after Mariota's early miscues because of Brett Maher's missed 38-yard field goal on the opening possession and Prescott's ill-advised throw into double coverage.
“That was the difference. Simple as that,” said Prescott, who lost a fumble at his 40-yard line to set up Tennessee's tiebreaking score in the third quarter. “Defense gives a turnover there. We're up seven points and I go down there and try to force the ball and give it right back to them.”
Cooper scored the first Dallas touchdown after DeMarcus Lawrence stripped the ball from Mariota. The two-time Pro Bowl receiver finished with five catches for 58 yards after coming over from Oakland in a trade for a first-round pick during the open week.
Mariota broke a 14-14 tie in the third quarter when he pulled the ball out of Lewis' gut at the last second and delivered a 7-yard shovel pass to Jonnu Smith to put the Titans ahead for good. Mariota's 9-yard scoring run all but sealed things with 4:38 to go.
Mariota was 21-of-29 for 240 yards without an interception and had 32 yards rushing.