Patriots beat Titans 35-14 to head back to AFC title game

By KYLE HIGHTOWER
AP Sports Writer

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) – First, the Patriots tuned out a week full of off-field drama. Then, they silenced the Titans to earn yet another trip to the AFC championship game.

Tom Brady passed for three touchdowns and 337 yards, and New England cruised past Tennessee 35-14 on Saturday night to advance to their seventh consecutive conference title game.

New England (14-3) will host the winner of Sunday's divisional matchup between Jacksonville and Pittsburgh.

It was Brady's 10th career postseason game with at least three TD tosses, moving him past Joe Montana for the most in NFL history. James White caught a touchdown pass and ran for another, and Danny Amendola had 11 catches for 112 yards.

New England's victory came on the heels of a week filled with turmoil following reports of discord involving Brady, coach Bill Belichick and team owner Robert Kraft.

None of that showed on the field Saturday.

"I've been around long enough," Brady said. "So, 18 years, there's so many nice things said about me. It just goes with the territory."

The Titans (10-8) took an early 7-0 lead, but New England scored 35 straight points to take control.

Marcus Mariota completed 22 of 37 passes for 254 yards and two touchdowns, but was under duress for most of the second half. He was sacked eight times, a Patriots playoff record.

Coach Mike Mularkey said after the game his quarterback strained a quadriceps in the first quarter.

"It had an impact," Mularkey said. "We had to get out of some of our scheme with him."

New England also held Derrick Henry to just 28 yards rushing on 12 carries.

The Titans came back from an 18-point deficit in the second half to beat the Chiefs 22-21 in the wild-card round last week - the largest comeback on the road in the Super Bowl era. But the Patriots didn't give them a chance for an encore.

Leading 14-7, the Patriots stretched their lead to 14 just before halftime thanks to a trio of careless penalties on the Titans.

Tennessee initially forced a three-and-out, but gave up a first down via a fourth-and-5 neutral zone infraction on Brynden Trawick before New England's punt attempt.

Armed with a new set of downs, Brady went to work moving the Patriots down the field with a steady diet of short passes. The Titans helped along the way with illegal contact and unnecessary roughness penalties. It eventually culminated in a 4-yard TD pass from Brady to Chris Hogan in the back of the end zone that made it 21-7.

Brady threw a short shovel pass to White, who ran it in from the 5-yard line to make it 7-7 early in the second quarter.

The Patriots appeared to have a touchdown three plays earlier, when Dion Lewis caught a pass from Brady and was tackled by Wesley Woodyard at the 19. Lewis landed on top of the defender, then got up and continued to the end zone.

The officials initially ruled that he had never been down and called it a touchdown. But replays showed Lewis' butt hit the ground at the 19.

Corey Davis made a one-handed catch on a 15-yard pass from Mariota in the corner of the end zone to give the Titans a 7-0 lead. Mariota had a pair of 11-yard runs to help set up the score.

Davis added an 11-yard TD reception with 1:55 left in the game - and the Titans' season.

INJURIES

Titans: Right tackle Jack Conklin walked off on his own power after injuring a knee in the first quarter. He did not return. ... Tight end Jonnu Smith was carted off in the third quarter with a right leg injury.

Patriots: Right tackle LaAdrian Waddle left with a knee injury early in the third quarter. ... Cornerback Jonathan Jones was helped off the field late in the fourth quarter.

UNFORCED ERRORS

The Titans had 85 penalties in the regular season - the second-fewest in the NFL.

They were flagged 10 times for 62 yards on Saturday, just the second time they had 10 or more this season.

MOVING ON UP

Gronkowski finished with six catches for 81 yards and touchdown. It was his 10th career postseason TD. He's tied with five others for third all-time. But it's the most for a tight end.

Gronk also moved into second all-time for a tight end with 835 postseason receiving yards. He passed Keith Jackson, and only Dallas Clark is ahead of him.

UP NEXT

The Patriots will play the winner of Sunday's matchup between the Jaguars and Steelers in the AFC championship game.

Titans rally from 21-3 hole, beat Chiefs 22-21 in playoffs

By DAVE SKRETTA
Associated Press

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Marcus Mariota did everything he could to help the Titans advance in the playoffs, throwing a crazy touchdown pass to himself , running for crucial first downs and providing the kind of spark that Tennessee needed to rally from a 21-3 halftime hole.

Heck, he even threw a crucial block on the run that clinched the game.

It all added up to a heart-stopping 22-21 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday, the first postseason win for the Titans in 14 years and one that will provide some relief — for the week, at least — for embattled coach Mike Mularkey and his remarkable bunch of underdogs.

“Special,” said Mariota, whose 205 yards passing included the go-ahead 22-yard strike to Eric Decker with six minutes left. “I’m part of a great team. I’m part of a group of guys that really believe in each other. And it’s something special.”

Now, the Titans will find out Sunday whether they’re headed to New England or Pittsburgh next.

Derrick Henry added a career-high 156 yards rushing and another score for Tennessee (10-7), while a defense fileted by Alex Smith and the Chiefs (10-7) in the first half pitched a shutout in the second half — dooming the Kansas City franchise to another humiliating postseason defeat.

The Chiefs haven’t won a home playoff game since January 1994.

“I’m in shock,” Smith said. “The swing at halftime to the final whistle, definitely a shock. Yeah. Didn’t feel like we played up to how we’re capable of playing and that’s disappointing.

Smith threw for 264 yards and two touchdowns , but most of that came before halftime. He couldn’t get going in the second half and misfired on fourth-and-9 at the Titans 44 with just over two minutes to go, denying the Chiefs a chance for Harrison Butker to kick a go-ahead field goal.

Adding to the depression? Henry appeared to fumble as Tennessee tried to run out the clock.

The Chiefs’ Derrick Johnson picked up the ball and returned it for a touchdown with 1:47 to go, and the crowd went wild as fireworks shot off over Arrowhead Stadium. But a replay clearly showed Henry down, the call was overturned and Tennessee succeeded in running out the clock. Mariota threw a block that helped spring Henry for a 22-yard gain on third-and 10 late that helped finish off the comeback.

“Grit. It’s just grit,” Henry said. “We told them we’ve got 30 minutes left, all we’ve got to do is play our game. Execute the plays and everything will take care of itself.”

In the first half, the Chiefs looked every bit the team that had won four straight in convincing fashion, and the Titans looked every bit the team that backed into the playoffs.

Kareem Hunt, the league’s top rusher this season , plunged in from 1 yard for a 7-0 lead. Smith hit Travis Kelce, who later left with a concussion, with a 13-yard touchdown pass. And he added another TD toss to Demarcus Robinson on the final offensive play for a 21-3 lead at the break.

“We were feeling good,” Johnson said. “We came in 21-3 and that’s all we were talking about: ‘Finish. Don’t get complacent. We have bigger goals than this game.’”

But it was the Titans who finished, and it was Mariota who led the way. He capped a 91-yard TD drive to start the second half in the bizarre fashions: Mariota threw a TD pass to himself.

His throw to the end zone was batted right back at him by Darrelle Revis, and Mariota hauled it in and dived for the goal line. It was the first time a player has thrown a TD pass to himself in the playoffs, and the first time in any game since the Vikings’ Brad Johnson during the 1997 season.

“Right place, right time,” Mariota said with a smile.

Tennessee nearly squandered its momentum when Adoree Jackson fumbled a punt, but the Chiefs were unable to pick up a first down and Butker knocked a 48-yard field goal off the upright. And the Titans capitalized when Henry rumbled nearly untouched 35 yards for a touchdown a few minutes later.

The Chiefs’ offense had been rendered impotent by that point, unable to move the ball after Kelce left with a concussion in the first half. And the Titans blanketed Tyreek Hill whenever he touched the ball, and they stacked the box to slow Hunt down in obvious rushing situations.

Finally, the Titans pulled ahead on Mariota’s strike to Decker, and that led to more controversy from the officials. Tennessee went for a 2-point conversion and a field-goal edge, Mariota fumbled as he was getting sacked and Frank Zombo scooped up the ball for two points the other way.

But the officials had blown the play dead, ruling Mariota’s progress had been stopped, and the Titans retained the slimmest of margins — one that would stand up to the final whistle.

“I feel really good around our football team,” Mularkey said. “I know what I’m going to get from them every week. That’s a good feeling, knowing how they’re going to come out, no matter what.”

OFFICIAL COMPLAINTS

The Chiefs also complained about the officials blowing their whistles on a play late in the first half, when Mariota fumbled while getting sacked. He clearly lost the ball and the Chiefs picked it up, but the play could not be reviewed. Tennessee wound up kicking a field goal.

RECORD RALLY

Only two other road teams have rallied from at least 18 down to win a playoff game in NFL history. The Cowboys came back from 21-3 in the first half to beat the 49ers 30-28 in December 1972, and the Lions came back from 27-7 in the second half to beat the 49ers in December 1957.

KELCE HURT

Kelce sustained his concussion on a wicked blow from Titans S Johnathan Cyprien late in the first half. Kelce, who had four catches for 66 yards, lay stunned on the turf for a moment before wobbling to his feet. Trainers quickly took him to the locker room and he did not return.

UP NEXT

The Titans’ opponent in the divisional round will be decided Sunday. If the Jaguars beat the Bills in their wild-card matchup, Tennessee heads to New England to face the No. 1 seed. If Buffalo wins, the Titans head to face No. 2 seed Pittsburgh.

___

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Rams clinch 1st NFC West title since '03, beat Titans 27-23

By TERESA M. WALKER
AP Pro Football Writer

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – The Los Angeles Rams and first-year coach Sean McVay saved the real celebration for the locker room.

That's where McVay, the youngest coach in modern NFL history, channeled wrestler Ric Flair after the Rams clinched the franchise's first NFC West title since 2003 by beating the Tennessee Titans 27-23 on Sunday.

"When you find a way to come on the road and finish up your road record 7-1 and win a division title, there's only one thing you can say. Woooo! One more: Woooo!" McVay said before giving the Rams off until Wednesday.

Los Angeles trailed 23-20 before Jared Goff threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to Cooper Kupp with 11:41 left. The Rams (11-4), who came in needing a win or a loss by Seattle to secure the division, took care of business themselves, with Todd Gurley II and Goff leading the way again.

Gurley bolstered his argument for NFL MVP with 118 yards rushing and 158 yards receiving with two TDs, including a screen he took 80 yards for the longest reception of his career. He became only the third in NFL history to put together such a performance in the same game, joining Ollie Matson (1954) and Herschel Walker (1986). Goff finished with four touchdowns and 301 yards passing.

"He is in my book," Goff said, vouching for Gurley for MVP. "If there's anyone out there that's a running back that deserves it, he's the guy."

The Titans (8-7) lost their third straight game, damaging their chances of ending their own playoff drought stretching to 2008. The loss handed the AFC South title to the Jaguars, and Tennessee hosts Jacksonville in the regular-season finale needing a win to reach the postseason.

"We still have an opportunity to get into the playoffs, and that is the next objective," coach Mike Mularkey said.

The Titans had the ball and a chance to win late in the game. On fourth-and-4 at the Rams 44, Marcus Mariota rolled right and chucked the ball incomplete under pressure from Connor Barwin.

The Rams ran out the final 1:35 for their second straight victory and fourth in five games.

OFFENSIVE STRUGGLES

The Titans' penchant for settling for field goals was costly once again. They had four trips inside the Rams 20 and scored only one offensive TD on DeMarco Murray's 6-yard run. Ryan Succop kicked three field goals and missed a 45-yarder wide right. Linebacker Wesley Woodyard scored Tennessee's first defensive TD of the season on a 4-yard fumble return.

MISSING ZUERLEIN

Greg Zuerlein was placed on injured reserve Wednesday, and the Rams really missed their Pro Bowl kicker. Instead of letting Sam Ficken kick with Los Angeles at the Titans 32 on their opening drive, the Rams picked up a delay of game penalty the Titans declined. Then punter Johnny Hekker's pass intended for Michael Thomas was batted down. Ficken also missed his first point after attempt.

When the Rams turned first-and-goal at the Titans 7 into fourth-and-18, McVay sent Ficken out for a 36-yard field-goal try. The kick bounced off the right upright no good.

ONSIDE CONFUSION

It looked as if the Rams benefited from a confusing sequence in the third quarter. After Murray scored on a 6-yard run, the Titans recovered an onside kick. Succop said the official signaled live ball, so he tried the onside kick to steal a possession. But officials threw a flag, and referee Walt Anderson announced the Rams took their first timeout just before kickoff. Then he announced there was no timeout because the ball had not been put in play. Then he said, "First down." The Titans kicked deep on the next try.

MORE TURNOVERS

The Rams forced a turnover on the opening drive for the eighth time this season. Linebacker Cory Littleton, starting with Mark Barron scratched, intercepted Mariota on the Titans' second play from scrimmage.

INJURIES

Rams left guard Rodger Saffold hurt his ribs late in the game, and Rams safety Marqui Christian hurt a shoulder.

Murray was helped to the sideline with 2:23 left with an injured right knee. Mularkey said Murray will have an MRI exam, but it doesn't look good.

UP NEXT

Rams: Host 49ers on Sunday.

Titans: Host Jaguars on Sunday.

( Corrects Safford to Saffold)

Gould, Garoppolo guide 49ers past Titans at gun

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- There are few things the San Francisco 49ers do better than most NFL teams. Kicking field goals is one of them.

So when the playoff-contending Tennessee Titans got into a soccer-style shootout with Robbie Gould on Sunday afternoon, it turned out to be a critical mistake.

Gould's career-best sixth field goal of the day, a 45-yarder on the final play of the game, allowed the 49ers to overtake the Titans 25-23, handing Tennessee a damaging defeat.

The Titans (8-6), who were tied for the AFC South lead two weeks ago on the eve of road contests against the bottom two in the NFC West, now find themselves two games behind Jacksonville (10-4). To keep its division-title hopes alive, Tennessee needs the 49ers to win a fourth straight game next week against the Jaguars.

"To lose to two sorry teams like that, I'm at a loss for words," Titans defensive tackle Jurrell Casey said of the 49ers and Arizona Cardinals, who beat Tennessee 12-7 last week.

The defeat also dropped the Titans into a tie with Buffalo (8-6) and Baltimore (8-6) for the two AFC wild-card positions.

Gould's 20th consecutive successful field goal came 67 seconds after Ryan Succop nailed a 50-yarder to give the Titans a 23-22 lead.

The win was the third in a row for the 49ers (4-10) since promoting Jimmy Garoppolo to starting quarterback. The ex-New England Patriot passed for a career-best 381 yards and a second-quarter touchdown to tight end Garrett Celek.

"Obviously the guys believe in Jimmy," 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said. "But they all believe in each other, too."

Gould accounted for all the San Francisco scoring other than Garoppolo's touchdown pass. His field goals came from 38, 48, 28, 50, 48 and 45 yards.

"We talked a few weeks ago about making a run," said Gould, whose team began the season 0-9 and 1-10 before Garoppolo took over at quarterback. "We're coming together as a team. I think you're starting to see that."

Wide receiver Marquise Goodwin had 10 catches for 114 yards for the 49ers, who won at home for just the second time this season.

Succop went 3-for-3 on field goal attempts and Marcus Mariota threw for 241 and two touchdowns for the Titans, who were playing their final road game of the season.

Mariota fired TD passes to tight end Delanie Walker and wide receiver Rishard Matthews as the Titans rallied from a 16-3 deficit to take 20-16 and 23-22 leads in the fourth quarter.

However, down 22-20 with 1:20 to go and with a chance to get a key first down on third-and-2 that could have set up their own shot at a game-winning kick, the Titans elected to run DeMarco Murray up the middle.

He was stopped for no gain, and while Succop followed with a go-ahead kick, the 49ers were left with enough time to respond.

"I thought he would cram it in there and get 2 yards," said Mariota, who blamed himself for not changing the play at the line of scrimmage.

Said Titans coach Mike Mularkey, "We didn't want to take a sack. Felt like we had a good play call based on the fronts we were getting. Obviously, they stopped us, but (we) certainly didn't want to lose any yards."

Matthews finished with 95 receiving yards on six catches for the Titans, who were outgained 414-328 by the 49ers.

Succop's field goals came from 40, 31 and 50 yards.

Gould's fifth field goal gave the 49ers a 22-20 lead with 3:08 to play. It capped a 49ers drive that began with a 54-yard pass from Garoppolo to rookie Kendrick Bourne and nearly ended when Trent Taylor fumbled into the end zone after catching a pass.

Offensive guard Laken Tomlinson saved the game for the 49ers when he recovered in the end zone, and even though the score was negated by an offensive pass-interference penalty, San Francisco retained possession, allowing Gould to get a shot at a go-ahead field goal.

Mariota then drove the Titans to their go-ahead score with 1:07 left. However, Tennessee left just enough time for Garoppolo to complete three consecutive passes for 45 yards, positioning Gould in a familiar spot.

"One of my favorite looks," he said. "I get that a lot in practice."

The Titans trailed 16-3 in the second quarter and 16-10 at halftime, but they marched down the field for scores on each of their first two drives of the second half. Tennessee took its first lead of the game on Mariota's second TD pass of the day, an 8-yarder to Matthews with 13:31 left in the game.

The 49ers then drove to the Tennessee 16 on their next possession, but Garoppolo lost 6 yards when he caught his own pass that had been deflected and another 10 when sacked on third down by Titans linebacker Wesley Woodyard.

They had to settle for Gould's fourth field goal of the game, a 50-yarder that cut Tennessee's lead to 20-19 with 8:27 to go.

The 49ers dominated the first 28 1/2 minutes, building a 16-3 lead on the strength of Garoppolo's 18-for-26, 189-yard first half.

However, three of San Francisco's four scoring drives resulted only in field goals, allowing the Titans to stay within striking distance.

The Titans, limited to 57 yards to that point, went 79 yards in just six plays in their rally-igniting drive to Walker's 4-yard touchdown catch that made it a 16-10 game at halftime.

NOTES: Tennessee (8-6) hosts Jacksonville (10-4) on the final weekend of the regular season. ... San Francisco PK Robbie Gould had made five field goals in a game twice previously in his career, both coming earlier this season (vs. Arizona and Chicago). ... Gould became the third NFL kicker to make six field goals in a game this season, joining Minnesota's Kai Forbath and the Los Angeles Rams' Greg Zuerlein. ... The record for field goals in a game, coincidentally, is held by a Titan -- PK Rob Bironas, who made eight at Houston in 2007. ... Niners QB Jimmy Garoppolo had to change helmets during the first drive of the game because of communication issues. The 49ers had to use a timeout just two plays into the game because of the problem.

Dawson boots Cardinals past Titans

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Phil Dawson kicked four field goals and the Arizona Cardinals intercepted Marcus Mariota twice in outlasting the Tennessee Titans 12-7 on Sunday.

Arizona (6-7) got two field goals from Dawson in the fourth quarter, the last from 35 yards out with 3:45 left to play. The kick came after Mariota's second interception of the game, as linebacker Josh Bynes picked off the pass over the middle.

"I know what everybody is going to say -- 'It's an ugly win,'" Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians said. "There is no such thing. I couldn't be prouder of the character of the men in that locker room. We've never lost two in a row at home in five years, and very seldom have we lost two in a row because of the character that's in that room."

Dawson's 32-yard field goal with 5:59 remaining gave the Cardinals their first lead of the game at 9-7.

The Titans (8-5) had their two-game winning streak snapped and, with it, they fell to second place in the AFC South behind Jacksonville (9-4), which beat Seattle on Sunday.

Mariota was 16 of 31 for 159 yards with no touchdowns and the two interceptions. He injured his knee during a first-half run, and although it wasn't enough to knock him out of the game, it may have played a part in his ineffectiveness.

"Frustration is an understatement," Mariota said of his performance overall. "Defense played lights out. Special teams did their job. And I've been hurting our team. I've got to find ways to get better."

The Titans also lost left tackle Taylor Lewan in the first half to a back injury. He said he woke up with stiffness in his back and that it tightened up on him during the game.

Cardinals quarterback Blaine Gabbert was 17 of 26 for 178 yards with no touchdowns and no picks. He is now 2-2 as Arizona's starter since moving up the depth chart because of injuries to Carson Palmer and Drew Stanton.

The Titans sacked Gabbert eight times for 53 yards.

"Some of those were my fault," Gabbert said, adding when asked how his body feels, "I feel great. Everything feels better when you get a win."

The Cardinals held the Titans' two-pronged rushing attack of DeMarco Murray and Derrick Henry to 54 total yards. Murray rushed 11 times for 34 yards while Henry had eight carries for 20 yards and a touchdown.

"We were definitely sound, defensively," Bynes said. "We were prepared for whatever they threw at us and once we got the gist of what they were trying to throw at us, everyone locked in and communicated so well. Everyone did their jobs today and communicated."

The Cardinals had a chance to take the lead following a Tramon Williams interception of a Mariota pass with less than two minutes remaining in the third quarter. The Cardinals drove the ball to the Tennessee 22 and set up for a field-goal attempt that would have given them a 9-7 lead.

However, Dawson's 40-yarder was wide right. It was his eighth missed field goal of the season, tying his career high when he also missed eight in 2006 while with the Cleveland Browns.

"It's inexcusable, but he made the next two," Arians said.

Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald caught five passes for 44 yards. With his 23-yard reception early in the third quarter, Fitzgerald surpassed Randy Moss (15,292) for third place on the NFL's all-time receiving yards list. Fitzgerald now has 15,311 career yards, behind only Terrell Owens (15,934) and Jerry Rice (22,895).

Trailing 7-3 midway through the third quarter, the Cardinals caught a break when the Titans faked a punt on fourth-and-1 from their own 35-yard line. Eric Weems took the direct snap and charged up the middle for what initially was ruled a first down.

Arians challenged the call on the field, and after a review and subsequent re-measure, the first down was overruled and the Cardinals got the ball back on downs.

Arizona moved to the Titans 3-yard line, but Kerwynn Williams was stuffed for a 2-yard loss and the Cardinals were forced to settle for a 23-yard field goal from Dawson.

Titans head coach Mike Mularkey said the punt fake wasn't executed correctly.

"No, it wasn't. You know what, we should have got it," he said. "I thought we had it. Both officials had the mark as a first down. I was standing right between them. I don't know how it got overturned."

Dawson connected on a 47-yard field goal earlier in the third quarter, capping a nine-play, 48-yard drive to open the second half.

Both teams struggled to get their offenses moving in the first half. The Cardinals punted on all five of their possessions, the Titans on each of their first three.

A 33-yard punt by Arizona's Andy Lee put Tennessee in decent field position early in the second quarter. The Titans then went 50 yards on nine plays, getting a 6-yard touchdown run from Henry for the only scoring in the half.

Tennessee (89) and Arizona (48) combined for just 137 total net yards through the first two quarters. The teams combined for just 44 rushing yards -- 31 by the Titans and 13 by the Cardinals.

Tennessee had a chance to tack onto its 7-0 lead right before halftime as Mariota completed four passes for 44 yards to move the ball to the Cardinals' 40-yard line. Ryan Succop, however, missed a 58-yard field goal with no time left on the clock. The kick was short, hitting the crossbar.

NOTES: The Titans were without LB Derrick Morgan (knee), who is leading the team in sacks with 7.5. ... WR John Brown missed his third straight game for the Cardinals because of a toe injury. ... The Titans are staying in the Phoenix area all week before flying to northern California next weekend to play the 49ers for their last road game of the regular season. ... With a 1-yard catch during Arizona's first possession of the game, Fitzgerald extended his streak of consecutive games with a reception to 208, which is three games shy of the second-longest streak in NFL history, held by Tony Gonzalez. Jerry Rice is first with a catch in 274 straight games.

Titans rally to beat Colts 20-16, snap losing streak at Indy

By MICHAEL MAROT
Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — DeMarco Murray and Derrick Henry took it personally when Tennessee started slowly Sunday.

The two running backs made sure they finished with a flurry.

Henry delivered the body blows with five strong runs midway through the fourth quarter and Murray finally punched it in from 1 yard with 5:59 left, giving the Titans a 20-16 win and their first victory in 10 tries at Lucas Oil Stadium.

"Derrick came in and made some good runs," Marcus Mariota said. "When you have a front like we do and you can lean on those guys, it's huge. Their abilities and the way they can dominate the line of scrimmage is huge."

This was far from a dominant performance, though.

The Titans (7-4) finished with 276 total yards, and the first half was a debacle.

Mariota was picked off twice, the league's No. 12 rushing offense produced 9 yards on 11 carries, and all Tennessee could muster was two field goals.

During a 30-minute stretch, from late in the first quarter till late in the third, the Titans managed just one first down. And for the second straight game against the Colts (3-8), Tennessee trailed by 10 in the third quarter.

But the defense came up with eight sacks, the key fumble recovery late in the third quarter and kept it close enough to let the Murray-Henry combination to make a difference late.

All those shots eventually wore down Indy's defense — as it did six weeks earlier in Nashville when the Titans snapped an 11-game losing streak in the series.

This time, Tennessee got its first season sweep since 2002 and its first win since the Colts' stadium opened in 2008 . And now they have their best 11-game record since going 10-1 in 2008, a share of the AFC South lead with Jacksonville, and the current tiebreaker courtesy of a 37-16 road win over the Jaguars in Week 2.

"They did an outstanding job of stuffing us," coach Mike Mularkey said, referring to the Colts' run defense. "We came in at halftime and made some adjustments. The guys took it personally that we didn't run the ball very well and it helped win the game for us."

The Colts have lost three straight at home and five of six overall in frustratingly familiar fashion.

They took a 13-6 lead on Frank Gore's 14-yard run late in the first half and extended the lead to 16-6 on Adam Vinatieri's 42-yard field goal with 6:05 left in the third.

Then things slipped away.

Rookie running back Marlon Mack lost the ball on a pitch and Kevin Byard recovered the ball at the Colts' 4-yard line. After an offside penalty moved the ball to the 2, Mariota connected with Delanie Walker in the corner of the end zone to cut the deficit to 16-13 with 1:50 left.

Indy only picked up only one more first down.

"These are 60-minute ballgames. They are not 30 minutes; they are not 45 minutes. They are 60-minute games," coach Chuck Pagano said. "Plenty of opportunities to put that team away, we didn't take advantage of those opportunities."

Instead Murray and Henry handled the ball on 13 of the Titans' last 15 plays, including the TD run, before Mariota dropped to his knee three straight times to close it out.

KEY NUMBERS

Titans: Tennessee ran 28 times for 92 yards. ... Mariota was 17 of 25 for 184 yards with one TD. ... The Titans came up one sack short of matching the franchise record, which had been achieved twice previously, most recently in 1971 against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Colts: Frank Gore ran 17 times for 62 yards and one touchdown, the 77th of his career to tie Tony Dorsett for No. 22 on the league's career list. ... Tight end Jack Doyle had seven catches for 94 yards. ... The Colts have blown double-digit second-half leads four times this season. ... Indy has allowed 47 sacks this season, three more than it gave up all of last season.

INJURIES

Titans: Receiver Rishard Mathews missed the game with a hamstring injury. Walker, left tackle Taylor Lewan and linebacker Jayon Brown all left briefly but returned. Safety Da'Norris Searcy hurt his ankle in the second half and did not return. Mularkey said he believes it's not serious.

Colts: Cornerback Rashaan Melvin left after injuring his hand on the first Mariota interception and did not return after having an X-ray. Starting center Ryan Kelly was held out in the second half because of a concussion.

THEY SAID IT

Titans: "If you want to win the division, you have to win the division games, especially on the road," Mularkey said.

Colts: "I just took my eye off the ball," Mack said of the fumble. "I should have just locked in and squeezed it in tight."

UP NEXT

Titans: Continue their AFC march by hosting Houston next Sunday.

Colts: Can even the season series at Jacksonville next Sunday.

Titans come off bye, win 3rd straight beating Ravens 23-20

By TERESA M. WALKER
Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Tennessee Titans are interested only in stacking victories right now.

Reaching the halfway point tied atop the AFC South means they have time to fix what they must do better.

Marcus Mariota threw for 218 yards and two touchdowns, and the Titans beat the Baltimore Ravens 23-20 Sunday for their third straight victory.

"There's no question that we have still a lot of work to do," Titans coach Mike Mularkey said. "There's no question about that in a lot of areas. But if we can find a way at whatever time in the game to make a play to win the game, that's all that matters."

Derrick Henry ran for a 1-yard TD. Safety Kevin Byard also intercepted two passes , giving the second-year pro five picks over his past two games and tying him for the most interceptions in consecutive games since NFL's 1970 merger. He's the first with that many since DeAngelo Hall in 2010 for Washington.

The Titans (5-3) also sacked Joe Flacco twice and scored 13 points off Byard's first interception and a shanked punt.

The Ravens (4-5) have lost three of four going into their bye despite outgaining Tennessee 341-257.

"We've been beat up all year, so this will be a good chance to hopefully get healthy and get some guys back," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. "We were hoping to win this game to get some momentum going into the bye and come out healthy. We've got to get on a roll."

Flacco tried to rally the Ravens with two TD passes in the final 8:56, the last a 1-yard pass to Mike Wallace with 46 seconds left pulling Baltimore within 23-20.

But Justin Tucker's onside kick attempt didn't travel 10 yards, skittering almost sideways off the tee before being recovered by Titans linebacker Daren Bates.

Eric Weddle started the rally by picking off Mariota's overthrown pass for a Baltimore defense that came in with an NFL-best 12 interceptions. Flacco hit Javorius Allen with a 3-yard TD pass with 8:56 left to pull the Ravens within 16-13.

The Titans answered with a 75-yard drive Mariota capped with an 11-yard TD pass to Eric Decker with 3:58 left for the winning TD with the veteran wide receiver breaking loose after seeing other options bottled up by the Ravens.

"It was kind of a vet-savvy move," Mariota said.

REVVED UP OFFENSE

The Titans had their best opening quarter and led 10-3. Mariota threw his first TD pass inside an opponent's 20 of the season on a 16-yarder to Rishard Matthews , and it also was the Titans' first TD in the first quarter since the season opener. The Titans finished with touchdowns on all three drives inside the Ravens 20.

INJURIES

Titans running back DeMarco Murray finally got off the injury report this week, but he hurt a knee in the second quarter. He returned and finished with 19 yards on nine carries.

Ravens left tackle Ronnie Stanley hurt a shoulder at 8:17 of the third quarter, and he was replaced by left guard James Hurst. Luke Bowanko took over at left guard. Stanley returned in the fourth quarter, but he threw up with 51 seconds left as he walked to the line of scrimmage. He went to the sideline, and Harbaugh did not have an update after the game.

SNEAKY

The Titans finally used cornerback Adoree Jackson on offense for the first time this season on their opening drive. He went up the middle for a 20-yard gain on a handoff. But Matthew Judon sacked Mariota on third down, forcing the Titans to settle for a field goal.

The Ravens answered on the next drive with a fake punt, and punter Sam Koch hit Chris Moore for 16 yards on fourth-and-7. Titans cornerback Brice McCain was flagged for a facemask with Moore's helmet coming off to reach the Tennessee 13. But the Ravens settled for a field goal.

"We need to be better," Flacco said. "It's as simple as that."

UP NEXT

Ravens: Bye week.

Titans: Host the Cincinnati Bengals.

Succop's kick in OT gives Titans ugly 12-9 win over Browns

By TOM WITHERS
Associated Press

CLEVELAND (AP) — When all else fails, the Tennessee Titans know they can turn to Ryan Succop.

On Sunday, Mr. Automatic came through again.

"That guy's money," Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota said.

Succop's fourth field goal — a 47-yarder with 1:55 left in overtime — extended his NFL record for makes inside 50 yards to 55 straight and sent the Titans to an ugly 12-9 win on Sunday over the winless Cleveland Browns, who also lost durable Pro Bowl tackle Joe Thomas with a triceps injury.

Succop's clutch kick enabled the Titans (4-3) to get their second win in six days and kept them tied for first in the AFC South. Succop made five field goals in Monday night's win over Indianapolis, and then converted on kicks from 43, 23 and 46 yards before missing a 53-yarder with 8:44 left in the fourth quarter.

However, with the Titans and Browns headed toward a tie, Succop delivered.

"We're very fortunate to have him," Mariota said. "In these situations, he's done it time and time again. When you have a guy like that it's huge."

Browns rookie Zane Gonzalez forced overtime by kicking a season-long 54-yard field goal with 47 seconds left in regulation to tie it 9-9. Gonzalez added kicks of 31 and 47 yards.

But the Browns (0-7) committed 12 penalties and dropped to 1-22 in two seasons under coach Hue Jackson, whose future is becoming less certain. Cleveland's troubles worsened as Thomas, a 10-time Pro Bowler, missed his first play in 11 seasons.

Thomas went out with a triceps injury that snapped his streak of 10,363 consecutive offensive plays. The No. 3 pick in 2007 has been the lone bright spot over the past decade for Cleveland's franchise, and seeing him leave in distress added more pain for Cleveland fans at the end of their ropes.

Thomas will undergo an MRI on Monday and it's not known how long he may be sidelined.

"I'm definitely proud getting over that 10,000 milestone," Thomas said. "I knew it wasn't an infinity streak. I was enough of a realist to understand that. It was just a matter of time.

Tennessee safety Kevin Byard had three interceptions — two off rookie DeShone Kizer, who was benched in the second half by Jackson for Cody Kessler.

In overtime, Tennessee's Brian Orakpo and Derrick Morgan combined to sack Kessler inside the Cleveland 10.

The Titans took over near midfield and following a few short runs, Titans coach Mike Mularkey put the outcome on the foot of Succop, who pulled his initial attempt wide left as play stopped for the two-minute warning.

"We heard the whistle," Succop said. "I thought it was a timeout. I didn't know it was the two-minute warning. I wasn't necessarily trying to make it. I was just trying to see what the wind was doing."

But there was no doubt on his next kick, sending the Titans victoriously into their bye week.

"There's a big trust factor there," Mularkey said. "He came through when it counted."

Tennessee's offense sputtered all day as Mariota couldn't get anything going despite Cleveland missing two starters in the secondary. Mariota finished 21 of 34 for 203 yards.

Cleveland's quarterback issues remain paramount. Kizer started after a one-week benching because of turnovers. He threw two picks before Jackson had seen enough, pulling him for Kessler, who was inactive for the first six games after making eight starts last season as a rookie.

Kizer was 12 of 20 for 114 yards. Kessler 10 of 19 for 121.

Jackson defended his decision to sit Kizer, who has thrown 11 interceptions already.

"I can't worry about confidence," Jackson said. "You guys keep talking about confidence. We are in the business of winning games. This is a performance-based business. If you turn the football over in the National Football League, you cannot play. It is just that simple. Everybody keeps talking about confidence.

"I am not worried about confidence. I have 52 other guys in there to worry about their confidence and trying to win."

INJURIES

Titans: TE Delanie Walker was carted off the field early in overtime with a sprained right ankle following a 16-yard reception. He had seven receptions for 63 yards. ... G Quinton Spain was taken to the locker room in the second quarter with an unspecified injury. Brian Schwenke replaced him on the left side.

Browns: DT Trevor Coley (stinger) was hurt in the fourth quarter, but was cleared to return.

PENALTIES

Cleveland's long list of infractions included four false starts and an offside on the opening kickoff.

"We are undisciplined," Jackson said. "That is a direct reflection of me, and it disappoints me to no end."

BRITT'S ISSUES

Browns wide receiver Kenny Britt had two catches for 7 yards. He was sent home and fined last week for missing a curfew in Houston. After he failed to come up with a pass in OT, Britt stayed on the field and appeared hurt. Cleveland fans booed him when he got to his feet.

UP NEXT

Titans: Bye week before hosting Baltimore on Nov. 5.

Browns: In London to face the Minnesota Vikings.

Finally! Titans end 11-game skid to Colts with 36-22 win

By TERESA M. WALKER
Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — 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 snap an 11-game 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 win 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.

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.

QUOTABLE

"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."

NFL KICKING RECORD

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 straight field goals inside 50 yards between 2013 and 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.

PRIME-TIME UNITY

The Colts' team message got a prime-time audience with outside linebacker Jabaal Sheard wearing a black T-shirt with the message "We Will" over his jersey during the coin toss. On the back were the words "Stand For: Equality Justice Unity Respect Dialogue Opportunity."

The Colts have been wearing these T-shirts during pregame warmups for the last couple of weeks.

A handful of Titans, including defensive lineman Jurrell Casey, raised a fist into the air after the national anthem ended. Wide receiver Rishard Matthews stayed off the field during the anthem for a third straight game.

INJURIES

Titans linebacker Derrick Morgan strained an abdominal muscle. ... Colts cornerback Rashaan Melvin went to the sideline during an injury timeout in the second quarter but returned to the game. ... Colts running back Robert Turbin was escorted to the locker room after a catch and run for 9 yards with 2:30 left. Pagano said Turbin will get an MRI exam on his elbow.

CLEVELAND'S TURN

The Colts' 11-game win streak had been tied with Denver for the longest active streak in the NFL. Now Denver stands alone with its 11-game streak over Cleveland, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

UP NEXT

Colts: Host Jacksonville.

Titans: Visit winless Browns.

___

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___

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ACL fears for Vikings RB Cook; Mariota, Carr hurt in losses

Associated Press

Dalvin Cook limped off the field and the Minnesota Vikings fear he may not get back on it this season.

The Vikings lost their top running back Sunday to what could be a torn knee ligament, which would end his rookie year.

Tennessee and Oakland finished losses without their starting quarterbacks, and the Atlanta Falcons lost their two leading receivers, but the most serious injury was Cook's.

He had 13 carries for 66 yards and a touchdown before his knee buckled on a third-quarter run and he went down and fumbled. Cook was scheduled for an MRI to determine the extent of the damage, but he was on crutches afterward with a bulky brace on the knee.

"I told him he's not the first great running back to have an ACL, if it is one, and come back pretty good," coach Mike Zimmer said. "Dalvin will have a great career."

He was having a good first season, entering the week ranked second in the league in rushing. He has 354 yards on 74 carries and two touchdowns.

"Dalvin's a really explosive player, and he has such good big-play ability," Zimmer said. "So we'll have to look at things differently. But if you lose a guy like him, you lose a lot of firepower."

The Falcons lost plenty of it when Julio Jones left in the second quarter with a hip flexor injury. Mohamed Sanu was then ruled out with a hamstring injury in the third quarter, and the defending NFC champions lost for the first time this season when the Buffalo Bills beat them 23-17.

Coach Dan Quinn said Jones, who was limited during practice this week with a lower back injury, wanted to return but could not have played with his usual explosiveness.

Falcons left tackle Jake Matthews said losing the team's top two receivers was no excuse.

"We know we're good enough to score even if we're missing a couple guys," Matthews said.

The Bills lost safety Colt Anderson to an arm injury in the first quarter, along with linebacker Ramon Humber (thumb), receiver Jordan Matthews (thumb), and cornerback E.J. Gaines (groin).

Marcus Mariota had two rushing touchdowns — the first Titans quarterback to do that in a game since Steve McNair in 2003 — but injured his hamstring and didn't play after halftime of the Tennessee's 57-14 loss in Houston. He will have an MRI on Monday.

The Raiders didn't have Derek Carr to try to lead them back in Denver after he was shaken up on sack in the third quarter of their 16-10 loss. He was sacked by Shelby Harris and was hit by Adam Gotsis as he twisted awkwardly. Coach Jack Del Rio said Carr suffered from back spasms.

Seattle starting running back Chris Carson sustained a left leg injury late in the Seahawks' 46-18 home victory over Indianapolis in the night game. Trainers immediately placed an air cast on Carson's leg and he was carted off the field. Coach Pete Carroll said Carson's injury was significant.

Devin Funchess caught a touchdown pass in Carolina's 33-30 victory at New England, but limped off late in the fourth quarter. Safety Kurt Coleman left in the second quarter with a knee injury and receiver Damiere Byrd departed with a forearm injury. The Patriots' Eric Rowe and Elandon Roberts left with groin injuries.

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Watson accounts for 5 TDs as Texans down Titans 57-14

By KRISTIE RIEKEN
Associated Press

HOUSTON (AP) — After dealing with a revolving door at quarterback since he was drafted in 2013, Houston's DeAndre Hopkins couldn't hide his glee when asked what it felt like to be a part of the best offensive day in franchise history — thanks to another big game by rookie quarterback Deshaun Watson.

"It means a lot," Hopkins said Sunday after a 57-14 walloping of the Tennessee Titans. "You have to thank the organization for going out and moving up and getting a guy like Deshaun Watson. Taking that risk on moving up and trading draft picks to get a guy that they know can do this for this organization."

In his third NFL start, Watson threw for four touchdowns and ran for another as the Texans scored the most points in franchise history. Watson, the 12th pick in this year's draft, became the first rookie to throw four touchdown passes and run for another one since Fran Tarkenton in 1961 and tied an NFL record for most TDs by a rookie quarterback.

"Just growing with my confidence," Watson said. "Being able to operate and run this offense, making sure we're in the right plays and just bringing the energy and leadership to this team. And I try and do that each and every play, make sure we're in the right play and just kind of continue to grow from there."

The Texans (2-2) outdid their previous highest point total of 45 set in a victory over the Titans in 2014 and scored the most points in the NFL since Seattle scored 58 on Dec. 9, 2012 against Arizona.

The Texans rave about the confidence Watson brings to the huddle and believe his attitude is contagious.

"Just seeing your quarterback have that swagger and that demeanor to want to win and want to keep the ball going down the field, that gets everybody going," running back Lamar Miller said. "I know me and it makes me want to play even harder to get the win."

Houston's defense got things going when Andre Hal intercepted Marcus Mariota on the game's third play. It was the first of four interceptions for Houston's defense. Mariota, who became the first Titans quarterback with two rushing touchdowns in a game since Steve McNair in 2003, injured his hamstring and didn't play after halftime. Matt Cassel took over for the Titans (2-2) and threw for 21 yards with two interceptions.

Watson then led Houston's offense to touchdowns on three straight possessions for a 21-0 lead early in the second quarter. It was the first time since Oct. 19, 2008 that Houston scored a touchdown on each of its first three possessions.

The first score came on a 2-yard run by Miller. Watson then found Hopkins on an 8-yard pass before connecting with Will Fuller on a 16-yarder.

"We didn't do a very good job of stopping them defensively, but their quarterback played extremely well," Tennessee coach Mike Mularkey said. "I was thoroughly impressed with him ... a number of times, we had him on the run and he escaped or made great throws. We've got to do a better job."

Mariota had touchdown runs of 34 and 2 yards in the second quarter sandwiched around a field goal by Houston to cut the lead to 24-14. But Watson's 1-yard touchdown scamper pushed Houston's lead to 30-14 at halftime after the kick failed.

Watson was 25 of 34 for 283 yards. Mariota threw for 96 yards and ran for 39 before he was injured.

Watson found Fuller again in the third quarter on a 10-yard strike to make it 37-14. His fourth TD throw came early in the fourth quarter on an 8-yard pass to Miller.

Ka'imi Fairbairn made a 40-yard field goal to extend the lead to 47-14.

Rookie Dylan Cole added to the lead when he returned an interception 25 yards for a touchdown with about nine minutes remaining.

Hopkins finished with 10 receptions for 107 yards for his first 100-yard game this season and the 14th of his career.

Jadeveon Clowney sacked Cassel and forced a fumble later in the fourth quarter which the Texans recovered. Backup Tom Savage took over for Watson and the Texans added a 33-yard field goal.

INJURY UPDATE

Mularkey said they'll know more about Mariota's injury after he has an MRI on Monday. ... Houston receiver Tyler Ervin injured his knee in the first quarter and didn't return.

STAT WATCH

Houston's 445 yards were its most since 2014. ... The Texans' 33 first downs were the second most in franchise history. ... Houston's defense finished with five turnovers, its most since also getting five on Nov. 23, 2008 against Cleveland. ... The Texans tied a franchise record with four interceptions. It was the first time they'd had four in a game since Nov. 12, 2006 against Jacksonville.

UP NEXT

Titans: Visit the Dolphins next Sunday.

Texans: Host the Chiefs on Sunday night.

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Quarterbacks return for Raiders, Titans

Stats, LLC

(TSX / STATS) -- When the Oakland Raiders and Tennessee Titans open the season Sunday at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, it will be more than a game matching teams with high expectations.

It will also be a matchup of quarterbacks playing their first meaningful game since sustaining similar season-ending injuries on Christmas Eve.

In the third quarter of a stunning loss at Jacksonville that eliminated Tennessee from playoff contention, the Titans' Marcus Mariota fractured his fibula. Hours later, in the fourth quarter of a win over Indianapolis, Raiders quarterback David Carr crumpled to the turf in Oakland, his season done with a broken leg.

The Raiders' season was done as well. Although they clinched a playoff spot, they were anything but a playoff team after Carr's departure. The sight of third-string quarterback Connor Cook piloting a once-powerful offense in the wild-card round at Houston was enough to make one's eyes bleed.

But the return of Carr, who last year became only the fifth player in NFL history with 80 touchdown passes in his first three seasons, should make the Oakland offense explosive again.

"I think he's a great player, and it showed last season," Mariota said of Carr. "Guy is a great competitor. Makes all the throws, makes it look easy. I think he's one of the better throwers in the league."

The same could be said of Mariota. In 2016, Mariota became a more efficient passer, completing better than 61 percent of his attempts with a 26-9 touchdown-to-interception ratio. He also rushed for 349 yards and two scores.

While the Titans looked spotty for most of their preseason, Mariota fashioned a passer rating of 110.0, completing 20 of 32 attempts for 269 yards and a pair of touchdowns. His mobility did not appear compromised eight months after the injury.

"I've always followed his career, and I've always been a big fan of his," Carr said. "I was definitely praying for him and wishing him well."

Carr and Mariota have gotten pretty familiar with watching each other's work. This is the third straight season the teams will meet, all in Nashville. The Raiders will be going for the sweep after winning close games the past two years.

Oakland's 17-10 win in Week 3 last year was typical of its season: The Raiders didn't blow out a lot of opponents, but they were able to make key plays at the end of close games. They were 9-2 in games decided by one score and were 5-0 in games decided by three points or fewer.

Although there are concerns about the team's focus with a move to Las Vegas on the horizon, Raiders coach Jack Del Rio is eager to get the season going.

"I can't wait to watch our guys play," he said. "We've put a lot of time and effort into developing our guys. We recognize (the Titans) are a good football team, we're a good football team, and we need to go in there and battle."

Del Rio and Oakland might have to battle without their best defensive player. End Khalil Mack (knee) landed on the injury report Wednesday after not practicing. The Raiders listed 10 players on the report, including star wide receiver Amari Cooper (knee), who was limited at Wednesday's practice.

First-round draft pick Gareon Conley, a cornerback, was also limited in practice with a shin injury. The Raiders hope he will be able to play against a Tennessee receiving corps that appears to be beefed up by the addition of Eric Decker as well as rookies Taywan Taylor and Corey Davis.

However, the Titans' identity is their ground game. Using a philosophy that coach Mike Mularkey termed "extreme smashmouth" prior to last year, Tennessee pounded opponents with DeMarco Murray and Derrick Henry and a huge offensive line.

Murray rushed for 1,287 yards and nine touchdowns last season in a return to the form from his Dallas Cowboy glory days, while Henry added 490 yards and five scores in a decent rookie season.

In contrast to the Raiders' lengthy injury list, the Titans put only two names on the injury report Wednesday. But one of them was left tackle Taylor Lewan, who twisted his ankle during practice. Mularkey said he believes Lewan will play on Sunday.

The emotional Lewan, the guy Tennessee often runs behind, will see his fill of Mack on pass plays if Mack plays.

"They'll be matched up at some point," Mularkey said. "I don't know how many reps it will be, but it'll happen in this game."

Mariota returns; Jets top Titans 7-3 in preseason opener

By SIMMI BUTTAR
Associated Press

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Marcus Mariota got out on the field, ran a handful of plays and then watched the rest of the game from the sideline.

It was a nice, simple night for the franchise quarterback.

Mariota played in his first game since breaking his right leg late last season, easily the most important development for the Tennessee Titans in their 7-3 loss to the New York Jets on Saturday in the exhibition opener for each team.

"I enjoyed the moment," he said. "You kind of create those moments when you're going through the rehab process. You keep telling yourself 'This is what you're working for' and that's the way I approached it."

Mariota, who had 3,426 yards and 26 touchdowns in 2016 before his injury on Dec. 24, played two series in the first quarter.

"The recovery process was a long one," Mariota said. "To be able to be out there today with the guys, I enjoyed it."

On his first attempt, he scrambled to his right and completed a 15-yard pass to Rishard Matthews . He finished 2 of 3 for 15 yards.

"Instincts kind of took over," he said. "It felt good to get out of the pocket and make a play."

Unlike the Titans, the Jets' quarterback situation is more muddled. Well-traveled veteran Josh McCown got the start for New York. He was 3 of 4 for 72 yards and a touchdown in his one series, which was enough for the win because the Jets defense had eight sacks and was dominant throughout.

Christian Hackenberg, a second-round pick in 2016, took over for McCown and played until late in the third quarter. Hackenberg was 18 of 25 for 127 yards.

"He has some things to build off," Jets coach Todd Bowles said of Hackenberg. "He has some positives that we can look at and he can build from. He's got some negatives that we've got to correct. That's to be expected in the first game."

Bryce Petty, a fourth-round pick in 2015, finished up and was 2 of 6 for 16 yards.

Robby Anderson, an undrafted free agent who was trying to make the team a year ago, is the Jets' No. 1 receiver after Quincy Enunwa was lost for the season to a neck injury. He had three receptions for 71 yards.

Anderson made a nice 53-yard catch on the opening drive, which ended with McCown's 4-yard TD pass Charone Peake .

"It felt great to get in there with the guys," McCown said. "The O-line was excellent. Robby made a heckuva play. And we finished it off. Peake made a great catch."

Titans rookie receiver Taywan Taylor made a leaping a 42-yard catch in the third quarter. The drive ended with Ryan Succop's 36-yard field goal.

Titans running back Derrick Henry, the 2015 Heisman Trophy winner, had eight carries for 29 yards.

Alex Tanney replaced Mariota and was sacked by linebacker Julian Stanford on his first play and briefly left the game. He returned for the next series. Tanney was 10 of 26 for 128 yards with an interception and lost a fumble on a sack.

Former Jets wide receiver Eric Decker had no catches in his return to the Meadowlands. Decker was signed by the Titans in June after he was cut by the Jets in their salary purge.

N.Y. SACK EXCHANGE

Devon Still, Anthony Johnson, Josh Martin, Jordan Jenkins, Bruce Carter, Leonard Williams, Patrick Gamble and Stanford had sacks for the Jets. Martin also had a fumble recovery.

GETTING A LEG UP

Chandler Catanzaro and Ross Martin are competing for the Jets' kicking job. Catanzaro made a PAT, but was wide left on a 55-yard field goal attempt in the second quarter.

QUOTEABLE

"Well, that was not the way we wanted to start the preseason, obviously," Titans coach Mike Mularkey said. "But there were some good things defensively. Not offensively, even though we still had opportunities to win the game at the end."

OUT OF THE LINEUP

Titans: Running back DeMarco Murray (hamstring), wide receivers Corey Davis (hamstring) and Mekale McKay, cornerback Demontre Hurst, defensive lineman Karl Klug (ankle) all sat out.

Jets: Running backs Matt Forte (hamstring), Bilal Powell (neck) and linebacker Lorenzo Mauldin did not play.

UP NEXT

Titans: Host Carolina on Saturday.

Jets: At Detroit on Saturday.

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Titans waive OG Tretola five days after being shot

The Tennessee Titans waived offensive guard Sebastian Tretola on Friday, five days after he was shot in Arkansas.

Tretola suffered a gunshot wound in his leg/ankle area after being shot Sunday in Fayetteville, Ark., where he played for the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Tretola, a 2016 sixth-round pick who played in one game for the Titans as a rookie last season, was released from the hospital Sunday with what the team called "a minor injury." He was waived with a non-football injury designation.

Tretola and Titans receiver Tajae Sharpe were accused of assaulting a man outside a Nashville bar in April. Neither player has been charged and the case is being investigated as a civil matter.

The Titans also officially announced the addition of linebacker Erik Walden as rookies and veterans reported to training camp Friday. Practice begins Saturday at Saint Thomas Sports Park in Nashville.

The 6-foot-2, 250-pound Walden, who turns 32 in August, is a nine-year veteran coming off the best season of his career in 2016 with the Indianapolis Colts. He recorded a career-high 11 sacks and forced three fumbles last season while starting all 16 games. Walden has 32 career sacks and 320 total tackles.

In addition, the Titans signed rookie offensive lineman Jake Simonich and released linebacker Johnny Ragin. The team also released cornerback John Green off the reserve/injured list.

The 6-5, 296-pound Simonich was signed by the Houston Texans as an undrafted free agent out of Utah State but was released in June. He started all 12 games (eight at right guard, four at right tackle) and earned honorable mention all-Mountain West honors as a senior.

Expectations high for improving Titans

NASHVILLE -- The Tennessee Titans open training camp with higher expectations in 2017 than any previous year since perhaps 2009 when they were coming off a 13-3 season.

The Titans jumped from just three wins in 2015 to nine last season, their first full campaign under head coach Mike Mularkey and now with more improvements in the roster this offseason, the team's first playoff berth since 2008 is the minimum requirement for the coming season to be a success.

First off, the Titans enter camp with no questions at the most important place on the field - quarterback. Marcus Mariota made major strides in year two and had 26 touchdown passes in 15 games a year ago. In Mariota, who is coming off surgery for a broken fibula that caused him to spend a good portion of the offseason rehabbing, the Titans are convinced they have their first true franchise quarterback since Steve McNair's heyday some 15 years ago.

General manager Jon Robinson has also set about trying to upgrade the pieces around his young quarterback, too, even adding former Jets and Broncos receiver Eric Decker to the roster just after the Titans ended their June minicamp. Decker's arrival may be the final piece to rebuilding the wide receiver corps, which got a facelift in the offseason. The Titans drafted Corey Davis with the fifth overall pick, and then added shifty Taywan Taylor as a potential slot receiver in the third round of the draft. Both of them should combine with Decker and holdover Rishard Matthews to form the nucleus at the position and give the Titans more weapons in the passing game beyond Pro-Bowl tight end Delanie Walker.

On the defensive side, the Titans remade their secondary in the offseason, bringing in Logan Ryan from New England and Johnathan Cyprien from Jacksonville, while drafting speedy USC cornerback Adoree' Jackson as part of the secondary makeover.

With most of the roster holes now seemingly patched, the Titans enter camp as the least flawed team in the AFC South, and with their sights set on a division title and a playoff bid.

TOP THREE TRAINING CAMP GOALS

---Make the pieces fit. As stated above, the Titans have added their fair share of new faces, especially at wide receiver and in the secondary. While they have the stability of numerous returning starters at other spots on the field (quarterback, offensive line, running back and linebacker being key areas for holdovers), the Titans have to hope that the receiver corps and the defensive backfield can jell quickly with their time together in training camp and preseason.

--Make sure Mariota is healthy. The key for the Titans this season is to keep quarterback Marcus Mariota healthy through a 16-game season, something he has not done in his first two years. Mariota played in 12 games as a rookie and played in 15 last year with the broken fibula coming in the penultimate game against the Jaguars. With Mariota having had surgery to place a plate in the leg, naturally there is the need to make sure that he is 100 percent and ready to go, especially for a quarterback whose mobility is one of his primary attributes.

--Develop some depth. Training camp is all about competition, and the Titans are hopeful that some competition will create some needed depth at some thin areas on the roster. Most prominent in that is the secondary, where depth may be a concern behind new starters Logan Ryan and Adoree' Jackson. The Titans hope LeShaun Sims' flash last year proves to stick, and must hope that one of D'Joun Smith, Kalan Reed and Demontre Hurst develops enough to push veteran Brice McCain for the fourth cornerback job. The same is true at linebacker, where the Titans need 2016 second-rounder Kevin Dodd to get healthy and be a solid backup on the outside, and could use some help inside in the nickel spot. They are hopeful that rookie Jayon Brown, who flashed in the offseason can impress when things count for real.

PROJECTED CAMP DEPTH CHART

QUARTERBACKS: Starter -- Marcus Mariota. Backups -- Matt Cassel, Alex Tanney, Tyler Ferguson.

RUNNING BACKS: Starter -- DeMarco Murray. Backups - Derrick Henry, FB Jalston Fowler, David Fluellen, Muhammad Khalfani, Akeem Judd, FB Joe Bacci.

OFFENSIVE LINEMEN: Starters - LT Taylor Lewan, LG Quinton Spain, C Ben Jones, RG Josh Kline, RT Jack Conklin. Backups - C/G Tim Lelito, G Sebastian Tretola, T Dennis Kelly, T Tyler Marz, G Corey Levin, G/T Josue Matias, C Mark Spielman, T Brad Seato, T Jonah Pirsig, T Steven Moore.

WIDE RECEIVERS: Starters - Rishard Matthews, Corey Davis. Backups - Eric Decker, Taywan Taylor, Tajae Sharpe, Harry Douglas, Eric Weems, Tre McBride, Jonathan Krause, KeVon Mabon, Makale McCay, Darius Jennings, Giovanni Pascascio.

TIGHT ENDS: Starters - Delanie Walker, Phillip Supernaw. Backups - Jace Amaro, Jonnu Smith, Jermaine Cunningham, Tim Semisch.

DEFENSIVE LINEMEN: Starters - DLE DaQuan Jones, NT Sylvester Williams, DRE Jurrell Casey. Backups - DE Karl Klug, DE Angelo Blackson, DE Mehdi Abdesmad, NT Antwaun Woods, NT Austin Johnson, NT DeAngelo Brown, DE Jimmy Staten, DE Cameron Robbins.

LINEBACKERS: Starters - LOLB Derrick Morgan, LILB Wesley Woodyard, RILB Avery Williamson, ROLB Brian Orakpo. Backups - ILB Jayon Brown, ILB Nate Palmer, OLB Josh Carraway, OLB Aaron Wallace, OLB Kevin Dodd, ILB Justin Staples, ILB Daren Bates, ILB Johnny Ragin, OLB Kourtnei Brown, OLB Victor Ochi.

DEFENSIVE BACKS: Starters - LCB Logan Ryan, RCB Adoree' Jackson, SS Johnathan Cyprien, FS Kevin Byard. Backups - CB LeShaun Sims, S Da'Norris Searcy, CB Brice McCain, S Brynden Trawick, CB Kalan Reed, S Curtis Riley, CB D'Joun Smith, CB Demontre Hurst, CB Tye Smith, CB Manny Abad, CB Jeremy Boykins.

SPECIAL TEAMS: K Ryan Succop, P Brett Kern, KOR/PR Eric Weems, LS Beau Brinkley.