Marcus Mariota converted a fourth down with a perfectly lofted 9-yard pass to Andre Johnson with 1:13 left, lifting the Tennessee Titans to a 16-15 win over the Detroit Lions on Sunday.
Mariota dropped the pass over linebacker Tahir Whitehead to Johnson just before safety Rafael Bush could get to the veteran receiver to potentially break up the pass.
The Titans (1-1) ended a five-game losing streak, dating to last December, after Mariota threw two TD passes in the fourth quarter after trailing 15-3.
The Lions (1-1) had an opportunity to drive for a second straight game-winning field goal, but Matthew Stafford threw an interception to Perrish Cox at midfield in the final minute. They had won seven of nine, dating to midway through the 2015 season.
Tennessee started five possessions in Detroit at their 9 or closer to their end zone, making it tough to win the battle of field position. DeMarco Murray flipped the field once with a 67-yard run, his longest since 2011 when he was a rookie with the Dallas Cowboys, but the Titans didn’t take advantage because of penalties in the flag-filled game that included 29 penalties.
Tennessee went (continue reading at WSMV)