NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Titans can add how to protect a lead in the fourth quarter to the list of lessons they are trying to learn.
The Titans scored 27 straight points in leading the two-time defending AFC South champion Colts 27-14 in the fourth quarter Sunday only to lose 35-33 as Andrew Luck rallied Indianapolis yet again.
Cornerback Perrish Cox said the Titans talked about not being too happy or surprised at leading the Colts. Some teammates on the sideline didn’t listen closely enough.
“You could tell there was a lot of laughter, a lot of dancing around,” Cox said. “We just need to stop doing that and finish the game. But against a quarterback like Andrew Luck, against a team like the Colts, we know what they’re capable of, and they came out and showed it.”
Now the Titans (1-2) have an extra week to stew over this loss going into their bye. They have lost 13 of 14 to the Colts with the previous win Oct. 30, 2011.
This loss overshadowed another strong performance by Mariota who set the franchise record for a rookie quarterback in throwing for 367 yards. Mariota also threw two more TDs in tying Mark Rypien for the most touchdown passes (eight) in a player’s first three career games.
Titans coach Ken Whisenhunt said he wasn’t sure how he was feeling after a tough loss.
“We just got to finish these games, and I believe we’re going to do that,” Whisenhunt said. “We’re getting a lot closer.”
The Titans held the ball for a second shy of 35 minutes and outgained the Colts 433-378. They sacked Luck three times and picked him off twice within 3 minutes in the third quarter. But they managed only 10 points off those turnovers.
The Colts sacked Mariota three times, and Dwight Lowery got the first two interceptions off the No. 2 pick overall out of Oregon, including a 69-yard return for a TD off the first.
They also had Luck, who improved to 7-0 against Tennessee after another stunning comeback.
He drove the Colts 98 yards before hitting Phillip Dorsett on a 35-yard TD with 6:49 left to make it 27-21. After Lowery’s second interception, Luck found Donte Moncrief on the next play for an 11-yard TD giving the Colts a 28-27 lead. Frank Gore added his second TD with 2:51 left for the winning margin.
Mariota drove the Titans down the field, and rookie fullback Jalston Fowler ran for a 1-yard TD to make it 35-33 with the chance to tie the game inside the final minute.
Defensive pass interference put the ball at the 1 for a closer chance at the 2-point conversion, but Fowler was stopped for a big loss.
Tennessee’s onside kick went out of bounds, allowing the Colts to kneel down for their first win after a rocky start for a team that was in the AFC championship game last season.
“This one was one for the ages, as far as I’m concerned,” Colts coach Chuck Pagano said.
Mariota, the Heisman Trophy winner from Oregon, couldn’t remember the previous time he lost consecutive games.
“It’s been a while for sure,” Mariota said.
FALCONS 39, COWBOYS
ARLINGTON, Texas — Matt Ryan and Julio Jones connected for two touchdowns, Devonta Freeman ran for 141 yards and three scores, and the Atlanta Falcons beat Dallas 39-28 Sunday in the Cowboys’ first game without Tony Romo and Dez Bryant.
Freeman’s third score early in the fourth quarter capped a rally from a trio of 14-point deficits for the Falcons (3-0), who didn’t win their third game until Week 10 last year, and Week 13 in 2013.
Jones had his third straight 100-yard game to start the season, finishing with 164 and a clinching 2-yard score in the fourth quarter.
The Cowboys (2-1) had a six-game winning streak in the regular season snapped in backup quarterback Brandon Weeden’s ninth straight loss as a starter.
Weeden completed his first 16 passes to start the season, but the run ended with a second-quarter interception that turned the game in the Falcons’ favor.
STEELERS 12, RAMS 6
ST. LOUIS — Ben Roethlisberger was carted off the field with a knee injury in the second half and Pittsburgh’s defense came through.;
Le’Veon Bell scored from a yard out in the first half in his first game back after a suspension, but the Steelers’ focus will be on the status of their star quarterback. Roethlisberger’s leg got caught underneath him on a diving, sliding sack by Mark Barron.
There was no immediate word on the extent of Roethlisberger’s injury.
Will Allen’s interception with 1:56 left set up a field goal by Josh Scobee to put Pittsburgh (2-1) ahead by six points.
PATRIOTS 51, JAGUARS 17
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Tom Brady became the fourth quarterback in NFL history to throw 400 touchdown passes, connecting for a pair of scores.
Brady completed a 1-yard TD pass to Danny Amendola in the second quarter and added a 13-yard touchdown to Keshawn Martin in the third. In all, Brady completed 33 of 42 passes for 358 yards.
Rob Gronkowski caught four passes for 101 yards for the Patriots (3-0). LeGarrette Blount ran for three 1-yard touchdowns.
It was the most points ever allowed by the Jaguars (1-2).
BRONCOS 24, LIONS 12
DETROIT — Peyton Manning converted a fourth down with a 45-yard touchdown pass to Demaryius Thomas with 5 seconds left in the first half, and threw an 11-yard TD pass to Owen Daniels with 2:28 remaining.
The last time the Broncos (3-0) won their first three games was in 2013, when they reached the Super Bowl. The Lions (0-3) are off to their worst start since 2010, when they finished 6-10.
Aqib Talib blocked an extra-point kick early in the second quarter to keep Denver’s one-point lead. The Broncos later stopped a 2-point conversion run, keeping them ahead 14-12 early in the third quarter.
Matthew Stafford had three turnovers, including a fumble and interception at midfield in the fourth quarter.
SEAHAWKS 26, BEARS 0
SEATTLE — Tyler Lockett returned the second-half kickoff 105 yards for a touchdown, Russell Wilson connected with Jimmy Graham on a 30-yard TD, and the Seahawks routed the undermanned Bears.
Seattle led just 6-0 at halftime after an offensive performance that led to a cascade of boos. Lockett started a huge second half as he went untouched on a perfectly executed return, the longest in franchise history. Later in the quarter, Wilson found Graham across the middle for his second touchdown catch this season.
Steven Hauschka added four field goals and the Seahawks started the process of erasing an 0-2 start.
Chicago (0-3) was shut out for the first time since 2002 and the fourth time since 1990. Jimmy Clausen started at quarterback in place of Jay Cutler and was 9 of 17 for 63 yards.
CARDINALS 47, 49ERS 7
GLENDALE, Ariz. — Carson Palmer threw for 311 yards and Arizona returned two of Colin Kaepernick’s first four passes for touchdowns.
Larry Fitzgerald caught nine passes for 134 yards and two touchdowns and Chris Johnson rushed for 110 yards and two scores for the Cardinals (3-0), who won at Chicago 48-23 last week.
It’s the first time the franchise has had two 40-point victories in a row since 1969 and its largest margin of victory since a 44-0 win over Houston in 1970.
Kaepernick threw a career-worst four interceptions, two by Tyrann Mathieu, and finished 9 for 19 for 67 yards.
Justin Bethel returned the first one 21 yards for a touchdown and Mathieu ran untouched 33 yards for another score.
Kaepernick had a 12-yard TD run for San Francisco (1-2).
BILLS 41, DOLPHINS 14
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Tyrod Taylor threw for 277 yards and three scores in his first NFL road start. The Bills totaled 429 yards, intercepted Ryan Tannehill three times in the first half, and led 27-0 before Miami scored late in the third quarter.
Buffalo (2-1) bounced back from a dismal loss at home to New England. The Dolphins (1-2), who began the season with high hopes of ending a seven-year playoff drought, fell into last place in the AFC East with their second consecutive loss.
The Bills improved to 5-2 against Miami over the past four years. They’re 18-26 against everyone else during that span.
The victory was especially sweet for former Dolphins Richie Incognito and Charles Clay, who were co-captains for Buffalo.
TEXANS 19, BUCCANEERS 9
HOUSTON — Ryan Mallett threw for threw for 228 yards and a touchdown and Alfred Blue had 139 yards rushing for Houston’s first win of the season.
Mallett gave Houston (1-2) the lead on a 5-yard touchdown pass to DeAndre Hopkins on the opening drive. The Buccaneers (1-2) went up 9-7 on a TD catch by Charles Sims in the second quarter.
Bucs kicker Kyle Brindza, who made a 58-yard field goal early in the second quarter, missed an extra point and three field goals in the second half.
Jameis Winston threw for 261 yards with a touchdown and an interception for Tampa Bay.
EAGLES 24, JETS 17
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Darren Sproles returned a punt 89 yards for a score and added a 1-yard touchdown run for Philadelphia’s first win.
Sam Bradford threw a TD pass to Ryan Mathews, who also rushed for 108 yards while starting in place of the injured DeMarco Murray. The Eagles (1-2) improved to 10-0 all-time against the Jets (2-1), who were coming off a victory at Indianapolis last Monday night.
Ryan Fitzpatrick threw touchdown passes to Brandon Marshall and Jeremy Kerley, but was intercepted three times.
RAIDERS 27, BROWNS 20
CLEVELAND — Derek Carr threw two touchdown passes, Latavius Murray rushed for 139 yards and Oakland snapped an 11-game road losing streak.
Carr connected with Andre Holmes and Seth Roberts in the first half and the Raiders (2-1) held off a late Cleveland comeback to win their first road game since Nov. 17, 2013.
The Browns (1-2) were driving for a tying TD in the final minute, but Charles Woodson intercepted Josh McCown with 38 seconds left
Carr, who went 0-8 on the road as a rookie in 2014, finished 20 of 32 for 134 yards.
BENGALS 28, RAVENS 24
BALTIMORE — Andy Dalton threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to A.J. Green with 2:10 left, and Cincinnati remained unbeaten. Baltimore dropped to 0-3 for the first time in franchise history.
The Bengals (3-0) blew a 14-0 lead and twice trailed in the fourth quarter before Dalton brought them back by repeatedly picking apart the porous Baltimore pass defense.
Dalton went 20 for 32 for 383 yards and three touchdowns. His favorite target was Green, who finished with 10 catches for a career-high 227 yards and two scores.
Baltimore lost despite getting 362 yards passing from Joe Flacco, who twice connected with Steve Smith for touchdowns. Smith had 13 catches for 186 yards
PANTHERS 27, SAINTS 22
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Cam Newton threw for 315 yards and a pair of touchdowns to tight end Greg Olsen and also ran for a score.
Luke McCown, starting in place of the injured Drew Brees, completed 31 of 38 passes for 310 yards but it wasn’t enough to save the Saints (0-3). It was the first game Brees has missed because of injury since joining the Saints in 2006.
Newton ran for a 13-yard TD on a bootleg as the Panthers started 3-0 for the first time since reaching the Super Bowl in the 2003 season.
Panthers cornerback Josh Norman sealed the game with a leaping interception in the end zone with 1:09 remaining.
VIKINGS 31, CHARGERS 14
MINNEAPOLIS — Adrian Peterson plowed through San Diego’s defense for 126 yards and two touchdowns on 20 rushes in three quarters.
Chad Greenway scored on a 91-yard interception return for the Vikings (2-1). The Chargers are 1-2.
Rivers was pulled for Kellen Clemens midway through the fourth quarter when the deficit reached 24 points. Sacked four times for a loss of 28 yards, Rivers went 21 for 34 for 246 yards with two turnovers and took a hard hit to the midsection from Anthony Barr in the third quarter.
