SportsDirect Inc. staff
Sep 23, 2012
Titans 44, Lions 41 (OT): Rob Bironas kicked a 26-yard field goal in overtime as host Tennessee overcame Shaun Hill's last-second Hail Mary completion by stopping him on an attempted fourth-down conversion in overtime to record its first victory.
After Bironas' third field goal gave his team the lead in overtime, the Lions (1-2) marched down the field and eschewed a potential tying kick on a 4th-and-1 at the 7-yard line. The Titans (1-2) stuffed Hill to finish a wild game that saw them pull out all the stops - including a "Music City Miracle" redux as well as kickoff and fumble returns for touchdowns.
After cornerback Alterraun Verner gave Tennessee a 41-27 lead with a 72-yard fumble recovery for a score, Hill replaced an injured Matthew Stafford (ankle) and sandwiched a pair of touchdown passes around a successful onside kick in an 18-second span. Hill's Hail Mary caromed off a pack of players to Titus Young, who reeled in the ball to tie the game.
Darius Reynaud, whose lateral sprung Tommie Campbell on a 65-yard punt return in the first quarter, answered Stafford's 3-yard touchdown pass with a franchise-record 105-yard kickoff return to tie the game at 27-27.
With Detroit nursing a 6-3 lead, Tennessee unleashed a different version of the "Music City Miracle." Reynaud took a few steps forward before firing a lateral to Campbell, who bolted down the sideline for a 65-yard touchdown with 33 seconds left in the first quarter.
GAME NOTEBOOK: The "Music City Miracle" occurred during the wild-card game between the Titans and Buffalo Bills on Jan. 8, 2000. On that day, Lorenzo Neal handed the ball to tight end Frank Wycheck, who threw a lateral across the field to Kevin Dyson. The wideout scooted up the field for a 75-yard touchdown in the waning moments of the contest. ... Tennessee's Jake Locker completed 29 of 42 passes for 378 yards with two touchdowns. ... Detroit's Mikel Leshoure ran with authority in his return from serving a two-game suspension for violating the league's substance-abuse policy. Leshoure, who had 26 carries for 100 yards, had a 1-yard score midway through the third quarter to cut the Titans' lead to 20-16.