Tennessee Titans vs New Orleans Saints Match Player Stats On Nov 08, 2015

The Sports Xchange
Nov 8, 2015

NEW ORLEANS -- Quarterback Marcus Mariota returned from a knee injury to throw four touchdown passes, including a 5-yard throwback in overtime to tight end Anthony Fasano, to spark the Tennessee Titans to a 34-28 victory Sunday over the New Orleans Saints.

On the winning play from the Saints' 5, Mariota (28 of 39 for 371 yards) rolled to his right, pivoted and then threw back across the field to his left for Fasano, who was wide open in the back of the end zone. The victory snapped the Titans' six-game losing streak, which cost head coach Ken Whisenhunt his job earlier in the week.

The Saints were led by quarterback Drew Brees, who completed 28 of 39 passes for 389 yards and three TDs, but they fell to 4-5 after having won three straight.

After Brees hit tight end Michael Hoomanawanui for a 1-yard score, the Saints led 28-20 with 11:32 left.

But Mariota took advantage of a short field -- the Titans got the ball at their 43 as a result of personal foul on Saints linebacker Michael Mauti on the ensuing kickoff -- to tie the game at 28.

Mariota got the touchdown with an 8-yard slant to wide receiver Justin Hunter, making it 28-26 with 7:06 left, and interim coach Mike Mularkey decided to go for a two-point conversion. Mariota made the gamble pay off by hitting tight end Delanie Walker on a slant to tie the game at 28.

After forcing a punt, the Titans got the ball back at their 11, and Mariota completed passes for 23 yards to Fasano and 20 yards to receiver Dorial Green-Beckham.

The Titans moved the ball to the Saints' 37, where kicker Ryan Succop's attempted 55-yard field was dead center but just short, hitting the crossbar.

The Saints had a chance to take the lead, but kicker Kai Forbath was well short on a 46-yard field attempt with 56 second left. The Titans could not pick up a first down, sending the game into overtime.

Brees picked up where he left off in a seven-touchdown, 52-49 victory over the New York Giants by throwing for two first-half scores and leaping 1 yard for another to give the Saints a 21-17 halftime lead over the Titans.

Brees threw scoring passes of 10 yards to tight end Josh Hill and 38 yards to wide receiver Brandin Cooks in marching the Saints 72 and 80 yards on their first two possessions. By the time it was 14-3, Brees was 8 of 10 for 150 yards.

Trailing 7-0, the Titans took advantage of a fumble by Saints punt returner Marcus Murphy at the New Orleans 42. Even though the Titans failed to pick up a first down, kicker Ryan Succop capitalized with a 51-yard field goal.

Then after the Saints went up 14-3, the Titans got a huge break when Mariota's deep sideline pass for tight end Delanie Walker, which should have been intercepted, bounced off the hands of cornerback Keenan Lewis and into Walker's hands. Walker hauled in the tipped pass and completed the 61-yard touchdown connection, cutting the Saints' lead to 14-10.

Brees then led the Saints on a 79-yard, 10-play drive for a 21-10 lead, capping the march with a leap from the 1-yard line. The drive was kept alive by two roughing the passer calls on Titans linemen Karl Klug and Jurrell Casey.

Tennessee cut the lead to 21-17 on Mariota's 2-yard pass to Walker midway through the second quarter. Running back Antonio Andrews made the key plays on the 77-yard drive with a 23-yard reception and a 38-yard run off a huge hole on the right side.

Tennessee could have taken the lead late in the first half, but running back Dexter McCluster fumbled the ball at the Saints' 13 after being hit by linebacker David Hawthorne.

NOTES: Titans K Ryan Succop had made 15 consecutive field goals until he missed the 55-yard in the fourth quarter. ... The Titans had entered the game yielding 28 sacks in seven games. QB Marcus Mariota was not sacked. ... Titans CB Perrish Cox gave up three long passes and left in the first half with a strained hamstring. ... Saints S Kenny Vaccaro injured his right shoulder late in the game but returned.