The Sports Xchange
Nov 27, 2016
CHICAGO -- Quarterback Marcus Mariota completed 15 of 23 passes for 226 yards and two touchdowns, and the Tennessee Titans staved off a late comeback attempt for a 27-21 win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday afternoon.
Running back Derrick Henry, tight end Delanie Walker and wide receiver Rishard Matthews each scored for the Titans. Tennessee (6-6) nearly blew a 20-point lead in the fourth quarter but stopped the Bears inside the 10-yard line in the game's final minute.
In his first career NFL start, Bears quarterback Matt Barkley completed 28-of-54 passes for 316 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. Chicago (2-9) dropped its third game in a row.
Mariota threw multiple touchdown passes for the eighth consecutive game, which is a team record. He also scrambled three times for 47 yards.
Chicago opened the scoring on a 7-yard touchdown pass from Barkley to tight end Daniel Brown with 4:27 remaining in the first quarter. The play marked the first career touchdown pass for Barkley and the first career touchdown reception for Brown, a second-year player out of James Madison.
Tennessee evened the score at 7 on Henry's 11-yard rushing touchdown with four seconds to play in the first quarter. A hard block by Walker created space for Henry to sprint toward the left pylon for the second touchdown of his rookie campaign.
Walker hauled in a 4-yard touchdown pass on the next possession to give the Titans a 14-7 lead.
Tennessee made it 21-7 with 1:15 to go in the first half on a dazzling 29-yard touchdown reception by Matthews. Mariota lobbed a pass deep down the center of the field, and Matthews extended his arms to make a diving catch in the back of the end zone.
Succop padded the lead with two field goals in the second half to increase the Titans' lead to 27-7. He connected from distances of 19 yards and 31 yards.
Chicago cut the deficit to 27-14 on an 8-yard touchdown strike from Barkley to wide receiver Marquess Wilson with 8:23 to play in the fourth quarter.
Barkley found wide receiver Deonte Thompson for a 6-yard touchdown with 3:06 remaining in the fourth quarter to trim the Titans' lead to 27-21.
Chicago threatened to score a go-ahead touchdown in the final minute of the game. Barkley looked for Thompson in the end zone on fourth down, but his pass fell incomplete.
NOTES: Bears QB Jay Cutler did not play because of a right shoulder injury he sustained in Week 11 against the New York Giants. Cutler has 1,059 passing yards, four touchdowns and five interceptions in his eighth season in Chicago. His status is uncertain for the rest of the season. … Titans S Daimion Stafford (hamstring) and TE Phillip Supernaw (concussion) were among seven players listed as inactive for Tennessee. … Bears WR Alshon Jeffery and LB Jerrell Freeman each missed the game as they served suspensions for violating the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing substances. … Titans TE Delanie Walker matched a career high with his sixth touchdown reception of the season. … Bears LB Leonard Floyd (concussion) and LG Josh Sitton (ankle) did not play. … Chicago Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts hoisted the World Series trophy at the 50-yard line during a pregame tribute.