Ryan Tannehill threw a touchdown pass and ran for another as the host Tennessee Titans won their sixth consecutive game by defeating the New Orleans Saints 23-21 on Sunday afternoon.
Tannehill completed 19 of 27 for 213 yards for the Titans (8-2), who withstood a potential tying two-point conversion attempt by the Saints with 1:16 remaining.
Trevor Siemian, making his second start at quarterback since Jameis Winston suffered a season-ending knee injury, completed 19 of 34 passes for 298 yards with two touchdowns for the Saints (5-4).
Both teams played without their top running back as the Titans’ Derrick Henry is on injured reserve after undergoing foot surgery and the Saints’ Alvin Kamara was sidelined by a knee injury.
Mark Ingram II, who returned to New Orleans in a trade with Houston last month, started in Kamara’s place and rushed for just 47 yards, but that was enough for him to surpass Deuce McAllister as the franchise’s all-time leading rusher.
The Titans recovered Deonte Harris’ fumble at the Saints 19 on the second-half kickoff. That led to Tannehill’s 2-yard touchdown pass to MyCole Pruitt that increased Tennessee’s lead to 20-6.
Ingram’s 13-yard touchdown run cut the lead to 20-12 at the end of the third quarter.
Randy Bullock kicked a 36-yard field goal to give the Titans a 23-12 lead before Brian Johnson, who missed both of his extra-point tries, kicked a 20-yard field goal to make it a one-score game with 5:35 left.
Siemian threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to Marquez Callaway, but after a false-start penalty his two-point conversion pass failed, as did the ensuing onside kick.
Marcus Johnson turned a short completion from Tannehill into a 50-yard gain, setting up Bullock’s 28-yard field goal that gave Tennessee a 3-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Siemian answered with a 46-yard completion to Harris, setting up an 11-yard touchdown pass to Tre’Quan Smith for a 6-3 New Orleans lead before Bullock kicked a tying 36-yard field goal.
Tannehill ran one yard for a touchdown that gave Tennessee a 13-6 lead.
–Field Level Media