Written by Cameron Wolfe at ESPN.com
The drought is over. The Tennessee Titans finally beat the Indianapolis Colts 36-22 after 11 consecutive losses, and they did so on the back of a limited, pocket-passing Marcus Mariota and a heroic second-half performance by their much-maligned defense.
Franchise quarterbacks rise to the occasion, and Mariota did so Monday, helping wake up a dormant Titans defense with clutch third-down completions and what ended up being the game-winning, 53-yard touchdown pass to Taywan Taylor.
It was Mariota’s fifth career game-winning drive in the fourth quarter, and he earned it by digging deep for a 15-play, 87-yard touchdown drive that put the Titans ahead 22-19 after they trailed for most of the game. Mariota went 8-of-8 for 76 yards on that drive, including key completions to Rishard Matthews and Eric Decker, who had his best game as a Titan, with seven catches for 88 receiving yards.
The Titans (3-3) are in a three-way tie for first place in the AFC South, and they are eyeing a very manageable schedule down the stretch.
“It’s a huge win,” Mariota said. “It’s a division win. It’s an opportunity for us to share the lead in the division. I think when it comes down to it, the monkey is off our back, and we get to just go out there and play now. And we look forward to getting ready for Cleveland next week.”
Mariota finished 23-of-36 with a season-high 306 yards, a touchdown and a pick-six that was forgotten by the end of the game.
Mariota’s footwork and passing accuracy were the best they’ve been all season. He used play-action to perfection, going a crisp 10-of-11 and throwing for a career-best 186 yards off the fake.
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