Los Angeles: Marcus Mariota’s late touchdown pass to rookie Taywan Taylor helped the Tennessee Titans snap their 11-game losing streak to the Indianapolis Colts with a 36-22 NFL triumph in Nashville.
Mariota, back in action after missing a game with a hamstring injury, connected with Taylor with 5:29 remaining.
Titans linebacker Wesley Woodyard then thwarted Colts quarterback Jacoby Brissett’s bid to rally, running him out of bounds just shy of a first down on a fourth-and-one play with 2:19 remaining.
The Titans sealed the win with a 72-yard touchdown run by Derrick Henry with 47 seconds remaining.
It was their first victory over Indianapolis since October 30, 2011. Their 11 straight losses to the Colts was tied for the NFL’s longest active losing streak against one team.
Mariota completed 23 of 32 passes for 306 yards as the Titans improved to 3-3 and moved into a three-way tie with Houston and Jacksonville for first place in the AFC South division.
The Colts led 13-9 at halftime and took a 19-9 lead 70 seconds into the third quarter when John Simon returned an interception 26 yards for a touchdown.
Ryan Succop pulled Tennessee within 19-15 on 48- and 23-yard field goals, giving him five for the night.
Succop had opened the scoring with a 480 yard field goal 3:45 into the game. His 47th straight conversion from 50 yards or closer was an NFL record, which he increased to 51 by the end of the game.
The Titans scored their first touchdown of the contest with 10:01 remaining on a three-yard run by DeMarco Murray that capped a 15-play, 87-yard drive.
The Colts’ Adam Vinatieri converted a 52-yard field goal to knot the score at 22-22 with 7:27 left.
Little more than two minutes later, however, Mariota’s scoring pass to Taylor put the Titans ahead for good.
The NFL Players Association, meanwhile, went to a New York court on Monday seeking again to block the league’s suspension of Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott.
The union’s motion is in response to a ruling last week by the Fifth US Circuit Court of Appeals in Louisiana that allowed the NFL’s ban to go into effect.
The appeals court judges voted 2-1 in favour of the NFL, saying the Texas court that blocked the suspension in December was not the proper venue for the case.
Elliott, 22, was suspended for six games by the NFL over accusations he assaulted his ex-girlfriend.
The punishment was handed down by commissioner Roger Goodell on August 11 after a 13-month league investigation.
