New Orleans Saints 21-23 Tennessee Titans: Saints fail with late two-point conversion as Titans extend win streak to six
Ryan Tannehill finished 19 of 27 for 213 yards and a touchdown while Marcus Johnson steps up in the absence of Julio Jones with five catches for 100 yards as the Tennessee Titans beat the New Orleans Saints 23-21 for their sixth straight win.
Monday 15 November 2021 06:52, UK
The Tennessee Titans continued their surge towards the playoffs as they edged out the New Orleans Saints 23-21 to move to 8-2 on the year with their sixth successive victory on Sunday.
Story of the Game
New Orleans threatened a late turnaround when Marquez Callaway's touchdown catch cut Tennessee's lead to two points with 1.16 to play in the game, but an Adam Trautman false start penalty proved costly as the Saints were pegged back five yards before failing to convert a game-tying two-point attempt.
Ryan Tannehill finished 19 of 27 for 213 yards and a touchdown as the Titans led by as many as 14 points in the third quarter, while Saints backup quarterback Trevor Siemian went 19 of 34 for 298 yards and two scores with support from Mark Ingram's 108 total yards in the absence of Alvin Kamara.
Build-up to Week 10 had seen NFL officiating heavily-scrutinised in the wake of a controversial taunting call against Chicago Bears linebacker Cassius Marsh in his side's defeat to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday night; refereeing remained an unwelcome talking point in the first half on Sunday as the Saints were denied an interception due to a tame roughing the passer call during Tennessee's go-ahead touchdown drive to earn a 13-6 lead at the break.
Marcus Williams had picked off Tannehill at the back of the end zone only for the play to be brought back after Kaden Elliss had been harshly flagged for minimal contact while following through his rush on the Titans quarterback, who would capitalise on the second opportunity with a one-yard rushing score five plays later.
MyCole Pruitt's touchdown earned the Titans a 14-point advantage early in the third before Ingram cut the lead to 20-12 with a 13-yard run on a day that saw him become the Saints' all-time leader in rushing yards.
The teams exchanged field goals in the fourth quarter until the Titans held on for the victory as the Saints recorded their seventh straight failed two-point conversion while attempting to level the game.
Tennessee, already missing Julio Jones, lost pass rusher Bud Dupree to an abdominal injury while Saints all-purpose weapon Ty Montgomery left the game with a finger problem.
Stats leaders
Saints
- Passing: Trevor Siemian, 19/34, 298 yards, 2 TDs
- Rushing: Mark Ingram, 14 carries, 47 yards, 1 TD
- Receiving: Deonte Harris, three catches, 84 yards
Titans
- Passing: Ryan Tannehill, 19/27, 213 yards, 1 TD
- Rushing: D'Onta Foreman, 11 carries, 30 yards
- Receiving: Marcus Johnson, five catches, 100 yards
Scoring Summary
Key Plays
Marcus Johnson's expanded role in the absence of Jones amounted to a 50-yard catch-and-run to help set the Titans up on the Saints 26 in the first quarter. Jeremy McNichols was eventually unable to keep control of a would-be touchdown catch on his wheel route after a key recovery from Kwon Alexander to knock out the ball at the back of the end zone, the Titans settling for a 28-yard field goal from Randy Bullock for the game's first points.
New Orleans tried to get going with a chunk play of their own as Siemian dropped one in the bucket for Deonte Harris for a pickup of 46 on third-and-six, before the stand-in quarterback capped a six-play 75-yard drive with an 11-yard strike to Tre'Quan Smith.
Tennessee responded with a 36-yard field goal from Bullock to level things up midway through the second, and restored their lead with 1.38 to play when Tannehill punched it in from a yard out after Williams' interception had been cruelly wiped off for the flag on Elliss.
Special teams became the latest route to success for the Titans when Dylan Cole forced and recovered a Harris fumble on his second-half kickoff return, Tannehill capitalising with a two-yard touchdown toss to tight end MyCole Pruitt for a 20-6 lead.
The Saints were rewarded for their patient dink-and-dunk approach to tiring the Titans pass rush when Ingram's 13-yard touchdown run capped an 11-play, 87-yard drive. But for the second time in the game Brian Johnson was wayward with his extra-point attempt as New Orleans were left staring at an eight-point deficit heading into the fourth.
D'Onta Foreman moved the chains and some with a 39-yard catch-and-run on the designed screen down to the Saints' nine-yard line, from which the Titans were left to settle for a 36-yard field goal from Bullock to increase their lead to 23-12 with 10.06 on the clock.
Ingram was at the heart of the Saints response when he completed his wheel route with a 34-yard reception, before Juwan Johnson propelled his team down to the Titans' three with a 25-yard catch between defenders. Their eight-play, 67-yard drive lacked the finishing touches, though, as Sean Payton's men were restricted to Johnson's 20-yard kick to make it a one-score game with 5.35 to play.
The Saints defense produced a timely stop to force a punt with 3.41 to play, from which Siemian orchestrated a seven-play, 71-yard drive ending in Callaway's 15-yard score. Hopes of a dramatic finish were soon dashed, however, when the decisive two-point conversion attempt came up short after Trautman's penalty, the Saints' ninth of the game.
What's Next?
The Saints travel to Philadelphia to face the Eagles in Week 11, while the Titans are scheduled to host the Houston Texans.
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