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By
Mike Florio
Published December 12, 2023 12:34 AM
The Titans were 13-point underdogs to the Dolphins. Late
in the fourth quarter, Miami was poised to beat the spread against Tennessee.
First went the cover. Then went the win.
Via TruMedia sports, the Titans became the first team this century
to win in regulation after trailing by 14 or more
points in the final three minutes of the fourth quarter.
It’s
the first win by any team down 14 or more with less than three minutes to play
since 2017, when the Saints beat Washington in overtime, 34-31. New
Orleans had trailed 31-16 with three minutes left. Since then, teams trailing by 14 or more points
with three minutes to play were 0-582.
The Titans avoided overtime on Monday night
by using an increasingly common analytics wrinkle aimed at avoiding an extra
session. After scoring a touchdown when previously down by 14, the trailing
team goes for two. Fail to convert, and eight points are needed to force
overtime. Make it, and seven point will win it.
That’s what Titans coach Mike Vrabel did. Tennessee went
for two, got it, cut the margin to 27-21, forced a three-and-out, and then
quickly went to work.
Almost too quickly. Miami had a chance to
drive for a potential game-winning field goal, until Tennessee stopped Tua
Tagovailoa and company on downs.
And so the Titans pulled off the sixth
prime-time upset since the Bears beat the Vikings in Minnesota two weeks ago
tonight. In so doing, Tennessee threw a giant wrench in Miami’s hopes to be the
No. 1 seed in the AFC.
