Titans rally to win over 49ers that puts Cowboys into NFL playoffs
Los Angeles (AFP) – The Tennessee Titans rallied from a 10-0 halftime deficit to beat the San Francisco 49ers 20-17 on Thursday, a victory that put the Dallas Cowboys into the NFL playoffs.
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Randy Bullock booted the game-winning 44-yard field goal with four seconds left to cap the Titans' second-half comeback and keep them on track for a post-season berth.
Tennessee receiver A.J. Brown, in his first game back from injury, caught 11 passes for 145 yards and a touchdown, his strong second half sparking a Titans offense that had managed just 55 yards and three first downs in the first half.
Brown's 18-yard TD put Tennessee up 17-10 early in the fourth quarter.
San Francisco knotted the score at 17-17 with 2:20 left, but Bullock sealed the win after a 23-yard scramble by Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill put them in scoring position.
Tannehill completed 22 of 29 passes for 209 yards and a touchdown as the AFC South-leading Titans improved to 10-5.
The Titans can clinch the division on Saturday if the Indianapolis Colts lose to the Cardinals in Arizona.
Brown said the Titans weren't discouraged after their sluggish first half.
"We were still in this game, it was 10-0," he said.
"We just had to make a play, then we had to make another play. So that was the mindset. That's what we did," said Brown, who had six catches for 121 yards in the second half.
San Francisco quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo completed 25 of 34 passes for 306 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions.
The 49ers fell to 8-7 but remained in the hunt for an NFC wildcard berth.
Their defeat ensured a playoff spot for Dallas, who can clinch the NFC East division title with a victory over Washington on Sunday.
© 2021 AFP