It was the perfect spot for a Tennessee Titans meltdown - just like all those other late collapses through the years that have kept the franchise outside of the playoffs ever since an appearance after the 2008 season.
Ahead all Sunday afternoon against the Cincinnati Bengals, the Titans were suddenly behind by three points with 5:03 to play due to a 70-yard touchdown pass from Andy Dalton to former A.J. Green, the former Georgia Bulldogs star.
But unlike all those prior giveaways, third-year pro Marcus Mariota calmly drove the home team 73 yards down the Nissan Stadium field as the game clock ticked under a minute. With 36 seconds to go, Mariota hit running back DeMarco Murray on a 7-yard catch-and-run touchdown to deliver a 24-20 win, the Titans' fourth victory in a row. It's their longest winning streak since 2009.
"That's the big difference between us now and us two years ago," offensive tackle Taylor Lewan said. "Was there finger pointing or whatever (back then)? I don't know. I just know that now, when we saw them score, we never flinched."
Tennessee Titans running back DeMarco Murray stretches the ball across the goal line to score on a 7-yard touchdown catch in the final minute of Sunday's 24-20 home win against the Cincinnati Bengals.Added tight end Delanie Walker, who injured his hand on that final drive: "That's football. Those types of games, you've got to tough it up. Again, that goes to Marcus Mariota. He knows how to handle it."
They're handling it well enough in the clutch to be 6-3 heading into Thursday night's game at AFC North leader Pittsburgh (7-2). Tennessee is half a game behind Jacksonville in the AFC South.
"I know I use the word resilient a lot, but that's, I think, the makeup of this team," Titans coach Mike Mularkey said. "They just always know we have a chance to win. That's important in this business."
It's also important to have a reliable ground game and a solid defense, and Mularkey's team has both, ranking 10th in the league in rushing offense and rushing defense. The Titans are also 6-0 over this season and last season in games decided by three or fewer points. Sunday's win was Tennessee's third straight decided by four or fewer points.
That doesn't mean Mariota, sacked four times by the Bengals (4-6) wouldn't like to post victories earned in an easier fashion now and then.
"Obviously, we don't want to be in (close wins) all the time," he said after completing 25 of 44 passes for 264 yards, the game-winning touchdown pass and an interception. "But it's exciting to see that when it gets close and it's go time, guys make plays and we can pull it out."
Everybody made plays for the Titans in this one, with the backfield stars combining for 145 rushing yards - running backs Derrick Henry (52) and Murray (42) added to Mariota's 51, and Murray had two rushing touchdowns. Seven Tennessee players caught at least two passes. And the Titans almost doubled the Bengals in time of possession, 40:09 to 19:51.
Take away the 70-yard scoring strike to Green - he played a week after being ejected for fighting at Jacksonville, but Cincinnati linebacker Vontaze Burfict was ejected Sunday for contact with an official - and the Titans almost doubled the Bengals in total offense, 416-235.
Yet it was in those final five minutes, with the game and possibly a playoff berth on the line, that Mariota led the offense to its most impressive score of the day.
"We are never going to give up," Walker said. "We are always going to keep fighting, and that's the difference from years before. They didn't have the fight. Now we have the fight."
Contact Mark Wiedmer at mwiedmer@timesfreepress.com.