B.W. Webb really isn’t sure what the official saw, and Titans interim coach Mike Mularkey certainly felt the flag for defensive holding was a bad call.
All the Tennessee Titans know is they found another way to lose. It was a heartbreaking finish after the Titans scrapped back from a 17-6 deficit to take the lead before losing 24-21 to the Oakland Raiders on Sunday.
“We felt like we had overcome something we haven’t and again, the one call is the call,” Mularkey said. “It changes the game, changes the outcome of the game. It’s frustrating, very frustrating.”
Instead, the Titans (2-9) lost for the ninth time in 10 games and 11th straight time at home, a skid that is tied for the third-worst in NFL history. It was the fourth time this season that the Titans had blown a fourth-quarter lead.
Webb was flagged for holding rookie receiver Amari Cooper before Derek Carr threw the ball to the other side of the field on fourth down. It was just the fourth penalty for Tennessee, coming just as the Titans thought they had a game-saving play when safety Michael Griffin broke up the pass in the end zone.