NASHVILLE - The Tennessee Titans came up with an amazing goal-line stand to stop the Los Angeles Chargers.
Three times over.
In each case, the home team needed the replay official to overturn the call on the field, nullifying what the Chargers thought were a pair of go-ahead touchdowns and producing a final ruling that gave the ball - and the game - to the Titans.
Jurrell Casey recovered a fumble by Melvin Gordon at the goal line with 15 seconds left, and Tennessee pulled out a 23-20 victory over the Chargers after a frantic final minute Sunday evening at Nissan Stadium.
Gordon initially was ruled down at the 1, Casey came out of the pile with the ball and the Titans started celebrating. The play was reviewed, and the on-field ruling that Gordon was short of the goal line was overturned.
The call was a fumble forced by Titans linebacker Wesley Woodyard that was recovered by Casey for a touchback. Ryan Tannehill, in his first game as Tennessee's starting quarterback with Marcus Mariota benched, knelt down to run out the clock as the Titans (3-4) snapped a two-game skid.
"Once I felt the ball come out, I'm like, 'I've got to recover it. I've got to recover it,'" Casey said. "And shoot. Sure enough, the ball sat in my hands. Kind of popped out for a quick second, and I thought I was about to lose it. Kind of panicked for a moment. If I let them recover it, that's a TD."
The Chargers (2-5) thought they had scored the go-ahead touchdown not once but twice in the final 44 seconds only to lose both on review by the replay official. That official also overturned Gordon being stopped on the Chargers' final play.
"You don't get 1 yard, you don't deserve to win and that's the way it is," Chargers coach Anthony Lynn said. "We had 1 yard to win this game, and we let it slip out of our hands."
First, Philip Rivers' pass that Austin Ekeler took 16 yards was ruled a touchdown only to be reversed by the replay official for not breaking the plane as he was tackled by Kenny Vaccaro and Logan Ryan at the 1. After a false start, the Titans' Malcolm Butler was flagged for pass interference on Mike Williams in the end zone.
Gordon then went over right tackle with 34 seconds left for what officials ruled a 1-yard score, and the replay official then reversed the call for the second time in what became a run for no gain. That set up Gordon's final run with 19 seconds left.
"They obviously saw enough to overturn it," Rivers said. "I just didn't."
Titans coach Mike Vrabel said there has to be obvious visual evidence the ball had come out as well as a clear recovery.
"By the grace of God, we had both of those in that play for it to be able to be overturned," Vrabel said.
AP photo by James Kenney / Tennessee Titans defenders Jeffery Simmons (98) and Jurrell Casey (99) celebrate after stopping the Los Angeles Chargers on their final drive of the game Sunday evening in Nashville.Tannehill threw for 312 yards and two touchdowns as the Titans looked for a spark for an offense that had scored one touchdown in a 10-quarter stretch entering Sunday. Tannehill came through as the Titans not only secured their first home win of the year but posted a season-high 403 yards, and he finished 23-of-29 to outduel Rivers on a day the 16-year NFL veteran moved to sixth on the league list in career passing yards.
The Chargers, who have lost three straight and five of their past six, thought they had pulled off an amazing comeback after trailing 23-13 with 6:39 left. Rivers threw a 41-yard touuchdown pass to Ekeler with 5:09 left.
The Chargers stopped Tannehill short on fourth-and-inches near midfield, and Rivers thought he had put his team ahead with a 16-yard touchdown pass to Ekeler inside the final minute. Ekeler was ruled down short of the goal line, though, to set up an astounding final minute of the game.
"On the field, we won it twice," Chargers tight end Hunter Henry said.
Tannehill threw an 8-yard touchdown pass to Corey Davis just before halftime, and he hit Tajae Sharpe on a 5-yard touchdown pass with 13:11 left. Derrick Henry put Tennessee up 23-13 with 6:39 left with an 11-yard touchdown run.
The Titans held the Chargers to a pair of field goals by rookie Chase McLaughlin in the first half.
Tennessee defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons, the No. 19 pick overall in the April draft, made his NFL debut with a sack and a tackle for loss.
The Titans lost right tackle Jack Conklin early to an injured right thigh - Dennis Kelly replaced him - and Jamil Douglas started the third quarter at right guard after rookie Nate Davis sustained a rib injury. On defense, Tennessee linebacker Rashaan Evans left late in the first half only to return for the second, while cornerback Adoree' Jackson sustained a foot injury in the third quarter.