The longest lively dropping streak within the NFL got here to an finish Sunday.
All it took was scoring one of many wildest, unlikeliest touchdowns of the season.
Trailing by as a lot as 21-3 in Week 5 on the street towards the Arizona Cardinals, the Tennessee Titans had pulled inside 21-12 with lower than 5 minutes left when Cam Ward, the No. 1 choose in final spring’s NFL draft, let free a cross towards the tip zone.
Ward’s cross was tipped, then intercepted by Arizona’s Dadrion Taylor-Demerson on the 6-yard line — and from that second on, the play went from an easy turnover which may have sealed a badly wanted win for Arizona right into a comedy of errors that tilted the sport towards Tennessee.
Whereas he was falling to the bottom, attempting to regular himself after the choose, Taylor-Demerson fumbled. A teammate, Kei’Trel Clark, ran in to recuperate the free ball however inadvertently kicked it backward to the three, the place it caromed farther off two different Cardinals defenders into the tip zone. Tennessee’s Tyler Lockett dived on the ball for a surprising landing that introduced the Titans inside 21-19.
The Titans went on to win, 22-21, with a subject aim on the ultimate play of regulation, to finish a comeback that will have been memorable for any group — the Titans at one level had the bottom common win chance of any profitable group since 2016, per the NFL — however notably inconceivable given it was this group.
Tennessee entered Week 5 with ignominious distinction. Its 10-game dropping streak, relationship to final season, was the longest lively winless streak within the league. If it misplaced once more and prolonged it to 11, it will have matched the franchise’s longest dropping streak since 1994. And Ward, 0-4 to begin his profession, was attempting to keep away from turning into the most recent member of an unique membership — becoming a member of eight different QBs drafted No. 1 general to begin their careers 0-5.
Tennessee left the sport with catharsis. Arizona, in the meantime, left with a well-recognized dread. All 5 of the Cardinals’ video games this season have been selected the ultimate possession — together with three straight losses.
