Senior Writer\/Editor
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla.<\/strong> \u2013 A Monday night miracle?
Well, for the resilient Titans, it sure seemed like it.
The Titans scored two touchdowns in an improbable rally in the final 2:40 to beat the Dolphins 28-27.
It was a crazy ending to a crazy game.
“This is the best I’ve felt after a game,” edge rusher Arden Key said. “I hope everyone remembers what it takes to get this feeling. Didn’t nobody think we were going to win. Everybody thought it was going to be another Miami vs Broncos thing, with them putting 70 points on us. \u2026 It’s a good win, a hard fought win.”
After a disastrous one-minute stretch in the closing minutes at Hard Rock Stadium nearly ended up costing them, the Titans responded again, and again.
Back-to-back turnovers by the Titans gave the Dolphins two late touchdowns.
After a muffed punt by Eric Garror, Dolphins running back Raheem Mostert scored on a five-yard touchdown run.
Then, an errant pitch by quarterback Will Levis to running back Derrick Henry was recovered by the Dolphins, and quickly cashed in for another Mostert run, just one minute later.
It quickly turned a 13-13 game into a 27-13 contest, and only 4:34 was left on the clock.
But the Titans cut the lead to 27-21 on a three-yard touchdown toss from Levis to DeAndre Hopkins, and a two-point conversion pass to Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, with 2:40 left.
The Titans got the ball back after forcing a three-and-out. Then they drove for the go-ahead score with 1:49 left in a three-yard run by Henry.
The Titans then got one more stop to win it.
“It’s awesome,” Levis said. “I’m pumped. We are going to have a fun (plane) ride home.”
The Titans improved to 5-8 with the win.
“We did a lot if things that were going to cost us, obviously, the turnovers and the mistakes,” Titans Coach Mike Vrabel said. “But we did more positive things late. The defense got some stops, and when the offense needed to come through, they came through.
“It doesn’t have to be that hard. But I’m proud of the character of this football team, competing. I’m really proud of these guys.”
It was a herky-jerky start for the Titans, who forced a fumble with the Dolphins driving in the first quarter. Defensive lineman Jaleel Johnson knocked the ball loose from Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, and teammate TK McLendon recovered in at the seven-yard line.
Just three plays later, however, Levis was intercepted by Dolphins defensive lineman Zach Sieler, and he returned it five yards for a touchdown to give the Dolphins a 7-0 lead.
But the Titans kept scrapping.
After a defensive stop, Levis engineered a 14-play, 86-yard drive that took 7:13 off the clock, and it ended with a one-yard touchdown run by Henry. The drive included a number of big throws \u2013 and runs \u2013 by Levis.
It was 7-7 at the 6:53 mark of the second quarter.
The Titans got a big play on special teams late in the first half, as defensive lineman Denico Autry blocked a 44-yard field goal try by the Dolphins, and the game remained tied.
The Titans then put together another quick, impressive drive at the end of the first half.
After taking over at their own 22-yard line with 28 seconds left before the half, the Titans went 69 yards in six plays \u2013 the biggest one a 45-yard completion from Levis to Hopkins. It put the Titans in field goal range, and kicker Nick Folk booted a 28-yarder at the halftime horn to give the Titans a 10-7 lead at the half.
The Dolphins made it 10-10 on their opening drive of the second half, but it came after the Tennessee defense stiffened up and got a stop at their own two-yard line to force a field goal.
The Titans briefly appeared to move back ahead by a touchdown, but a Levis-to-Westbrook-Ikhine pass that was initially ruled a touchdown was overturned, and the Titans ended up settling for another field goal from Folk, this one from 23 yards out, and it was 13-10 Titans after three quarters.
The Titans never let up, as they held the Dolphins to another short field goal after they reached the Tennessee 3, and it was 13-13 with 12:37 left.
Then came the flurry of action in the closing minutes.
And the wild finish.
“It was a fun game, a crazy game,” Henry said. “We made it harder than it needed to be, but I’m glad we could get a win.”
The Titans return to action on Sunday against the Houston Texans at Nissan Stadium.
The Tennessee Titans take on the Miami Dolphins in Week 14 at Hard Rock Stadium.
The game between the Tennessee Titans and the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on December 11, 2023 in Miami, FL. Photo By Mark Brown\/Tennessee Titans
The game between the Tennessee Titans and the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on December 11, 2023 in Miami, FL. Photo By Jessie Rogers\/Tennessee Titans
The game between the Tennessee Titans and the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on December 11, 2023 in Miami, FL. Photo By Jessie Rogers\/Tennessee Titans
The game between the Tennessee Titans and the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on December 11, 2023 in Miami, FL. Photo By Donald Page\/Tennessee Titans
The game between the Tennessee Titans and the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on December 11, 2023 in Miami, FL. Photo By Donald Page\/Tennessee Titans
The game between the Tennessee Titans and the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on December 11, 2023 in Miami, FL. Photo By Donald Page\/Tennessee Titans
The game between the Tennessee Titans and the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on December 11, 2023 in Miami, FL. Photo By Mark Brown\/Tennessee Titans
The game between the Tennessee Titans and the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on December 11, 2023 in Miami, FL. Photo By Mark Brown\/Tennessee Titans
The game between the Tennessee Titans and the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on December 11, 2023 in Miami, FL. Photo By Jessie Rogers\/Tennessee Titans
The game between the Tennessee Titans and the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on December 11, 2023 in Miami, FL. Photo By Jessie Rogers\/Tennessee Titans
The game between the Tennessee Titans and the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on December 11, 2023 in Miami, FL. Photo By Emily Starkey\/Tennessee Titans
The game between the Tennessee Titans and the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on December 11, 2023 in Miami, FL. Photo By Jessie Rogers\/Tennessee Titans
The game between the Tennessee Titans and the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on December 11, 2023 in Miami, FL. Photo By Jessie Rogers\/Tennessee Titans
The game between the Tennessee Titans and the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on December 11, 2023 in Miami, FL. Photo By Donald Page\/Tennessee Titans
The game between the Tennessee Titans and the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on December 11, 2023 in Miami, FL. Photo By Mark Brown\/Tennessee Titans
The game between the Tennessee Titans and the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on December 11, 2023 in Miami, FL. Photo By Donald Page\/Tennessee Titans
The game between the Tennessee Titans and the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on December 11, 2023 in Miami, FL. Photo By Jessie Rogers\/Tennessee Titans
The game between the Tennessee Titans and the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on December 11, 2023 in Miami, FL. Photo By Jessie Rogers\/Tennessee Titans
The game between the Tennessee Titans and the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on December 11, 2023 in Miami, FL. Photo By Jessie Rogers\/Tennessee Titans
The Titans lost three key players \u2013 Derrick Henry (concussion), Jeffery Simmons (knee) and punter Ryan Stonehouse (knee) \u2013 to injury in the contest.
Titans running back Derrick Henry ran for 76 yards and two touchdowns. Quarterback Will Levis completed 18-of-25 passes for 185 yards.
The Titans have now lost five of their last six games, and are 3-7 on the season.
Will Levis started at quarterback for the Titans on a day when the offense just couldn’t get anything going on a consistent basis.
The Steelers then took the lead 20-16 on a three-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Kenny Pickett to receiver Diontae Johnson with 4:02 left in the contest. The Titans couldn’t rally.
Levis finished the contest 19-of-29 for 238 yards and four touchdowns, with a 130.5 rating.
Malik Willis replaced Ryan Tannehill in the fourth quarter at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Tannehill suffered an ankle injury earlier in the contest, and he ended up being carted off the sideline, presumably for tests.
The Titans had won five straight against Indianapolis heading into the contest. The team has now alternated wins and losses through the first five games of the 2023 season.
On Sunday, the Titans turned in a complete, and dominating, performance against the Bengals before a sun-baked crowd at Nissan Stadium.
It was an ugly day from the start for the Titans, who had trouble getting anything going on offense against a Browns defense that harassed quarterback Ryan Tannehill all game.
The Titans improved to 1-1 with the win, and they snapped an eight-game losing streak dating back to last season in the process.
Titans + Nissan Stadium App presented by Verizon
Stay up to date with team and stadium news, concert and event announcements, stream live Titans games and more!
Tennessee Titans Marketplace
A one-stop shop for Titans memorabilia, autographed items and more!
Tennessee Titans Email Newsletter
Get Titans news sent straight to your inbox.
© 2023 THE TENNESSEE TITANS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED <\/p>\n