NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Third-and-hopeless, it looked like.
The Titans only had 130 net yards and faced third-and-23 on the final play of the third quarter. While the defense had made it so they were in a tied game, things weren’t looking so great.
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Ryan Tannehill saw a flag to his left and stepped up out of trouble, looking to that side first for Julio Jones, then turning his attention to the right and letting fly for A.J. Brown. Brown maneuvered in front of Ambry Thomas, high-pointed the ball, strong-arming it and holding it out as he went to the ground – for Thomas, for the officials, for the crowd, for you, for me.
Forty-two yards. Offsides against Samson Ebukam declined.
That was the peak moment of Brown’s re-emergence, a brilliant performance that catapulted the Titans to a 20-17 win and lifted them to a 10-5 record.