NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Nick Folk kicked a 41-yard field goal in overtime in a sudden downpour and the Tennessee Titans snapped an eight-game skid by beating the Los Angeles Chargers 27-24 Sunday.
The Titans (1-1) won for the first time since Nov. 17 in Green Bay last season. They had to rally from an 11-3 deficit at a point where the Chargers had more points than Tennessee had yards (eight).
Ryan Tannehill rebounded from the worst game of his career in the opener by throwing for 246 yards and put Tennessee up 24-21 with a 4-yard touchdown pass to Nick Westbrook-Ikhine. He also ran for a touchdown and started the game-winning drive with a 49-yard toss to Chris Moore.
Derrick Henry had 80 yards and also ran for a touchdown.
The Chargers (0-2) now are mired in their first winless start since 2017 when they lost their first four games in both their first season in Los Angeles and first with then-coach Anthony Lynn.
Justin Herbert threw for 305 yards and two touchdowns to Keenan Allen. With the ball and 2:22 left in regulation, he was sacked by Harold Landry forcing the Chargers to settle for Cameron Dicker's third field goal of the game to force overtime.
The Chargers won the coin toss. But Herbert threw three straight incompletions as Tennessee forced just its third three-and-out of the game.
Both teams played without key starters because of injuries. For the Chargers, running back Austin Ekeler (ankle) and linebacker Eric Kendricks, their biggest offseason addition, was sidelined by a sore hamstring.
Los Angeles at least had linebacker Joey Bosa active after he had been questionable with an injured hamstring. He had two of the Chargers' five sacks.
The Titans already declared out two starters in their secondary with safety Amani Hooker in the concussion protocol and cornerback Kristian Fulton’s hamstring an issue again. Rookie left guard Peter Skoronski, the No. 11 pick overall out of Northwestern in April, was declared out Saturday with an illness.
Tennessee started Xavier Newman, a second-year undrafted free agent out of Baylor at left guard. That didn't last as the Chargers ended back-to-back drives with sacks getting to Tannehill untouched. Dillon Radunz, who tore an ACL last December, took over to start the second quarter.
Tennessee finally showed signs of life on offense. Tannehill hit Treylon Burks with a perfectly thrown 70-yard pass, and Henry capped the quick drive with 1-yard TD — Tennessee's first TD of the season.
Folk kicked a 33-yard field goal as the half ended to pull Tennessee within 14-10. Tannehill capped a 75-yard drive to open the third with a 12-yard TD run, a drive kept alive by the Chargers' first two penalties of the game both on third down.
Herbert capped an 80-yard drive with a 12-yard TD pass to Allen within the first minute of the fourth quarter.
The Titans tried to answer but went three-and-out on consecutive drives, the second ended by the Chargers’ fifth sack.
INJURIES
Titans tight end Chig Okonkwo went down early but returned to the game. He finished with four catches for 35 yards.
UP NEXT
The Chargers finish a two-game road swing at Minnesota.
The Titans hit the road again to Cleveland.
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