Titans Hang On To Beat Depleted Bears

By ESPN

Marcus Mariota threw for 226 yards and two touchdowns, and the Tennessee Titans hung on to beat the depleted Chicago Bears 27-21 on Sunday.

The Titans (6-6) gave their playoff hopes a boost, though they watched as Chicago (2-9) cut a 20-point lead to six in the fourth quarter.

Matt Barkley, starting for the injured Jay Cutler, led the late surge. The Bears had a first down at the Tennessee 7 in the final minute when Josh Bellamy dropped a pass in the end zone on first down. Barkley's next three attempts fell incomplete, preserving the win for Tennessee.

The Titans moved one game out of first place in the AFC South.

Mariota, putting together one of the best seasons ever by a Titans quarterback, came through with another solid performance. The second-year pro completed 15 of 23 passes.

Rishard Matthews added 64 yards receiving, including a diving touchdown grab near the end of the first half. Delanie Walker had three catches for 50 yards and a touchdown, and the Titans headed into their bye on a winning note after losing at Indianapolis last week.

With Cutler nursing a right shoulder injury, the Bears were forced to give Barkley his first career start. The former Southern California star struggled before coming on strong down the stretch, going 28 for 54 for 316 yards with the first three touchdowns of his career and two interceptions.

Barkley got picked off by Wesley Woodyard with the ball on the Tennessee 16 in the second quarter, and he was intercepted in the end zone by Da'Norris Searcy early in the third.

He did, however, throw a 6-yard touchdown to Deonte Thompson with just over three minutes left to cut it to 27-21. The Bears got the ball back on their 35 with 1:56 remaining after the Titans went three-and-out. But they couldn't complete the comebacks.

Barkley, who came in with six career interceptions, threw his first touchdown as a pro when he hit Daniel Brown for a 7-yarder for a 7-0 lead late in the first quarter.

But it was all Titans the rest of the half.

They scored touchdowns on their next two possessions, with Derrick Henry turning the left corner for an 11-yard run and Mariota hitting Walker with a 4-yard pass .

The Bears then had a big opportunity after the Titans' LeShaun Sims got called for a 45-yard pass-interference penalty. But with the ball on the 16, Woodyard picked off a pass Barkley tried to squeeze to Ben Braunecker .

Matthews made it a 14-point game with a spectacular touchdown catch near the end of the half. With his back to the quarterback, he sprawled out to haul in a 29-yard pass in the end zone.

Sunday, November 27 Scoreboard

Tennessee 27, Chicago 21

Buffalo 28, Jacksonville 21

Baltimore 19, Cincinnati 14

Atlanta 38, Arizona 19

New York Giants 27, Cleveland 13

New Orleans 49, Los Angeles 21

Miami 31, San Francisco 24

San Diego 21, Houston 13

Tampa Bay 14, Seattle 5

Oakland 35, Carolina 32

New England 22, New York Jets 17

Kansas City 30, Denver 27 (OT)

Monday, November 28 Schedule (Time Central)

Green Bay at Philadelphia, 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, December 1 Schedule (Time Central)

Dallas at Minnesota, 7:25 p.m.

Sunday, December 4 Schedule (All Times Central)

Kansas at Atlanta, noon

Detroit at New Orleans, noon

Los Angeles at New England, noon

Denver at Jacksonville, noon

Houston at Green Bay, noon

Philadelphia at Cincinnati, noon

Miami at Baltimore, noon

San Francisco at Chicago, noon

Buffalo at Oakland, 3:05 p.m.

New York Giants at Pittsburgh, 3:25 p.m.

Washington at Arizona, 3:25 p.m.

Tampa Bay at San Diego, 3:25 p.m.

Carolina at Seattle, 7:30 p.m.