OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Ryan Fitzpatrick helped put the struggling Tennessee Titans right back in the thick of the AFC playoff race.
Fitzpatrick threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Kendall Wright with 10 seconds remaining to cap a mistake-free performance that led Tennessee to a 23-19 victory over the Oakland Raiders on Sunday.
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| Ryan Fitzpatrick turned 31 Sunday and completed 30 of 42 passes for 320 yards that included a game-winning touchdown drive to lead the Titans past the Raiders. Click here for the slideshow from the game. |
Fitzpatrick also threw a 54-yard TD pass to Justin Hunter, and Rob Bironas added three field goals to give Tennessee (5-6) its second win in seven games. But despite the recent slump, the Titans find themselves in a six-way tie for the sixth and final playoff spot in the AFC with five weeks left in the regular season.
The Raiders (4-7) missed a chance to get into that group as the defense failed to hold onto a late lead and Sebastian Janikowski missed two field goals.
After Bironas put Tennessee up 16-12 with his third field goal, Matt McGloin led the Raiders on a 75-yard scoring drive. He completed all four attempts and accounted for all but 1 yard on the drive, capping it with a 27-yard pass to Marcel Reece with 6:10 to play. McGloin got rid of the ball just before being hit and lofted it over linebacker Zach Brown, who could not stay with Reece downfield.
Fitzpatrick calmly moved Tennessee downfield, completing eight of 10 passes. Then facing third-and-goal from the 10, Fitzpatrick found Wright, who fell into the end zone for the winning score.
The play flittingly came on third down, when Fitzpatrick was at his best all game. He converted 10 of 18 third downs in the game, often in long-yardage situations in his best game yet in place of the injured Jake Locker. He completed 30 of 42 passes for 320 yards.
Hunter and Wright were his favorite targets, gaining 109 and 103 yards, respectively.
Fitzpatrick and the Titans capitalized on a blown assignment for the first touchdown of the game on the opening drive of the third quarter. Hunter was left wide open and caught a pass 17 yards downfield before juking Phillip Adams and Brandian Ross and racing to the end zone for the score that put Tennessee up 13-9.
The Raiders answered with a good drive before stalling at the 30. Janikowski missed his second field goal as his season-long struggles continue as he adjusts to new holder Marquette King after the departure of longtime mate Shane Lechler in the offseason.
McGloin, an undrafted rookie out of Penn State, put the Raiders in position for a second straight win after his three-touchdown, no-interception performance last week in Houston. He completed 19 of 32 passes for 260 yards, but also threw an interception that set up Tennessee's second field goal.
It was an ugly first half that featured five field goals, a blocked punt, a missed chip shot, a number of dropped passes, a poorly thrown interception and 12 penalties for 135 yards.
The Raiders got three of the five field goals to lead 9-6 at the break, but could have had an even bigger advantage after Jeremy Stewart blocked Brett Kern's punt with 11 seconds left.
McGloin threw a 23-yard pass to Rod Streater on the next play, but Janikowski pushed a 32-yard field goal wide left. That was his second miss from inside 40 yards this season after making 85 of 86 the previous five seasons.
