TITANS HEAD COACH MIKE MULARKEY

Opening statement:

"Injuries really only Derrick Henry. He pulled his calf in pregame workout and other than that, everybody [has] bumps and bruises. Game injuries, but nothing serious other than that."

On Henry's injury:

"[He was] bad enough not to play. He felt like he couldn't play."

On Marcus Mariota turning the ball over:

"Well I will say this, on the first one a corner made a very good play. Very good play. On the second one, he's got to put the ball away. There's no question about it. All you can do is practice it. You can keep talking about it. Unfortunately, you have to have some bad experience like we've had this year. At some point it's got to be automatic and the last turnover Kendall's (Wright) got to run a better route, because that route should never be undercut like that. So I put that on Kendall."

On what the difference in his mind was of this game:

"Well, we made enough mistakes where we could not- I'm going to give them credit. Again, they came right out, scored their first three possessions, [and] ran the ball very effectively. Every time we thought we had a chance to come back and get back into the game, they came right back too. That's a credit to those guys, no question. But also you can't turn the ball over. You certainly can't turn the ball over for scores. That's next to impossible to win in this league and it was enough to lose."

On how deflating the loss and turnovers is emotionally:

"Losing is deflating. The way that we lose is frustrating, very frustrating. But I will say this, this team has a lot of heart to be down here on the road and come back and put a drive together at the half and come out after the half to put a drive together to take the lead when everyone else thought it was doom and gloom this team did not think that."

On what is with the slow start and what did he see from the team in the first quarter:

"Third downs. We couldn't convert them. We did not convert them and they did. Their drives continued for scores and we had three and outs. It was third and down."

On if the team gave a sluggish effort:

"I'll let you know when their sluggish in their effort, but it has not been about effort at all."

On why there wasn't more of the no huddle, hurry up plan when it worked so well in the third quarter:

"We did. We went back. We started to move the ball again without it. We're trying to give our line a little bit of a blow there. That's a lot when you're at the line like that in the mode that we were in, but we got back into it and we threw the pick. We got back into that same style that you're talking about. We threw the pick for a touchdown."

On the team being so good against the run this year and why (Melvin) Gordon was allowed to have the day that he had:

"A very good runner. Tackling was not very good, especially on the last third and seven where we needed that stop to have a chance. I'll have to watch the tape again. There are a lot of gaps. We have some blitzes on where there shouldn't be any running space [and] there shouldn't be any gaps. So, I'm going to have to say without looking at it that gap control was not very good."

On his thoughts on the two defensive holding calls on the Charger's touchdown drive:

"I thought that they were very poorly officiated. They throw to (Antonio) Gates clearly. I've seen it over and over at our guys, especially on Delanie (Walker), overcalled. To throw a guy down, he's not going to get that wide open, but really poorly officiated. It comes to those points. That didn't lose the game, but they need to be held accountable like we are."

On how successful Mariota was running and whether it's something that they are going to incorporate in for the rest of the season:
"We have that. We've used that in prior games. It hasn't been as successful, but that's in every week and we've gone to it at times for a variety of reasons, but we have that. That's a staple in our offense."

On whether Mariota's touchdown run was pre-conceived before the game plan going into the second half or if they made an adjustment on the fly:
"No. We came in at half time, we said we just went down, put a score on, we have them on their heels a little bit. Let's try to keep them on their heels. We're going to stay in the same mode and try to do it again. But again, it puts a little stress on your offensive

Chargers-Titans Postgame Notes & Quotes – Sunday, November 6, 2016

line. Their pass blocking, but then we came back and we hit it again after we did a huddle series. It's a pretty tough thing to do an entire game and think you can be effective. We threw a pick on the next drive in the same mode."

On if there's no margin for error now going forward:

"Yeah, we know that. We know where we're at it's a big point here. There is not a lot of room for error. All of these games are important. Each game is more important than the previous one and [we] understand that and [we will] try to get back in the pack. We put ourselves in this position."

On Rishard Matthews with two big plays and how he has been doing:

"Good. He's done very good. There's a couple of other plays there that I would like to- the one we had a drop down there before his touchdown- which we would've scored earlier, but he's done some very good things for us."

On why DeMarco (Murray) didn't have much success this game:

"I give them credit. That's their strength. Their strength is their front five and they are a good front. I said that earlier in the week, probably one of the best fronts we're going to face. They did a good job at getting those two guys ready to play and they played well."

On if Mariota's touchdown run was a designed run:

"It's an inside run. He bounced it outside. It's a quarterback draw, he made a good run on it."

On his thoughts on the protection:

"I thought it was pretty good for the most part. [I] felt good about it, I really do. It's a pretty good front. Early on I thought there was a little pressure. Obviously the first third and down got a hand on us, but for the most part I thought it was pretty good."

On how he weighs the touchdown run versus Mariota dropping the ball on another play:

"I didn't even think about that run. All I could think about are the things we need to fix. We got to get better [and what] we need to get better at."

On whether he is reluctant to make those running play calls with Mariota:

"No. I mean, we just scored a touchdown on one, we thought we had a good play call right there. He made a good read we just got to put the ball away. It's not a matter of stop designing things and stop running them, we have to fix. It's too much of a weapon for you. It's a matter of doing it."

On if it's a challenge to get over the hump and finally get that winning record:

"Again, for one reason or another it's been something that- [we] played a good team. We didn't play well enough against a good team. I told them last night, whoever wins the turnover will win the game, and it pretty much was a fact."

TITANS QUARTERBACK MARCUS MARIOTA

On turnovers:

"They made a couple great plays. The one early, I really thought Delanie (Walker) was going to pop wide open but the corner fell off and made a play. Obviously, I can't fumble. That's going to put us in bad situations. On the final interception, I probably should have just moved on in my read. Kendall (Wright) did a good job winning, if I would have laid the ball out there a little more to the outside, it's a completion.

On the fumble, did that get stripped?

"Yeah, he got a hand in there, but again, I can't let those things happen."

On the first interception, were they in something that you didn't see pre-snap?

"No, pre-snap it was the look we had practiced. It was an opportunity, I thought, to get Delanie (Walker) matched up on the underneath guy. We thought the corner was going to fall in on the end but he ended up just falling off and covering Delanie and made a play on the ball."

On the slow start, how much did it hurt you and did you feel like you could overcome it when you took the lead?

"When you're playing teams like this, you can't start slow. The two three-and-outs right away put us behind the eight ball a little bit but I felt like the guys continued to battle as things were not looking so good. I thought the team did a great job fighting which shows a lot about this team."

What was it like to play in front of so many friends and family and people from Hawaii?

"It was special. There were a lot of family members and lot of friends that I haven't been able to play in front of for a few years and for them to come out and show their support means a lot to my family and I. Unfortunately, it didn't go the way that we wanted but I'm thankful that they're here and it meant a lot."

Chargers-Titans Postgame Notes & Quotes – Sunday, November 6, 2016

Could you hear them?

"Absolutely. Whether it was the (Oregon) Duck faithful or people from back home in Hawaii, it was a special time for me and I just appreciate all the support."

What is the mindset of the team now?

"Just take it one day at a time. Move on from this one. We have a really good team coming in next week. Just have to game plan and get ready for that one."

Despite the turnovers, did you feel good about the offense today?

"Yeah, I thought we executed well. We were able to get some scoring drives going. Again, it's the turnovers. The turnovers hurt us a lot. Those are things that I have to take care of."

Walk us through the touchdown run:

"I thought the guys outside and DeMarco (Murray) did a good job blocking. Maybe they felt that if I could bounce to the outside, maybe I'd have the opportunity to score. Those guys did an awesome job blocking to give me the opportunity to do that."

Did you initially think you'd be able to get to the pylon?

"It was kind of one of those instinctual plays, stuff that I've been doing since I was a kid. Credit goes to the guys who gave me the opportunity to do it."

On Rishard Matthews:

"He's done a great job creating separation. He continues to find ways to get open and makes tough catches. I'm going to continue to need that from him."

Are you more inclined to stay up-tempo or are you comfortable with whatever coach decides?

"Whatever the coaches want to do. I have to do a better job of executing. I thought overall, whether it was in huddle calls or standing at the line of scrimmage, for the most part we did a good job. I think if we continue to use those things, I'll just do it to the best of my ability. It's whatever the coach wants to do."

In college you had a lot of highs and not too many lows. What's it like adjusting to the ups and downs of the NFL?

"It's different, but this is the highest level. I was very fortunate to have some good runs in Oregon. It's part of the game, it's part of this league. You can continue to get better and continue to grow. You're not going to win every single one of them. For us, we're fighting in these games. We're giving ourselves an opportunity to win. That's all you can really ask for."

How many family members and friends were actually here?

"A lot. I have no idea what the actual number is. Probably hundreds, to be honest."

TITANS WIDE RECEIVER TAJAE SHARPE

On offense looking to take advantage of Chargers' depleted secondary:

"They did a pretty good job of trying to stack the box and stop the run game. So obviously we had to adjust and we came out trying to throw the ball. One time no huddle, fast tempo and we had some success with that. But we just got to take care of the ball a little bit better and got to give ourselves a better chance to come out with the win."

On turnovers and unforced errors that defined the game:

"Teams are too good. You can't win games turning the ball over. Self-inflicted wounds. We knew that coming into this game, especially with this type of high-power offense. We've just got to go back to the drawing board. We'll go back to work tomorrow and correct our mistakes."

On if the Titans are trying to get him more involved in the offense:

"I just go out there and try to be where I'm supposed to be at all times and if the ball comes my way, I can try to make a play on it. It's just everybody doing their job. If you get the opportunity, make the play."

On more rhythm in hurry up offense:

"That's something that we practice every single day throughout the week in practice. We've gotten pretty good at it since the beginning of training camp and that's something we're going to continue to do. That's just another dimension to this offense, speeding up the tempo, changing up the pace a little bit. We get defenses off balance and see where their endurance is at and try to catch them off guard."

On building off passing game performance today:

"Definitely, you can build off any performance every single week, whether it was a great performance or one that needed a little bit of work. Like I said, we're just going to go back to work tomorrow, go back to the drawing board, look at the film and correct the things that we can do a little bit better and take care of the ball."

Chargers-Titans Postgame Notes & Quotes – Sunday, November 6, 2016

TITANS LINEBACKER WESLEY WOODYARD

On Chargers' offense keeping the defense off balance:

"At the beginning of the game, we couldn't get off the field. That's the key to any game. If you can't get off the field on third down and 10, we pretty much gave them the run. We missed a few tackles that opened up a few run gaps and allowed them to get over 100 yards."

On sacking Philip Rivers and being difficult to get him off his spot:

"He's a good veteran. He has the time clock countdown going on in his head. If anything, he expects the blitz to come. He did a lot, like checking a lot of plays into run when he saw something he didn't like. Overall I think he did a really good job."

On the key for Chargers' run game with Melvin Gordon:

"Continue to move the chain. We had him multiple times, but we had him tackled and he was able to break out of it easily. He's a good back for a reason and we've just got to make our plays."

On coming back after getting two penalties on third down:

"You've got to continue to fight. Anytime you go down there and you stop them over and over and over again, flags come in. There's pretty much nothing you can do. It's just your job to go out there. It sucks that we got those penalties but at the end of the day, we've got to make something happen."

On getting a slow start:

"There are no excuses for it. We weren't up to our game today and they took advantage of it. That's what a veteran team does with a veteran leader. They're going to beat you any day like that."

On if Gordon was tougher than they thought he was:

"No, he's not a sleeper. He just broke some tackles. That's why he's an all-pro running back. He made some big plays and that's the tale of the tape."

TITANS RUNNING BACK DEMARCO MURRAY

On how the rushing defense rank compared to what he has seen this year:

"They're a good team. We thought we could throw the ball against them and I thought we sported that pretty well. Some drives, they were a really good team. They just made a few more plays than we did."

On getting in a rhythm using hurry-up offense:

"I think in different games it's helpful. In this this game, it was. They have some weakness in their secondary and I thought Marcus (Mariota) did a great job of finding receivers at certain times. It was in our favor today."

On losing by one possession and turning the ball over three times:

"It's hard to win on the road when you turn the ball over. It's not on Marcus (Mariota). When you turn the ball over, it's usually a team effort offensively. We didn't play well together offensively, defensively, special teams played well. But offensively and defensively, we didn't get our jobs done today."

On Chargers being thin at inside linebacker and if they looked to take advantage of that:

"Yes, we felt we were moving the ball through the air with ease. They're a good team. They made a few more plays than we did. Obviously, when you score on defense, you've got a high chance to win the game."

On if it felt like a handed away game:

"No, we didn't hand it away. They beat us. You don't hand away wins or losses in this league. Usually the other team makes more plays. They made more plays than we did. You can't have the amount of errors we had. We've just got to bounce back."

TITANS WIDE RECEIVER RISHARD MATTHEWS

On his touchdown:

"It was a seam route, it wasn't a great route, I just tried to get in front of the defender. Marcus (Mariota) put a good ball up and it felt good and I just went up and got it."

On how the game felt overall to him:

"We knew it was going to be a battle coming into the game. We know they score a lot of points. Offensively, we just have to do a better job at keeping our defense off the field. We fell short and this was one of the games that we knew was going to be a game where whoever had the ball the last two or three minutes was going to win and that is how it went."

On if their running game struggled because of Derrick Henry's injury:

Chargers-Titans Postgame Notes & Quotes – Sunday, November 6, 2016

"I don't really know what happened there but we just have to execute better. I am sure that everybody has some plays that they want to get back."

On how the team feels at this point in their season:

"I don't think we are where we want to be. I think we are a better team than what our record shows. Like I said, we always are in there right until the end but we need to do a better job of finishing games. That is the biggest thing.

TITANS SAFETY KEVIN BYARD

On why he felt that the team lost:

"When you go against a great team, and especially a great quarterback, you can't get two turnovers and expect to win the game. That is one thing we talked about going into the game ... the team that wins the turnover battle is going to win the game ultimately and we lost that. We need to come back on Monday and find a way to fix the things that we need to fix and get ready for next week."

On how they were feeling as things started turning the way of the Chargers:

"We were still fighting. We know it is a four-quarter game. Every game we have been in this year has been a four quarter game so no matter what the score is we still play like it is 0-0 and just keep fighting for the next play."

On why the team had a slow start:

"I can't really point to anything specific. I just think we need to find ways to start faster. Especially coming to the west coast and playing in someone else's stadium we need to start faster although it's not how you start, it is how you finish. We kind of got momentum in the second quarter and started slow in the third quarter and we started fighting back in the fourth. It was one of those things where like I said, you can't give a good team two turnovers and expect to win a game."

On Melvin Gordon's performance:

"He is definitely the best running back that we have faced so far this year. He is going to be a great running back in his years to come, he got a lot of training this summer. He is a great guy and like I said, credits to their offensive line and their running back. They won the game, they beat us, period."

CHARGERS HEAD COACH MIKE MCCOY

Opening statement:

"A big team win. Great effort by everybody in all three phases of making enough plays throughout the game. Got off there to a fast start and then they kind of got on a little roll there, but we responded to it. Very pleased with the way everybody played the game. With our linebacker situation this week, the way Bob Babich and Bobby King got those guys ready to play with all the changes that we made, the team rallied together. It was the 'next man up' mentality and we weren't going to skip a beat. We just keep on rolling so a lot of credit to them, and really all the coaches with the plans and all the movement we had with guys coming and going due to some injuries during the week, yesterday with an unfortunate announcement we had to make, so it was hard but it's all part of the business. Really pleased with the way the coaches just kept on rallying and got guys playing, and the players stepped up."

On the character of the team with the stand-out effort on both sides of the ball:

"We knew it was going to be a physical game and we understood that this football team was coming in here to run the football. We talked about it and said, listen, we've got to be the ones to run the football more efficiently in this game. We understand they've got a good front on defense, so we've got to challenge these guys and we say, this is what it's got to be. This is how we've got to do it and then as the game was going along and at the end of the game, we kept talking about situations and the whole discussion was to finish the game with the ball in the offensive hand and run the clock out. That's exactly what—what a special run that was on Mel (Melvin Gordon). Next time I hope he stays in bounds though, so we're going to learn something from every game and that's something he needs to do, just stay in bounds there, and I'll breathe a little easier at the end of the game. Great team effort, though. Very pleased with the way the defense played against the run, holding a team that really runs the football as well as anybody in the league."

On Melvin Gordon's yards today and how he stayed strong from beginning to end:

"He came to camp in great shape. We've been talking about it forever, what great shape he's come in, and he just keeps working. We look at the play count each week and you look at him and we all know he's our bell cow back there, and look how he finished the game. I don't know how many plays he played in the game, but he was just as strong at the end of the game as he was the first snap of the game. When you run the football the way we did today and you commit to it and you keep on running it, and at certain times we were throwing the ball going up and down the field also, those short gains become a big and explosive play like the one at the end. Give the offensive line, the tight ends, the receivers—I know there were some critical blocks in there by the receivers today—but very happy with the way we ran the football and how we played against the run on defense."

On potentially cutting Melvin Gordon's snap count back next week:

"I think we've talked about this since he became the guy without Danny (Woodhead) in there playing the number of snaps. We're going to give him the ball and let him roll. We're going to go more off of how he feels, and we're going to say that every week we walk in here. Going into the week, if we've got to cut back on practice or in the game as he goes, if he needs a tap out from time to time, we'll tap out. I've got no problem when he's running the ball the way he did and looks the way he did at the end of the game; I've got no problem giving him the ball. We will monitor how he's playing each game and how he feels on a weekly basis."

On the two defensive touchdowns and their ability to get the ball:

"Phenomenal. We've always talked about creating turnovers, and that's why we've done a nice job week in and week out of doing that, getting our hands on balls. You always talk about stripping certain things and it pays off. You get the big recovery by Dwight (Lowery) to go in there and score for the touchdown and then Brandon (Flowers) gets the one pick six. You've got an opportunity to get the play and he made it. He's dropped a couple of those in the past. That's what the game is all about—making the plays when they present themselves. Getting 14 points from the defensive side of the football is outstanding. It makes things a lot easier."

On being down several inside linebackers and how the guys played in the middle:

"The coaches had a great plan going in. I know I say that all the time, but adjusting to our personnel and it's about doing what your players do best. Our system is in place, don't get me wrong, but there are certain things you might do more of or a little less of with certain players in the game. There are some young players who have been here not very long, so give them credit. We've been talking about this since we had our rookie class come in this year, and the college free agents, the way they've all worked and the way the whole entire team has worked, not just this position. We've been moving a lot of guys in at the receiver position too, so when you have players who love to play the game and you have some great veterans that these guys can learn from, you've got a great coaching staff—you have days like this. I'm just so proud of the players, especially guys who haven't been here very long and had to play a lot."

On the day Antonio Gates had and how he stepped in with an injured Hunter Henry:

"Well, we all know about Antonio. We all know what a great player he is. He's one of the best to ever play the game, if not the best, and we knew going into this plan that there was going to be a great opportunity to do some things with Antonio, and take advantage of what they do defensively. Great game for him."

On electing to receive when winning the coin toss and the strategy behind it:

"Well, there's a number of things that go into—I wish I could say one of them, but I won't—but you look at what we've done offensively and how we've moved the football. You look at other teams and their success, what they've done, who you're playing against, and so there's a number of things that go into the equation every week. I'm pleased with the way we started the football

Chargers-Titans Postgame Notes & Quotes – Sunday, November 6, 2016

game and when Miami comes in next week, we'll make that decision during the week. I'll analyze what I think is best for our team and we will go from there."

On retaking the lead and then building on it to make it a two-score game:

"Keep playing. It's not the first time we've been down. You've got to play for 60 minutes. You just keep on rolling. They made a couple plays and unfortunately, they had a couple series in there where they got some points on us, but we just keep on rolling. You play for 60 minutes. That's how we play here. We have a certain culture here, regardless of what the score is, what week it is. Doesn't matter if it's practice, preseason game, regular season game, week one, week 16, week 17, whatever it is, and then from there on you just keep on playing. You keep on playing hard, good things will happen."

On the home stand and what getting this one win does for the team:

"Well, I'll say this, and I said this on Monday, but it was great to be back home in front of our fans. Now we need to—really, the last time the Miami Dolphins were here, the environment was out of this world. We need to continue that and have that same thing and the energy and excitement we had in our stadium, and they're coming here this week, so please fans, we need that same type of environment. We need to play the same way, but it's going to be a tough football game. (Miami Dolphins head coach) Adam Gase has done a phenomenal job there getting those guys going, so we've got to play better than we did today. It's always nice to play in front of your fans here. It was special coming back home and then having another one next week."

CHARGERS QUARTERBACK PHILIP RIVERS

On Melvin Gordon's game today:

"He was just awesome. I would have paid a ticket to watch him today. It was good. We were very balanced obviously, today. We had more of an up tempo, no huddle deal like we've done plenty of times over the past three and a half seasons now. We thought that was going to be to our advantage and I think it was. We came out and scored the first drive and was really rolling there for a while. And then obviously some of the big runs Melvin (Gordon) had and the guys did a great job up front blocking and protecting. It was all around good. I would have liked to score a touchdown there before the half because then they scored to start the third. And as good of a half that I thought that we had, we were down two. Thankfully we were able to answer right back and then our defense scored twice. So it was definitely a complimentary game on both sides of the ball. And a game we said, coming in, that we had to have. Then we have this one on Sunday to get us to .500 and then a little time to heal up."

On the Titan's rush game:

"They did a heck of a job, obviously that defensive staff getting them ready. The mixing and matching of how they're going to defend the run and moving Kyle (Emmanuel) there to an inside linebacker – base defense. But I do think we helped a little bit by getting ahead then making them go to a two-minute stall. I talked to Kyle (Emmanuel) after and he said, 'I didn't even get to play that much' because they played spread out with three wides and stuff. But they did a heck of a job against them. I thought Brandon Flowers, some of the tackles he made. It was a complete team effort and one that we had to have. We got it done."

On Antonio Gates' game:

"He played really well. Obviously this is as physical of a game that he's had to play in a long time. He was the lead blocker on isolation. As he likes to say in his words, 'I'm in the mix out here' and he was. And there were a couple he caught going out there then coming in the flat. So it was a good job, a good plan, and we got in a rhythm. In the personnel group a lot of times with Antonio Gates and the three receivers, they're a heavy past. But we were able to keep him honest with formations and things we were doing. Although I wanted to get him another touchdown. Coming in today I shorted and didn't quite get what I thought. I told the guys last night in the quarterbacks meeting that I was going to get him nine catches and catch a couple touchdowns. He didn't quite get that but he definitely had a heck of a game."

On playing with the alumni in the stadium:

"I was a little late coming out so I didn't get to see them, they were leaving. But seeing some of the guys at the practice field and here, it puts faces to names and you realize there's way more than just these guys here over the past 56 years. Over the different times and eras, you just realize what it means to be a San Diego Charger and what it means to be part of this community. A lot of those guys are still part of this community. There were a lot of years represented here today and I was just glad we were able to go out and take care of our part."

On the 14 penalties today:

"We overcame a handful of them, but definitely those hurt us. Melvin with a swing pass down inside the four or five and it got called back on (DJ) Fluker. It's just effort but we need to get that corrected. There were a couple pre-snap penalties and a couple holdings. Gosh, my dad used to say, 'you can call holding on every play.' But that'd be a heck of a boring game to watch. So we had a few of those that you're going to have. But we have to cut out the pre-snaps. But (DJ) Fluker was just fighting, running down the field. Which you love to see from a linemen. But we definitely need to clean up the penalties and – it's probably unrealistic – but score touchdowns every time we get down there and not score those field goals. Then we're not in an eight point game at the end, it would be a 14 point game and it would be over."

Chargers-Titans Postgame Notes & Quotes – Sunday, November 6, 2016

On Melvin Gordon's growth over the past month:

"I think it's a little bit of everything but I felt it this training camp. I don't know if anyone remembers me saying it but there was a ten day span when I was thinking, 'uh oh, here he comes.' The way he was running I think maybe he had enough reps or something. He said it perfectly. There were a lot of guys working together for so long that he was starting to feel the rhythm of things and getting continued reps of the same run over and over. I did feel him coming in training camp. I would give anything to have Danny (Woodhead) out there, and Keenan (Allen) and all those guys. Then we'd really be the best offense in the league if we had all our guys, and even now we're still pretty dang good. A lot has been put on Melvin's plate. He's in on third down and playing over 50 snaps every game. He had a couple fumbles there that I know tore him up but he fought through that the last few weeks with just how hard he's running and how smooth he's running. A lot of these cuts that he's making, you can just tell in his feet. He knows what he's seeing and he's making quick decisions. The past game he's done a good job and caught some passes. In the Atlanta game especially he caught a bunch of balls and it's been awesome to see him progress. We're going to need him down the stretch that we all believe is going to be a heck of a stretch. We're excited about continuing."

On being so close to 50 points toward the end:

"It's funny you ask. At the end I asked Melvin (Gordon), 'do you see the scoreboard?' I saw it on that huddle in that third and one. I said, 'if it's scot free, go ahead and score. If it's not just get down.' Then I looked up and saw him for however many carries and 194 yards and I just said, 'go ahead and do whatever you want' because I saw him looking too and how was I going to tell this guy not to go get 200 yards and what would have been 50 points? I was less worried about the points than I was his 200 yards once I saw it on the board."

CHARGERS TIGHT END ANTONIO GATES

On all the injuries:

"Guys being down is the nature of this league. Guys have to step up and try and help us win football games. I was put in a position to help as much as I could. Fortunately, we were able to get the win."

On the rest of the season:

"One thing about this league is that you have to play 16 games. You see teams that start 1-5 and make the playoffs. That is something we talk about in the locker room. We implement into the young players that we have 16 weeks and you never know how this thing will unfold. We are one step closer to being 5-5 at the break."

On additional duties on offense

"It was different. I know it sounds cliché but the next man up is what I have to do because of all the injuries. I can't say enough about the confidence they have in me to do it. I was able to get it down and do as much as I could to help us establish the run game."

Comments on age and experience:

"I am a little bit more sore then I used to be back in the day. When you get older, you get smarter. I think that is the nature of experience. You kind of have to pick and choose your spots and that is what I was able to do today."

CHARGERS SAFETY DWIGHT LOWERY

On scoring a touchdown:

"It felt good. Anytime you score on defense it changes the momentum of the game. We did things defensively that didn't really put our team in a good position, but we were able to capitalize on that play and others."

On the defensive play today:

"Our offensive can score with anybody. Anytime we can get the ball and score as well, it's going to put more pressure on the opposing team. Huge play for our team and a huge play for the defense. We needed all those points because it came down to the very end. We made some big plays, but we also gave away some big plays as well. Credit to them. I think [Marcus] Mariota is a great quarterback. I think that he does very well with their system. They do a lot of things that puts the defensive in a position to communicate a lot. If you don't communicate then that is when things tend to breakdown. When they went to the hurry up, that gave us a lot of problems."

CHARGERS OUTSIDE LINEBACKER MELVIN INGRAM

On what it means to get the win going into another home game:

"It means a lot. It is just giving us momentum. We are trying to come out here and get victories every time. Every time we go here out and stack up a victory it is giving our team more confidence and more momentum."

Chargers-Titans Postgame Notes & Quotes – Sunday, November 6, 2016

On what it means get a win before playing a tough Miami team:

"It means a lot. Anytime you can get a victory in this league it means a lot because victories in this league are hard to come by. It's give or take a play here or there and when you can get one it means a lot. It is just giving our team a boost and momentum."

On what it means to him seeing Melvin Gordon have a good game:

"It means a lot. The crazy thing is (that) me and Melvin talked about it last night. He told me he was going to do that and that is what is crazy. I know he has all the ability and I know he can go out and do that. He is showing that he is one of the best running backs in this league. He told me he was going to have a big day. He said he was going to go out and lay it all out on the line, and that is what he does every week."

On the way the defense fed off of each other:

"It just shows that we all hold each other accountable. We try to hold the offense to a high standard and they hold us to the same standard. When we can both go out there and make plays, it is going to be a good day for the Chargers."

On what was going through his mind during the forced fumble:

"See ball, get ball and force the fumble. I (saw) Corey (Liuget) first pick it up, then he fumbled it, then Dwight (Lowery) picked it up, I knew it was six (points). Anytime when any of our Defensive Backs touch the ball it is going to be a touchdown. So it was just something to help our team."

On playing well as a defensive despite the injures to the unit:

"Next man up mentality. That's the mentality we have got here, next man up. No matter who is in there, as long as (there are) 11 on the same page as the 11 playing, we feel like we are one of the best out there."

CHARGERS CORNERBACK BRANDON FLOWERS

On how it felt scoring his touchdown:

"It felt good to just make a play at home. A key play that was big for our football team. I felt like this was a game we needed to win. We have got like the next five out of eight at home, just to create a spark. I think out team did a good job of creating a spark, to making us just have that feeling at home. (When) we come into the stadium we think we are going to win. That is how we feel. I just felt good to make that play and get a win."

On where he thinks the team is at to make a big run in the second part of the season:

"I think it shows so much adversity we go through, the linebacking situation right now, at one point it (was) the secondary, at one point it was the receivers, no matter who goes out we just feel like if we just take that field, it doesn't matter who is out there with us. Our coaches do a great job of getting us caught up on what we need to do and having us in a whole different mindset than any other team would have in the league right now and that is how we go out and perform."

On the impact the team's defensive front line has had on the secondary:

"Everything. The ways those guys (were) getting pressure, with just those four guys up there, it's special. We are nothing without our front, I will tell you that now. The way those guys get pressure makes our jobs easier on the back end."

On what it does to the defense when they see Melvin Gordon play so well:

"We love it because we know (that) being a defender on the opposite end of that, it wears you down. We know that is wearing the defense down, the way he is running and pounding the ball. That is why we try to get three-and-outs so often because we are feeding our horse right now. Melvin Gordon is playing outstanding football right now. We just have to keep feeding our horse."

On what it means to be back out playing and contributing to the team:

"Being out a month, that was terrible. Then coming back on the road against Denver with that altitude, it feels good to just finally have two games played back-to-back, having fun with my teammates and just making plays. It just feels good to be back on the field."

On how he is feeling:

"I feel good. How electric it was out there today, I am ready to get on the field next week. It was something special. The way the guys filled in at certain positions and we still made it happen and came away with a win, it is a good feeling."

CHARGERS DEFENSIVE END JOEY BOSA

On the way the defense responded when they saw the momentum had shifted:

"Yeah, obviously, it's always fun playing at home. It's only my second time playing here but it was great energy; it kept us going. That's what we're there for, to make big-time plays when it calls upon us so I think our defense played really well. We gave up too many points though and we have to fix that."

On big-time plays being a game changer:

Chargers-Titans Postgame Notes & Quotes – Sunday, November 6, 2016

"As a defense, that's really our mindset. We want to change the game every chance we possibly get. Anytime we can get the ball and give it back to our offense or get 7 it's big time. Happy we won. It feels great."

On the offense's performance today:

"It's hard to win games in the NFL, it's never going to be pretty but the way Melvin (Gordon) ran and the way our defense stepped up in some hard positions we were in when we were out there it says a lot about our team and we're just looking to get better next week."

On how the defense was able to finish the game the way they did:

"Obviously you kind of get that feeling in the second half when they [Titans] go down and score especially with the lead we had but I think we never got down on ourselves as a team. We really stepped up as a defense and an offense when we needed to. It means a lot for the Chargers and like I said, we're just going to try to get better next week."

CHARGERS DEFENSIVE TACKLE COREY LIUGET

On the win today:

"It's hard to win in this league. Getting this win today means a lot for us, our locker room, the players in here, and everyone. It's just a great feeling to get the win."

On potential back-to-back wins [this week and a win next week]:

"That's the plan. Getting another win and doing whatever we need to do to get us ready."

CHARGERS CORNERBACK CASEY HAYWARD

On his fifth interception:

"We won so that definitely feels good. Once you can have the team contribute that's a good thing. Five is good but hopefully I can get one next week. (Brandon) Flowers, I feel like he played a really good game. He got a pick 6. He tackled well. As playing in the secondary we have to make plays and when our numbers were called today, we made plays."

On the injuries this year:

"It's all about next man up. That's how it's been with everything. It doesn't matter who it is. You're going to have injuries but it's all about the next man up and that's what we've done. When (Brandon) Flowers was out we had people step up, me and Steve (Williams), Craig (Mager). (Brandon) Flowers is back, Craig (Mager) went down we had some young guys step up and play today. That's what it's all about, making plays when your numbers called because we know injuries are going to happen."

On Brandon Flowers leadership helping the secondary:

"I think it definitely helped out. A lot of injuries on the field, he's a veteran guy so we kind of lean on him when it comes to playing. He sees a lot of different things on the field and it's just a lot of energy when we get out there. It rubbed off on us today. He started out early in the game with some key tackles and when he plays like that the game comes easy for him and as you can see he made a lot of good plays and he got a pick 6."

On stopping the Titans:

"If everybody played their keys we'd be fine. We know they had some option things but everybody played their keys and we were fine. Overall, I feel like we tried to come in and dominate on the defensive side especially up front. We know they average 155 in the running game, I think they only had 80 today so we did a good job."