OPENING WITH A ROAD WIN: The Titans' victory gave them three consecutive opening day road wins. They had Week 1 wins at Pittsburgh in 2013 and at Kansas City in 2014. It is the first time in team annals the team accomplished the feat and the second time in history (1975-77) the team has won its first road game three seasons in a row. The win at Tampa Bay gave head coach Ken Whisenhunt a record of 6-2 in Kickoff Weekend Games.
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MARGIN OF VICTORY:** The Titans' 28-point victory was their largest margin of victory since a 34-point win (37-3) at Miami on Nov. 11, 2012.
MOST POINTS IN A ROAD OPENER: The Titans' 42 points ranked as the team's fourth-highest total ever on Kickoff Weekend and the most the team scored in Week 1 since a 47-17 win over the Los Angeles Raiders in 1991. It was the team's highest point total ever in a road game in Week 1.
GOAL-TO-GO SUCCESS: The Titans were in the red zone four times against the Buccaneers and scored four touchdowns. They were also a perfect three-for-three in goal-to-go situations. The performance followed a preseason in which they were six-for-six in goal-to-go situations.
FIRST QUARTER SCORING: For the fifth time in franchise history, the Titans scored at least 21 points in the first quarter. The last time it happened was when they scored 21 against Houston on Dec. 19, 2010. The most the Titans/Oilers ever scored in the first quarter was 24 points at Indianapolis on Dec. 5, 2004.
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FIRST HALF SCORING:** The Titans scored 35 points in the first half, a total that tied for the second-highest number in franchise history. The club record is 45 points against Cleveland on Dec. 9, 1990. They now have eight all-time games with 35 points in the first half. Most recently, they accomplished the feat at Detroit on Nov. 27, 2008.
THIRD DOWN: The Buccaneers offense had 14 third-down attempts, and the Titans defense allowed only three conversions on those chances (21 percent).
FOUR SACKS AND A PICK-SIX: The Titans defense notched four sacks and two interceptions, including Coty Sensabaugh's interception return for a touchdown. In 55 previous season openers in franchise history, the team had recorded four sacks and an interception return for a touchdown only once (Sept. 4, 1988 at Indianapolis).
SUCCESSFUL CHALLENGE: The Titans won a key replay challenge in the second quarter. On fourth-and-one, the Buccaneers initially earned a first down on a one-yard run by Doug Martin. However, head coach Ken Whisenhunt challenged the spot of the ball, resulting in a turnover on downs. Linebacker Zach Brown and safety Da'Norris Searcy were credited with the tackle on the play.
MARIOTA ACCOMLISHES A FRANCHISE FIRST: Second overall draft pick Marcus Mariota became the first quarterback in franchise history to start the opening game of his rookie season.
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PERFECT PASSER RATING:In his first career game, rookie quarterbackMarcus Mariota** recorded a perfect passer rating of 158.3. He completed 13 of his 16 attempts for 209 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions. Mariota is the first player since at least 1933 with a perfect passer rating in his first game (minimum 10 attempts) and the first player in the Super Bowl era (since 1966) with a perfect rating in his first start (minimum 10 attempts).
MARIOTA LEADS FIVE SCORING DRIVES: Marcus Mariota's career began with touchdown passes to cap his first two NFL drives. His first two NFL passes fell incomplete, but he responded with a 22-yard completion to Delanie Walker and on the next play a 52-yard touchdown pass to Kendall Wright. Later in the first quarter, he found Bishop Sankey for a 12-yard touchdown pass. In the second quarter, he connected with Harry Douglas for a four-yard touchdown and then with Delanie Walker on a one-yard touchdown. On the team's first series of the third quarter, he led a drive that ended with Bishop Sankey's one-yard touchdown run. Mariota did not play in the fourth quarter. In total, he led the offense for seven series, and the offense scored a touchdown on five of those possessions.
MARIOTA AND TARKENTON: Marcus Mariota became the second rookie in NFL history to throw at least three touchdown passes in a season opener. He joined former Vikings quarterback Fran Tarkenton, who passed for four touchdowns on Sept. 17, 1961. All four of Mariota's touchdown passes came in the first half, and he became the only rookie in NFL history to throw four touchdown passes in one half. Prior to Mariota, the only other quarterback in franchise history to complete three touchdown passes in his first start was Jacky Lee. In the 10th game of the 1960 season, Lee threw for three touchdowns against the Denver Broncos.
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MARIOTA AND BRADY:**Marcus Mariota tied Tom Brady for the most touchdown passes (four) in the first week of the 2015 season (through Sunday, Sept. 13). Including those two performances, there have been 11 occasions in the last 10 Kickoff Weekends (2006-2015) in which a quarterback completed four or more touchdown passes.
MARIOTA IN THE FIRST QUARTER: Marcus Mariota became the first rookie in NFL history with two touchdown passes (52 yards to Kendall Wright and 12 yards to Bishop Sankey) in the first quarter of a Kickoff Weekend game
MARIOTA'S YARDS PER ATTEMPT: Marcus Mariota averaged 13.1 yards per attempt in his debut, the most by any NFL quarterback during Kickoff Weekend 2015 (through Sunday, Sept. 13). The figure tied for 12th in Titans/Oilers history for a player with 14 or more attempts in a game, and it was the highest single-game average for a Titans quarterback since Steve McNair's 15.6-yard average against the Texans on Oct. 12, 2003.
WRIGHT SETS CAREER LONG, GOES OVER 100: Titans wide receiver Kendall Wright led the Titans with 101 yards on four receptions, including the longest catch of his career. His 52-yard touchdown reception on a pass from Marcus Mariota in the first quarter topped his previous long reception of 48 yards (Nov. 30, 2014 against Houston). On a 17-yard reception in the third quarter, he went over the 100-yard receiving mark for the fourth time in his four-year career.
WRIGHT TOPS 2,500: On a 22-yard reception in the second quarter, wide receiver Kendall Wright went over 2,500 receiving yards for his career. He became the 16th player in franchise history to reach the mark.
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SANKEY CAREER HIGH:Starting running backBishop Sankey** led the team and set a career high with 74 rushing yards on 12 attempts. He topped his previous benchmark of 61 yards, which he reached twice as a rookie in 2014 (last vs. Jacksonville on Oct. 12). In the third quarter, he scored his third career rushing touchdown on a one-yard run.
FIRST CAREER RECEIVING TD FOR SANKEY: In the first quarter, running back Bishop Sankey achieved a career first. The second-year running back recorded his initial career touchdown reception on a 12-yard pass from Marcus Mariota. Sankey became the first Titans player to record a rushing and receiving touchdown in the same game since Nate Washington against the Indianapolis Colts on Oct. 30, 2011.
FIRST TITANS TD FOR DOUGLAS: Eighth-year wide receiver Harry Douglas notched a four-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter. It was his ninth career touchdown reception and his first with the Titans after signing with the club as an unrestricted free agent during the offseason.
WEST IN RUNNING BACK ROTATION: Exactly one week after he was obtained in a traded with the Cleveland Browns, Terrance Westwas in the running back rotation for the Titans. He entered the game with eight minutes to play in the first quarter and rushed for 41 yards on 13 carries.
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SENSABAUGH MAKES MOST OF FIRST INTERCEPTION:The Titans defense got on the scoreboard early in the first quarter, thanks to fourth-year cornerbackCoty Sensabaugh. Sensabaugh recorded his first career interception, picking off a pass byJameis Winstonto wide receiverAdam Humphries**, and he raced 26 yards for a touchdown.
BACK-TO-BACK SACKS: On the first series of the third quarter, defensive tackle Jurrell Casey recorded his 22nd career sack, taking down Jameis Winston for a loss of eight yards. On the next play, outside linebacker Derrick Morgan dropped Winston for a 14-yard loss.
MORGAN REACHES 25 SACKS: Outside linebacker Derrick Morgan recorded two sacks (14 and two yards) at Tampa Bay to become the third player in the Titans era (1999–present) to reach 25 sacks with the club. He joined Jevon Kearse (52) and Kyle Vanden Bosch (38.5).
INTERCEPTION FOR MOUNT: In the first half of his NFL debut, rookie outside linebacker Deiontrez Mount notched his first career interception. The sixth-round pick from Louisville picked off a short Jameis Winston pass to running back Charles Sims and returned the ball eight yards to help set up a touchdown in the second quarter.
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BLACKSON NOTCHES SACK IN FIRST GAME:Rookie defensive linemanAngelo Blacksonrecorded a sack in his first career game. The fourth-round pick droppedJameis Winston** for a loss of five yards in the fourth quarter.
KERN REACHES 450 PUNTS WITH TITANS: Brett Kern averaged 47.3 yards (43.0 net) on four punts, and in doing so he became the third player in franchise history to reach 450 punts in a Titans/Oilers uniform. He joined Craig Hentrich and Jim Norton.
DEBUTS: At total of 18 players saw action for the first time in a Titans uniform, including eight rookies. There were seven new starters in the lineup who were added during the offseason: wide receiver Harry Douglas, left guard Byron Bell, right tackle Jeremiah Poutasi, quarterback Marcus Mariota, outside linebacker Brian Orakpo, cornerback Perrish Cox and safety Da'Norris Searcy.
INACTIVES: The Titans' seven inactive players against the Buccaneers were quarterback Charlie Whitehurst, running back Antonio Andrews, cornerback Jason McCourty, offensive lineman Quinton Spain, tight end Chase Coffman, defensive end Ropati Pitoitua and nose tackle Sammie Hill. Andrews (hamstring), McCourty (groin) and Hill (knee) were listed on the injury report leading up to the game.
