TITANS vs LIONS
Sunday, Dec. 20, 2020
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TEAM NOTES
· The Titans' victory against the Lions improved their record to 10-4. The 10 wins are the most by the Titans since 2008, when they went 13-3.
· The Titans maintained their position at the top of the AFC South. They currently hold the division-record tiebreaker (4-1 to 3-2) over the 10-4 Indianapolis Colts.
· The Titans improved to 3-0 against the NFC North in 2020. Their fourth and final interconference matchup is set for next Sunday night at Green Bay.
· The win gave the Titans 100 regular season victories at Nissan Stadium, which opened in 1999. Their all-time record at the venue, including playoffs, is 102-78.
· The win was Mike Vrabel's 30th victory as a head coach, including playoffs. His record in regular season and postseason games is 30-19.
· For the seventh time in franchise history, the Titans won back-to-back games by 21 or more points. It had not happened since a franchise-best three-game streak in 2000 (Dec. 10 to Dec. 25). The Titans' 46-25 win against the Lions came one week after a 31-10 victory at Jacksonville.
· The Titans recorded three takeaways—two fumble recoveries and one interception—without committing any turnovers. Their plus-three turnover differential in the game improved their season turnover differential to plus-12.
· Head coach Mike Vrabel won his second replay challenge of the season. In the third quarter, his challenge resulted in a Lions offensive play originally ruled down by contact being changed to a Lions fumble and a Titans recovery.
· The Titans' three total penalties against the Lions tied a season low (Nov. 12 vs. Indianapolis), and their 22 total penalty yards was a season low.
TEAM NOTES – OFFENSE
· The 46 points by the Titans were the most for the team since Nov. 13, 2016, when they earned a 47-25 victory over the Green Bay Packers.
· The 46 points against the Lions ranks as the third-highest total by the Titans in a game at Nissan Stadium, which opened in 1999. The only home games with a higher point total in that time period are a 47-point outing against the St. Louis Rams on Dec. 13, 2009 and a 47-point performance against the Green Bay Packers on Nov. 13, 2016.
· The Titans' 463 yards on offense gave them five consecutive games with at least 400 total net yards. That is the second-longest streak in franchise history and the longest since a six-game stretch from Dec. 3, 1961 to Sept. 23, 1962. The 463 yards against the Lions ranks second for the Titans in 2020 (607 against Houston on Oct. 18).
· With 46 points and 463 total yards against the Lions, the Titans became the fifth team in NFL history to record a streak of five consecutive games with at least 30 points and 420 yards. They are the second team in 2020 to accomplish the feat after the Arizona Cardinals did so earlier this season (Oct. 11 to Nov. 15). The only other teams on the list are the 1953 Philadelphia Eagles, the 1968 Oakland Raiders and the 1999 St. Louis Rams.
· The Titans seven games in 2020 with 30 points and 420 total yards give them the second-highest total in franchise history behind the eight such performances by the Oilers in 1961.
· The Titans scored a touchdown on their opening possession for the second consecutive week and for the fifth time in six weeks. It was their seventh opening-drive touchdown of the season and their eighth opening-drive score (one field goal).
· The Titans scored touchdowns on their first three possessions for the first time since Nov. 13, 2016, when they reached the end zone on their first four offensive drives against Green Bay.
· The Titans offense produced 274 yards in the first half, their second-highest total of the season behind their 346 yards in the first half at Indianapolis on Nov. 29.
· The Titans scored touchdowns on all five of their possessions in the red zone. It was their second game in 2020 in which they were perfect in the red zone on five or more opportunities. They went six-for-six against Buffalo on Oct. 13. The Titans have scored touchdowns on 43 of their 57 total trips (75.4 percent) inside the opponent's 20-yard line in 2020.
· After tallying 28 first downs against the Lions, the Titans have a current streak of six consecutive games with at least 25 total first downs, which is the longest current streak in the NFL. Going back to the beginning of the 1991 campaign, it is the first time the Titans/Oilers have had more than three consecutive games with 25-plus first downs. Since 1991, the franchise's only other streak of three games with 25 or more first downs was Nov. 7-21, 1993.
· The Titans converted nine of their 11 third-down attempts against the Lions for an 81.8 percent success rate. It was the highest third-down percentage for the team since Nov. 26, 1995, when they converted 81.8 percent (9-11) against the Denver Broncos.
· With Corey Davis' 110-yard receiving performance, the Titans have 10 individual 100-yard receiving games this season. That matches the 1987 Oilers (10 total) for the most by the team since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger. In the organization's "Titans era" (since 1999), the best previous number of 100-yard receiving games was seven, set in 2001 and later matched in 2004, 2011 and 2013. The Titans entered Week 15 tied for second place in the NFL in individual 100-yard receiving games behind only the Atlanta Falcons (11 through Week 14).
WR A.J. BROWN
· Totaled five receptions for 44 yards and one touchdown. His two-yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter gave him a career-high 10 touchdown catches in 2020. He joined Drew Bennett (11 in 2004) as the only players in the team's "Titans era" (since 1999) with 10 or more touchdown receptions in a season.
· Has at least one touchdown reception in nine of the 12 games in which he has appeared in 2020.
S KEVIN BYARD
· Registered his first interception of the season and his 18th career interception, picking off a pass by Chase Daniel in the fourth quarter. He was credited with 10 tackles, one tackle for loss and two passes defensed in the game.
· Ranks second in the NFL with 18 interceptions since 2017, trailing only Xavien Howard (21).
ILB WILL COMPTON
· Recovered a Lions fumble near the goal line in the second quarter. On third-and-goal from the one-yard line, defensive lineman DaQuan Jones knocked the ball out of the hands of running back D'Andre Swift, and Compton recovered it at the three-yard line. It was Compton's fourth career fumble recovery and his first since 2016.
WR COREY DAVIS
· Logged his sixth career 100-yard receiving game, totaling four catches for 110 yards and one touchdown. It was his fifth 100-yard receiving game of 2020.
· Scored on a 75-yard pass from Ryan Tannehill in the first quarter. It was the longest reception of his career, topping his previous long of 51 yards against Philadelphia on Sept. 30, 2018.
· Established a new career high with five touchdown receptions in 2020, topping the four touchdowns he scored in 2018. It gave him 11 career touchdown receptions.
· On his second catch of the day, he became the 17th player in franchise history to reach 200 career receptions (202).
· With 945 receiving yards in 2020, Davis established a new career high, exceeding his 891 yards in 2018.
RB DARRYNTON EVANS
· Played for the first time since Oct. 13 and saw his most extensive playing time to date as a rookie. He totaled eight rushing attempts for 30 yards and two receptions for 27 yards, including his first career touchdown on a three-yard pass from Ryan Tannehill in the fourth quarter.
· Advanced the ball to Detroit's five-yard line on a 24-yard reception that set up a touchdown in the fourth quarter.
· Recorded his first career kickoff return for 28 yards in the second quarter. He totaled two kickoff returns for 45 yards.
TE ANTHONY FIRKSER
· Caught a 20-yard pass to convert a third-and-11 during a third-quarter scoring drive.
K STEPHEN GOSTKOWSKI
· Made a 38-yard field goal as time expired in the second quarter to give him two consecutive games with a field goal as the clock hit zero in the first half. He hit a 53-yarder at the end of the half in Jacksonville in Week 14. He also made all five of his extra point attempts.
RB DERRICK HENRY
· Recorded 24 rushing attempts for 147 yards and one touchdown, logging his ninth 100-yard rushing game of 2020 and his 19th career 100-yard game in the regular season (22nd including playoffs). His effort included a long rushing attempt of 33 yards, which set up a touchdown in the fourth quarter.
· Scored his 15th touchdown of the season on a three-yard run in the first quarter. With the touchdown, he joined Terrell Davis (1997-98), Shaun Alexander (2004-05) and Larry Johnson (2005-06) as the only players in NFL history to rush for 1,500 yards and 15 touchdowns in two consecutive seasons.
· With an NFL-leading 1,679 rushing yards in 2020, he established a new career high for rushing yards in a season, surpassing the 1,540 yards he had in 2019.
· With two games remaining in 2020, his 1,679 rushing yards make up the fourth-best single-season total in franchise history. The only individual rushing seasons that top his production this year are Chris Johnson's 2,006 yards in 2009, Earl Campbell's 1,934 yards in 1980, and Campbell's 1,697 yards in 1979.
· Registered his first career two-point conversion on a carry in the fourth quarter.
· Since he entered the NFL in 2016, his 10 career games with at least 140 rushing yards and one touchdown are double the next-closest total of five by Minnesota's Dalvin Cook.
CB ADOREE' JACKSON
· Saw his first action of the season after missing the first 13 games with an injury. He was credited with two tackles.
DE DaQUAN JONES
· Delivered one of the game's biggest defensive plays, forcing a fumble that was recovered by the Titans in the first quarter. On third-and-goal from the one-yard line, Jones knocked the ball out of the hands of running back D'Andre Swift, and linebacker Will Compton recovered it. Jones notched his second career forced fumble and his first since his rookie season in 2014. He was credited with three total tackles against the Lions.
ILB DAVID LONG JR.
· Led the team with a career-high 12 tackles and added a pass defensed.
OLB DERICK ROBERSON
· Forced a fumble in the third quarter on a rushing attempt by T.J. Hockenson, and the ball was recovered by defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons. Roberson was awarded his first career forced fumble.
DT JEFFERY SIMMONS
· Recovered a fumble in the third quarter by tight end T.J. Hockenson. Simmons was awarded his third career fumble recovery, all of which have come in 2020. He is the first Titans defender with three fumble recoveries in a season since 2005, when linebacker Brad Kassell accomplished the feat.
· Leads the NFL with three defensive fumble recoveries in 2020 (through afternoon games of Dec. 20).
TE JONNU SMITH
· Tied for the team lead with five receptions and totaled 52 receiving yards.
QB RYAN TANNEHILL
· Registered the first game of his career with five combined passing and rushing touchdowns. He completed 21 of 27 passes for 273 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions, while also rushing for 21 yards and two touchdowns on three attempts. It marked the 12th occasion in franchise history in which a quarterback accounted for five total touchdowns, and it was the first time since Billy Volek passed for four touchdowns and rushed for another score at Oakland on Dec. 19, 2004.
· His 145.8 passer rating was the second best of his career in a qualifying game (min. 20 attempts) and his best in a Titans uniform. The effort for Tannehill ranked second only to his 155.3 passer rating against Oakland on Sept. 23, 2018 as a member of the Miami Dolphins.
· Joined Michael Vick (Nov. 15, 2010) and Jack Kemp (Dec. 4, 1960) as the only players in NFL history with at least three passing touchdowns, at least two rushing touchdowns and a 145.8 or higher passer rating in a single game.
· Tannehill's 145.8 passer rating ranked seventh In Titans/Oilers history among qualifiers. It was Tennessee's best individual passer rating since Marcus Mariota's 147.7 at Houston on Nov. 26, 2018.
· Connected with Corey Davis for a 75-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter. It was his longest pass of the season and tied for the third-longest pass of his career. He added touchdown passes in the fourth quarter of two yards to A.J. Brown and three yards to Darrynton Evans.
· Tied his career high with two rushing touchdowns, scoring on a 17-yard run in the second quarter and on a three-yard run in the fourth quarter. He tied his career high, set in 2019, with his fourth rushing touchdown of the season, which also gave him 14 career rushing touchdowns. His 17-yarder qualified as the second-longest rushing touchdown of his career.
· Notched his second career game with at least two rushing touchdowns and at least two passing touchdowns. He previously accomplished the feat against Jacksonville on Nov. 24, 2019.
· Became the NFL's first player to record 250-plus passing yards, at least three passing touchdowns and at least two rushing touchdowns in a game since Drew Brees achieved the feat against the Atlanta Falcons on Sept. 23, 2018.
· Became the third player in franchise history to pass for 30 touchdowns in a season. He now has 31. Only George Blanda (36 in 1961) and Warren Moon (33 in 1990) have had that many in a season.
· With two games remaining in the regular season, his 3,482 passing yards in 2020 rank seventh in franchise history for a single season.
· Set a franchise record with his fifth consecutive game with a passer rating of at least 100.0, breaking the record he established in 2019.
· Recorded his 11th consecutive game with a touchdown pass.
WR NICK WESTBROOK-IKHINE
· Thwarted a fake punt attempt by the Lions in the fourth quarter by tackling C.J. Moore at Detroit's 34-yard line, one yard short of a first down.
· Dropped Jamal Agnew for a one-yard loss at Detroit's seven-yard line on a punt return in the third quarter.
