In a battle of backup quarterbacks, it was the Titans’ Ryan Fitzpatrick who came up with the biggest play. He connected with Kendall Wright for a 10 yard score with 10 seconds remaining to lift the Titans to a hard fought 23-19 victory in Oakland over the Raiders.
Fitzpatrick threw for 320 yards and two touchdowns on the day and connected on a couple of impressive strikes on the Titans game winning drive. Matt McGloin threw for 260 yards and a touchdown with one interception in the loss.
McGloin led the Raiders on what looked like the possible game winning drive, capping it off with a beautiful throw to Marcel Reece. For the Raiders, it was their only touchdown of the game and it occurred more than halfway through the fourth quarter. Unfortunately, Fitzpatrick was up to the task and continually came through on the Titans final drive.
In the first half, kickers Sebastian Janikowski and Rob Bironas did all of the scoring as the Raiders led 9-6 going into the locker room. Both teams threatened inside the other’s red zone, but both defenses would keep the offense out of the end zone.
It was on the opening drive of the second half that things got going when Fitzpatrick connected with Justin Hunter for a 54 yard touchdown to put the Titans in front. Hunter led the Titans in receiving with 106 yards on six catches and the aforementioned touchdown.
Both defenses were successful in containing the running game as both Chris Johnson and Rashad Jennings were held under a hundred yards and neither ripped off a run of more than 15 yards.
The win is a huge one for the Titans as they are at the top of a pack of six teams tied at 5-6 for the final wild card spot in the AFC, a group the Raiders would have been a part of with the victory. The Raiders now fall to 4-7 and have little time to regroup before heading to Dallas to take on the Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day.
