Marcus Mariota has led the Tennessee Titans to three second-half touchdowns, incredibly catching a deflected TD pass himself, in an amazing 22-21 comeback NFL playoffs win at the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Titans rallied from a 21-3 deficit for their first playoffs win in 14 years.
Mariota threw for 205 yards and two scores, including the 22-yard go-ahead strike to Eric Decker with just over six minutes left that ushered the Titans into the divisional round of the playoffs.
"Special, special," Mariota said.
"I'm a part of a great team. I'm a part of a group of guys that really just believe in each other. And, it's something special and I'm look forward to playing next week."
They'll face the New England Patriots or Pittsburgh Steelers next week.
The Chiefs haven't won a home playoff game since January 1994.
Alex Smith threw for 264 yards and two touchdowns, but most of that came before halftime.
He couldn't get on track in the second half and misfired on fourth-and-nine at the Titans' 44 with just over two minutes to go, denying the Chiefs a chance for Harrison Butker to kick a go-ahead field goal.
The letdown was made even more depressing when Henry appeared to fumble as Tennessee tried to run out the clock.
The Chiefs' Derrick Johnson picked up the ball and returned it for a touchdown with 1:47min to go, but a video replay showed that Henry was down and the call was overturned.
Tennessee succeeded in running out the clock from there.
Meanwhile, Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons showed the upstart Los Angeles Rams what playoff poise is all about.
Ryan passed for 218 yards and hit Julio Jones for an eight-yard touchdown with 5:48 to play, and the defending NFC champion Falcons advanced from the wild-card round with a methodical 26-13 victory.
Devonta Freeman rushed for an early score and Matt Bryant kicked four field goals for the Falcons (11-6), who spoiled the Rams' first playoff game in 13 years while showing off the postseason poise they earned from last season's journey to the Super Bowl.
The Falcons advanced to face the top-seeded Eagles on January 13 in Philadelphia.
Share
