Posted at 10:42 a.m., Sunday, October 7, 2007
NFL: Titans overcome five turnovers, hold off Falcons
Associated Press
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Vince Young was sloppy, and some of his Titans teammates looked equally rusty. Tennessee's resilient and stingy defense made up for it.
Vincent Fuller picked off a pass and returned it 76 yards for a touchdown, and Kyle Vanden Bosch sacked Byron Leftwich with 1:01 left, as the Tennessee Titans overcame five turnovers in pulling out a 20-13 victory today over the Atlanta Falcons.
The win allowed the Titans (3-1) to continue their best start since 2003 when they last reached the playoffs. But it couldn't have been uglier for a team coming off its bye. Young matched his career high with three interceptions.
Atlanta (1-4) scored only 13 points off the turnovers and botched plenty of chances to win, including three missed field goals.
Leftwich, who replaced a battered Joey Harrington in the fourth quarter, overthrew an open Laurent Robinson in the end zone after Demorrio Williams intercepted Young's pass with 4:15 to go.
Williams gave Leftwich another shot, breaking through and tackling Titans punter Craig Hentrich at the Tennessee 19 with 2:24 left. That gave Atlanta the ball with 2:24 left, and Warrick Dunn, held to nine yards on his previous nine carries, broke loose for 18.
That was as close as the Falcons would get, and Vanden Bosch's sack on fourth-and-5 sealed the victory.
