Mariota, Murray Lead Titans Over Packers 47-25
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Marcus Mariota threw for 295 yards and four touchdowns and the Tennessee Titans routed the Green Bay Packers 47-25 Sunday.
Five different Titans scored a touchdown in the first half as Tennessee put together its best scoring performance this season with 35 points.
With the win, the Titans (5-5) also matched the five victories over the past two seasons combined.
DeMarco Murray set the tone on the opening play from scrimmage, running 75 yards for a touchdown . He finished with 123 yards and also threw a TD pass, becoming the first non-quarterback to do that for this franchise in the same game since Earl Campbell on Sept. 7, 1980, for the then-Houston Oilers.
Brian Orakpo had two of Tennessee's five sacks, and the Titans also forced three turnovers.
The Packers (4-5) started a three-game road swing by losing their third straight. Green Bay has lost four of five in dropping below .500 for the first time since Aaron Rodgers' first year as a starter back in 2008.
Rodgers and Mariota came into this game tied for the most TD passes in the NFL over the previous five weeks with 13. Rodgers threw for 371 yards and two touchdowns, and he also ran for another.
But Mariota completed his first 10 passes as Tennessee jumped on Green Bay at the start, and he completed TD passes of 9, 32, 6 and 33 — each to a different receiver.
STUNNING FIRST QUARTER
The Titans botched the first play of the game with an onside kick that went straight to the Packers. That was one of only two blemishes in the opening quarter. Tennessee outgained the Packers 231-26 in the first quarter and led 21-0. Murray cut inside left tackle Taylor Lewan and outraced everyone to the end zone for his longest TD this season, and he capped the next drive with a 10-yard TD pass to Delanie Walker.
PACKERS' HOLE
Green Bay trailed by as much as 35-10 before a late TD in the first half. It was the Packers' biggest deficit in the first half of a game started by Rodgers, topping a 21-point deficit against the Giants in 2012.
MURRAY'S DAY
The Titans running back also matched Campbell for the franchise record with a rushing TD in his fifth straight game. Campbell set the mark in 1979. Murray came into Sunday as the NFL's second-leading rusher with 807 yards and a sore toe on his right foot that limited him in practice this week. He got his fifth 100-yard rushing game this season against a Green Bay defense that had been the NFL's stingiest against the run, allowing just 75.8 yards per game.
OUT OF HERE
The Titans led only 7-0 when they lost left tackle Taylor Lewan . On the first play of their second drive, Packers defensive tackle Justin Guion was flagged for going unabated to the quarterback, and Lewan was arguing with Guion when back judge Steve Freeman tried to break it up. Lewan appeared on replays to knock Freeman's hand away, and he was ejected for contacting an official. He was replaced by Dennis Kelly.
UP NEXT:
Packers: Remain on the road, facing the Washington Redskins.
Titans: Travel to Indy to face the AFC South rival Colts.
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