The longest active losing streak in the NFL came to an end Sunday.
All it took was scoring one of the wildest, unlikeliest touchdowns of the season.
Down by a score of 21-3 during Week 5 on the road against the Arizona Cardinals, the Tennessee Titans narrowed the gap to 21-12 with under five minutes left when Cam Ward, the top pick from the NFL draft last spring, launched a pass directed toward the end zone.
Ward’s throw was tipped and subsequently intercepted by Arizona’s Dadrion Taylor-Demerson at the 6-yard line. What followed was a sequence of events that began as a routine turnover that might have handed Arizona a crucial win, transforming into a series of blunders that shifted the game’s momentum in Tennessee’s favor.
As Taylor-Demerson was falling, attempting to stabilize himself after the interception, he fumbled. His teammate, Kei’Trel Clark, rushed in to recover the ball but accidentally kicked it back to the 3-yard line, where it further deflected off two other Cardinals defenders into the end zone. Tennessee’s Tyler Lockett jumped on the ball for a surprising touchdown, narrowing the score to 21-19.
The Titans clinched a 22-21 victory with a field goal on the game’s last play, completing a comeback that would be impressive for any team. They achieved this despite having at one point the lowest average win probability for any winning team since 2016, according to the NFL — an especially unlikely feat given it was this team.
Heading into Week 5, Tennessee carried a dubious distinction. Their 10-game losing streak, extending back to last season, was the NFL’s longest active winless streak. Another loss would have tied the franchise’s longest losing streak since 1994. Ward, having started his career 0-4, was attempting to avoid becoming the ninth quarterback drafted first overall to start his career 0-5.
The game provided Tennessee a moment of relief, whereas Arizona departed with a familiar sense of dread. Each of the Cardinals’ five games this season has been decided by the final possession, including three consecutive losses.
