Tennessee Titans (3-4)
v.
Dallas Cowboys (3-4)
Tennessee 28, Dallas 14 - The Titans finally decided to show up again! any of us were wondering where they had gone. It is still a bit unusual to see the Cowboys wearing their dark jerseys at home, but it is not all that unusual to see them struggling and losing games like this, supposedly unexpectedly. The 'Boys started off well enough, with Amari Cooper grabbing a four-yard pass from QB Dak Prescott to cap a four play, 15-yard drive to jump ahead 7-0 in the first quarter. But the Titans responded in the second quarter, scoring two consecutive touchdowns to grab a 14-7 lead. The first was a Derric Henry to cap a 15- play, 80-yard drive that ate nearly nine minutes off the clock. Five minutes later, the Titans scored that second touchdown when Dion Lewis brought down that 18-yard touchdown pass by Marcus Mariota to cap a seven play, 69-yard drive. However, Dallas was able to respond at that point, Allen Hurns caught a 23-yard pass in the end zone from Prescott to tie the game just before the half. The second half, however, belonged completely to the Titans. The defense was tight once again, looking very much like the elite defense that they have been through most of the season. But it was the offensive woes that they needed to overcome, and that they did. Mariota found Jonnu Smith in the end zone for a 7-yard touchdown pass to cap a seven play, 40-yard drive, and the Titans went ahead, 21-14. The Titan defense made sure this time that the lead would last. In the fourth quarter, Mariota ran it into the end zone for a 28-14 lead o successfully conclude an eight play, 64-yard drive. Dallas was suddenly desperate, but the Tennessee defense clamped down on them, icing the game and earning a tough road win. This was the first home loss of the season for Dallas, but it puts their season in serious peril. They appear well outside of the NFC playoff picture, and their season is teetering on the edge, putting the fates of both head coach Jason Garrett and quarterback Dak Prescott on the line. On the day, Mariota did everything that was asked of him, completing 21 of 29 passes for 240 yards, and adding 32 yards and another touchdown on 10 carries. For Dallas, Prescott completed 21 of 31 passes for 243 yards, with two touchdowns and one INT. Dion Lewis picked up 62 yards on 19 carries, while his Dallas counterpart, Ezekiel Elliott, gathered 61 yards on 17 carries. The Cowboys have now dropped three of their last four games, including their past two straight games, and find themselves now a game behind Philly for second place, and two games behind Washington for first place in the NFC East. The Titans, meanwhile, improve to 4-4, although they finally snap a three-game losing streak that threatened to end their playoff hopes. They remain a game and a half behind the very hot Houston Texans in the AFC South, although they are now fully ahead both Indianapolis and Jacksonville. My pick: Inaccurate
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