Titans beat Raiders on last-second field goal / LJWorld.com

Archive for Saturday, August 16, 2008

Associated Press

August 16, 2008

John Russell/AP Photo

Oakland quarterback JaMarcus Russell, right, hands the ball to running back Darren McFadden in the second quarter of their preseason football game against the Titans on Friday in Nashville, Tenn. Tennessee won, 17-16.

Nashville, Tenn. — The Tennessee Titans and Oakland Raiders have talented young quarterbacks in Vince Young and JaMarcus Russell.

Good thing both teams have decent running games.

John Vaughn, filling in for All-Pro Rob Bironas, kicked a 33-yard field goal as time expired Friday night to lift the Titans to a 17-16 victory over the Raiders in an exhibition featuring the first quarterbacks taken in the 2006 and 2007 drafts.

Oakland (1-1) appeared set to remain unbeaten as Aaron Elling, subbing for an injured Sebastian Janikowski, kicked three field goals with the last one bouncing off the left upright with 5:19 left to put the Raiders ahead.

But undrafted rookie safety Tony Joyner knocked the ball away from Oren O'Neal at the Titans 1 with 2:10 left, and rookie Stanford Keglar recovered for Tennessee (2-0).

Ingle Martin, a Nashville native, was 6-of-8 on the drive and set up the winning field goal with a 26-yard pass to Chris Davis.

The Titans worked on their passing offense with Young, the 2006 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, but had little success against a Raiders defense missing cornerback DeAngelo Hall.

Russell, the first pick overall in 2007, threw a touchdown pass and left the game with a 10-7 halftime lead. But he had only one good series - one more than Young - and finished 10-of-17 for 75 yards.

Young was 4-of-13 for 37 yards and left after five series, his final incompletion drawing a smattering of boos.