Bergbau » perfect time and now the Colts could reap the benefits. I

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- An unnecessary roughness penalty for a blindside hit wiped out Marcus Mariotas interception. The Titans quarterback managed to fall on the ball after simply dropping it on handoff.His third mistake counted and couldnt have been more costly Sunday.Mariota fumbled when sacked, and Robert Mathis picked up the ball and ran 14 yards for the clinching touchdown in a 34-26 loss to the Indianapolis Colts . This latest loss leaves the 2014 Heisman Trophy winner and No. 2 overall pick in the 2015 NFL draft just 2-8 on his home field for his career with his latest turnover bringing that total to 19: six fumbles and 13 interceptions.Tennessee coach Mike Mularkey said the key is protecting the ball better.Thats one of the things we have to stop doing, Mularkey said.The Titans (3-4) trailed 27-23 when they got the ball at their own 25 with 1:55 left and a timeout. A perfect moment for Mariota to follow up his winning performance of a week ago against Cleveland.On the first play, T.Y. McGill came through the Titans line where Brian Schwenke replaced starting left guard Quinton Spain, who was carted off the field in the second quarter. McGill stripped Mariota of the ball , which Mathis grabbed for the easy TD with 1:47 left.I was trying to step up in the pocket and make a throw to the left, Mariota said. They moved from the pressure, probably could have moved away from it. It was one of those things that was kind of perfect timing for him. I was separating my hands to throw the football. He just kind of poked at it and ended up knocking it out.Josh McNarys hit on Titans tight end Delanie Walker wiped out Patrick Robinsons interception late in the third quarter, and Mariota later dropped the ball in the same drive for a 9-yard loss to end the quarter. But Mariota capped the drive with a TD pass.Mariota finished throwing for 232 yards and two touchdowns. But the Titans quarterback was streaky, opening the game completing his first five passes with the last a 10-yard TD pass to left tackle Taylor Lewan. Then he missed five of his next six passes, throwing too high. He sailed a pass to Andre Johnson on third-and-1 in the second quarter.The quarterback took the blame, noting he also missed Rishard Matthews on a deep pass down the field.Again, that really was on me, Mariota said. I mean I just missed throws in the pass game, especially on third down. We cant be missing those opportunities. Weve got to continue to move the chains, allow us to either score points or pin them deep.Mariota completed passes to seven different receivers counting Lewan.Tight end Delanie Walker, who caught a 7-yard TD pass that tied the game at 20 early in the fourth quarter, thinks Mariota was trying to throw to him before fumbling and said the quarterback might be taking too much of the blame for the teams offensive struggles.He only plays one position, Walker said. We all go to do our part.With the loss, the Titans missed a chance yet at their longest winning streak since 2011. They wrap up a three-game home stand Thursday night hosting Jacksonville and still searching for both ball security and offensive consistency with the second-year quarterback.With what happened (Sunday), guys are hungry to get back on the field, Mariota said. 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Note: The Calgary Flames announced Tuesday that Sean Monahan would not be made available to Canadas World Junior team. INDIANAPOLIS -- For five years, the Indianapolis Colts have beaten up Tennessee in every conceivable way.They won on their home turf and on the road. They won with Andrew Luck at quarterback, with former Titans starter Matt Hasselbeck behind center, even with backup Dan Orlovsky. They won in overtime, in blowouts, with fourth-quarter comebacks and a 2-point conversion stop.Perhaps that mind-boggling 10-game losing streak will finally end Sunday in Indy.Since I have been here I dont think we have beaten the Colts, so I am pushing that and telling everybody that that has to be our main objective, is to beat the Colts. Titans tight end Delanie Walker said. If we want to be the leaders in this division, this is one team that we have to beat.Actually, the skid predates Walkers arrival in 2013.The last Titans win in the series came Oct. 30, 2011. Six weeks later, the 0-14 Colts won 27-13 -- a loss that prevented the Titans from making the playoffs.This time, the Titans (5-5) are on one of their hottest streaks in years.DeMarco Murray has regained his league rushing champion form, second-year quarterback Marcus Mariota is playing the best football of his career, Walker is playing like a Pro Bowler, and the offense has already set a franchise record by scoring 35 or more points in three straight games.The defense held Aaron Rodgers in check last week, and coach Mike Mularkey opened up the playbook with an onside kick to being last weeks game, and Murrays halfback pass for a touchdown.Even the Colts can see Tennessee brimming with confidence.Indy (4-5), meanwhile, is trying to build momentum for a playoff push by winning back-to-back games for the first time all season.And despite having so much success against the Titans over all these years, the Colts know history alone wont help them this weekend.We have to be more consistent. One week we didnt tackle well. The next week we tackled well, but we didnt cover well. The next week ... you know? Indy safety Mike Adams said. Its too much of a roller-coaster ride, now we have to figure this thing out. Its time to peak because, as you guys already know, last week playoff football started.It did?Here are some things to watch Sunday:CHAMPION COLTS: Peyton Manning, Reggie Wayne, Jeff Saturday and about three dozen more players from the 2006 Super Bowl champions will be in Indy for their 10-year reunion.dddddddddddd Two players who likely wont participate in the halftime ceremony: kicker Adam Vinatieri and outside linebacker Robert Mathis, the only players from that team still on Indys roster.Luck called it a cool event but acknowledged its not something those in the locker room are talking about. Theyre more focused on winning this game in front of the former Colts.CLICKING OFFENSE: The Titans are rolling. In addition to the three 35-plus point games, they have scored at least 26 points in each of their last six, and their 33 touchdowns are tied for second in the league (San Diego). The streak has been spurred by Murray, the NFLs second-leading rusher, who has four 100-yard games in the last six. He ran for 107 yards in the first meeting with Indy last month. Mariota has thrown an NFL-high 17 TDs with only three interceptions in those six games, and his passer rating (119) over that span is No. 2 in the NFL.HEALTH CHECK: Indys bye came at the perfect time and now the Colts could reap the benefits. If the practice reports are correct, the Colts offense could have its original starting lineup for the first time since Week 2. Left guard Jack Mewhort (triceps) and right tackle Joe Reitz (concussion) both returned to practice after missing the Green Bay game two weeks ago. The return of both could help keep Luck stay upright, too. Hes been sacked a league-high 33 times this season.PROTECTING MARIOTA: Defenses have sacked Mariota just twice in the past three games -- both coming last week after left tackle Taylor Lewan was ejected for contact with an official. The Titans have allowed only 14 sacks all season and are sixth in the league, yielding a sack on 4.4 percent of pass attempts. Mularkey said he hopes watching the game from the locker room taught Lewan a lesson, and Mularkey wants his left tackle to make sure hes safely back in the huddle to avoid any issues.Im hoping that when he watched, he saw that we can play without him and be effective, Mularkey said.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '