On a day when Jake Locker's legs were the offense's most effective weapon, it was his arm that put the Tennessee Titans over the top in a 20-17 victory over the San Diego Chargers.
Bolts coach Mike McCoy and coordinator Ken Whisenhunt called six consecutive runs before punting on a late fourth-quarter drive, essentially daring Locker to beat them in a two-minute drill.
Locker came through with his second career game-winning drive, picking up 94 yards in 10 plays with nominal No. 1 receiver Kenny Britt watching from the sidelines.
The final two throws perfectly encapsulated the maddeningly inconsistent Locker's talents, as he missed an open Damian Williams in the end zone before connecting with rookie Justin Hunter for the 34-yard touchdown pass to win the game.
It will be interesting to see if the performance leads the coaching staff to put more responsibility in Locker's hands after running more than any NFL team in the first two weeks.
Here's what else we learned from Sunday's game:
- It was no coincidence that Britt was benched for the game-winning drive while Hunter, Williams and even Michael Preston saw action in three-wide receiver sets. The mistake-prone Britt committed two more penalties, dropped two passes and was shut out on five targets. He's been one of the least effective starters in the NFL this season. The Titans are a better team with him on the bench.
- Coordinator Dowell Loggains needs to make Kendall Wright more of a centerpiece on offense. He's much quicker and more dangerous after the catch than he was as an overweight rookie last season.
- The Titans miss Shonn Greene. The ground attack was short-circuited whenever running back Jackie Battle replaced Chris Johnson.
- Ronnie Brown's rushing touchdown was the Chargers' first in 358 carries, going back to a Ryan Mathews score early last season. Mathews has been the primary goal-line back, but Brown was in the game because it was a third-down play. The coaching staff still has a lot more trust in Brown and Danny Woodhead than Mathews in passing situations.
- Eddie Royal scored his sixth touchdown of the season, but it was nullified by a Keenan Allen offensive pass interference penalty.
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