NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The defense had put them on the porch twice.

The Titans offense punched in a couple early touchdowns from wonderful field position provided by the defense. The first thanks to a Jameis Winston fumble from a too-early shotgun snap that bounced off the quarterback’s facemask and was recovered by Isaiah Mack, the second thanks to a Malcolm Butler interception.BrownTdBucs

But when the Titans needed a knockout punch against the Buccaneers on a day where the defense provided most of the field position, the offense had one big drive in them: The 12-play, 90-yard mark took them 6 minutes and 54 seconds in the fourth quarter.

That provided the final 27-23 margin.

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Paul Kuharsky has covered the Tennessee Titans since 1996, first for The Tennessean, then ESPN.com and now independently at PaulKuharsky.com. He served on the Pro Football Hall of Fame selection committee for 11 years and is the longest-tenured Titans beat reporter in the franchise's history.