If not for a missed call in the Bucs-Titans game back in Week 8, Tennessee might not have made it to the postseason.
The Tennessee Titans are looking like a true Super Bowl contender today. After stunning the New England Patriots on the road last weekend in the Wild-Card round, the Titans went into Baltimore last night and downed the 14-2 Ravens, 28-12, to advance to the AFC Championship Game.
What’s most surprising of all perhaps is that the Titans just barely got into the playoffs. It took until the final game of the regular season for them to secure the final wild card spot, finishing the year with a record of 9-7.
But, let’s not forget that one of those wins came amid a controversial call all the way back in Week 8 when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers traveled to Tennessee. With the score 27-23 in favor of the Titans, Tennessee lined up for a 46-yard field goal with just under four minutes to play. Instead of kicking it, holder and punter Brett Kern took off for the first down, but was lit up by Bucs linebacker Devin White.
The ball comes loose and Bucs safety Andrew Adams takes it the other way for the touchdown. But, the officials called Kern down by contact, thus the touchdown was negated. What would’ve been a game-changing play for the Bucs that would’ve put them ahead late in the fourth quarter, instead resulted in a turnover on downs. The Titans would go on to win the game, pulling their record to 4-4 instead of 3-5.
Tennessee could’ve still gone to make the playoffs even if they had lost that game, but you have to imagine it would’ve made things all the more difficult for them.
[lawrence-related id=27216,27210,27206,27182]
