Blake Bortles' 5 touchdowns not enough for Jaguars in loss to Titans
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Jacksonville coach Gus Bradley wants the Jaguars' latest loss to hurt so much they finally quit making the mistakes costing them wins.
Blake Bortles threw three of his five touchdown passes in the fourth quarter, but the Jaguars couldn't stop Marcus Mariota, who ran for an 87-yard score along with throwing three TD passes as the Tennessee Titans beat Jacksonville 42-39 on Sunday.
"I'm hoping this hurts to teach us to get those things out of the game," Bradley said.
The Jaguars (4-8) came in with a chance to sweep the series with their AFC South rival for the first time since 2005, and left town having given up 467 yards. The Jaguars sacked Mariota four times and forced two turnovers they turned into 14 points.
But they also missed not one but two extra points, and had a pass for a 2-point conversion batted down. The ball also was snapped high over Bortles' head, setting up what the winning TD for Titans linebacker Wesley Woodyard with 7:46 left. Bortles threw his final TD pass to give Jacksonville a final shot before he was sacked on fourth down with 2:02 left.
Bortles now has 22 TD passes this season, a franchise record topping the 23 David Garrard had in 2010. Bortles would rather swap the mark for more wins.
"It seems like it gets more and more frustrating every week," Bortles said. "The closer you are the more frustrating it gets, especially when I thought we played, offensively, a pretty good game. There's a couple things here and there."
Three of Bortles' TD passes went to Allen Robinson, who finished with 10 catches for 153 yards. Robinson also topped the 1,000-yard mark, becoming the Jaguars' first 1,000-yard receiver since Jimmy Smith in 2005.
"It is a step backwards," Jaguars cornerback Davon House said. "We let this one slip away."
The Titans snapped the NFL's longest home skid at 11 straight. The Titans (3-9) had not won on their own field since Oct. 12, 2014, when a blocked field goal helped them beat these very same Jaguars, 16-14. That was their lone home victory last season.
The teams combined for many more points Sunday, scoring six touchdowns in the fourth quarter alone, tying for the second-most TDs in a fourth quarter since 1940, according to STATS.
"You got to start somewhere to put your foot down and draw the line and say enough's enough," Titans interim coach Mike Mularkey said. "Was it today? We'll see. I'd like to think it is."
Mariota finished with 112 yards rushing, becoming the first Tennessee player to run for at least 100 yards since Chris Johnson on Dec. 29, 2013. The Heisman Trophy winner also threw for three touchdowns and 268 yards, becoming the first player in NFL history to throw for more than 250 yards, run for more than 100 and throw TD passes in a game.
Titans rookie wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham had his best day as a pro with five catches for 119 yards.
Mariota started the fourth quarter with a 47-yard pass to Green-Beckham for a TD, just the first in a crazy stretch as these teams traded TDs. Only Chicago and Detroit combined for more fourth-quarter TDs with seven on Sept. 30, 2007.
Mariota broke loose on third-and-7 with the Titans backed up at their 13. He weaved his way upfield with Wright delivering the final block. Then when a snap sailed over Bortles' head, Titans linebacker Wesley Woodyard recovered and ran 3 yards for a TD.
"Then it was a foot race," Bradley said.
NOTES: Jaguars defensive end Tyson Alualu caught a 16-yard pass and blocked for T.J. Yeldon on a 1-yard TD run. ... House set a career high with his third interception this season.
