TENNESSEE --Will Levis threw four touchdown passes, including three to DeAndre Hopkins, as the Tennessee Titans held off a late surge by the visiting Atlanta Falcons for a 28-23 win.
Levis completed 19 of 29 passes for 238 yards in his NFL start for Tennessee (3-4). Hopkins had four receptions for a team-high 128 yards. Derrick Henry had 22 carries for 101 yards and added four receptions for 21 yards. Nick Westbrook-Ikhine also added a 33-yard scoring reception to give the Titans a commanding 28-16 lead with 6:59 to go in the fourth quarter. Atlanta cut the lead to 28-23 on an 8-yard touchdown pass from Taylor Heinicke to Scott Miller with 3:46 left to play in the game. But the Falcons (4-4) were stopped on downs on their last possession following a Titans punt. Desmond Ridder completed 8 of 12 passes for 71 yards before leaving the game due to concussion protocol. He was sacked five times. Heinicke replaced Ridder and completed 12 of 21 passes for 175 yards. Bijan Robinson had 11 carries for a team-high 62 yards and a score. KhaDarel Hodge had three receptions for 75 yards, while Drake London added five receptions for 55 yards. Levis started because Ryan Tannehill was out with an ankle injury. Atlanta jumped out a 3-0 lead following a Levis fumble inside Tennessee territory on the game's opening drive, which led to a 29-yard field goal by Younghoe Koo. Following a forced punt, the Titans grabbed a 7-3 lead with 2:28 to play in the first quarter when Levis connected with Hopkins on a 47-yard touchdown pass. The Falcons were moving the ball after a punt had them start a drive at their own 7-yard line, but a sack by Jeffery Simmons jarred the ball loose from Ridder and it was recovered by Azeez Al-Shaair at the Atlanta 33-yard line. Five plays later, Levis hooked up with Hopkins again for a 16-yard touchdown pass, which put the Titans up 14-3. Two field goals by Koo cut Tennessee's lead to 14-9 with 3:02 to play in the third quarter, but a Levis 61-yard pass to Hopkins gave the Titans a 21-9 lead entering the fourth quarter. A 13-yard scoring run by Robinson early in the fourth quarter capped a five-play, 75-yard scoring drive to make the score 21-16 with 14:17 left to play in the game.
