NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — D'Ernest Johnson had a 2-yard touchdown run with 5:45 left to help the Tennessee Titans overcome a 13-point deficit Sunday night and beat the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks 19-16 in a preseason game.
Joey Slye kicked four field goals, including a long of 55 yards, as the Titans (2-0) gave coach Robert Saleh a win in his preseason home debut. Slye chipped away at a lead built by Seattle's backups with coach Mike
Macdonald resting his starters after a joint practice with the Seahawks' preseason finale Friday night.
Drew Lock threw for 103 yards and a touchdown, and Jacardia Wright ran 69 yards for a touchdown as Seattle (0-2) jumped out to a 16-3 lead.
Tennessee struggled from the opening coin flip, which the Titans won the toss only to defer, and Seattle needed seven plays before Lock found a wide-open Elijah Arroyo for a 36-yard TD.
Cam Ward started for Tennessee with the rest of the starters and was 8 of 12 for 69 yards. He led the Titans to Slye's first field goal. Ward also had the ball poked out of his hand by linebacker Chazz Surratt as the quarterback scrambled right early in the second on his third and final drive.
The Titans also had three penalties in the first quarter, including an illegal contact on cornerback Cor'Dale Flott, among their many defensive free agents signed in March. The penalty on Flott wiped out safety Kevin Winston Jr.'s interception at the Titans 3.
Even when Jalen McMurray recovered a muffed punt return by Seattle's Cody White at the Seahawks 11, the Titans still had to settle for a field goal after a holding penalty wiped out Mitch Trubisky's 4-yard TD pass to Xavier Restrepo.
The Seahawks had their moments. Celebrating Wright's TD so enthusiastically Seattle was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct, and Jason Myers missed the extra long extra point attempt just right for a 13-3 lead. Myers also pushed a 44-yard field goal wide right in the second quarter.
Seattle lost wide receiver Jake Bobo to a knee injury that had him carted out of Friday's joint practice and placed on injured reserve Saturday. Left guard Mason Richman went down on the opening drive and had to be helped to the sideline after getting his right leg stretched.
On Seattle's first defensive play, rookie safety Bud Clark hurt his right leg. Trainers put his leg in an air cast, and players from both teams came up to the rookie before he was carted off the field. Clark was Seattle's second-round pick and 64th overall out of Texas Christian.
The Seahawks and Titans kept officials very busy. Seattle was flagged 14 times for 129 yards, while Tennessee was penalized 11 for 100 yards.
The Seahawks wrap up the preseason Friday night at Kansas City.
The Titans host Chicago on Saturday night.
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