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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- For the second week in a row, the Jacksonville Jaguars outcome wasn't decided until the last play of the game. And for the second time in as many weeks, the Jaguars prevailed. The Jaguars used a long punt return by Rashad Greene followed by a short touchdown pass from Blake Bortles to Julius Thomas to secure a 19-13 win over the Tennessee Titans on Thursday night.
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After the Jaguars added a field goal moments later, they had to survive a final rally by the Titans.
Greene, playing in his first game since returning from injured reserve, returned a Tennessee punt to the Titans 5-yard line with 3:34 left in the game. On the first play, Bortles connected with Thomas from five yards out. Jason Myers, who kicked four field goals in the game, added the extra point to give the Jaguars a 16-13 lead.
"I did my best to make a play but I've got to give it to the guys up front. They did a (heck) of a job blocking for us," Greene said about his long return. "When it came off his foot, I saw that it was kind of short so I peeked and say my guys blocking and knew that I was going to get a gain from it, regardless. I saw a couple of lanes here and there, so I knew there was an opportunity based on what we were trying to set up. I just needed that ball and he gave it to me the way I wanted it."
Following the Jaguars touchdown, on Tennessee's next play, receiver Phillip Supernaw fumbled after making a catch and Davon House recovered for the Jaguars at the 29-yard line.
"The guy punched it out and I failed to do a good job in protecting the ball. That's on me," Supernaw said.
The Jaguars couldn't move the ball and Myers added his fourth field goal.
Tennessee had one final opportunity with quarterback Marcus Mariota moving the team from his 20 to the Jaguars' 23-yard line with five seconds left. But on the last play of the game, Jaguars defensive end Andre Branch sacked Mariota.
"It's frustrating to lose a game like this," Tennessee tight end DeLanie Walker said. "We just made too many mistakes and in a game like this, you can't do that. We still thought we could pull it off on that last drive but again, penalties, including one by me, and some sacks really hurt us."
The Titans had just over two minutes left when they took over at their own 20 yard line but with no timeouts in their possession. Mariota methodically moved the team downfield, completing 6-of-11 passes for 62 yards, including twice spiking the ball to stop the clock.
But with five seconds left and the ball on the 23-yard line, Mariota never got a chance to send the ball to end zone. He dodged two defenders but Branch caught him from behind and dropped him for a two yard loss.
"We just ran out of time," Tennessee interim head coach Mike Mularkey said. "There were little things, like Antonio (Andrews) could have given the ball to the official like we practiced and harp on instead of throwing it on the ground costing us seconds. Little things like that.
"(On the last play) we had to throw it to the end zone. We had inside receivers running through hopefully gather a coverage for in cuts in the end zone. It would have been to Rico (Richardson)."
Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles rebounded after a poor showing the previous week in Baltimore. He completed 21-of-30 passes for 242 yards and one touchdown, finishing with a quarterback rating off 91.2.
The Jaguars quarterback was quick to give credit to the Jaguars defense, especially on the Titans final drive of the game.
"It's always exciting when you win a ballgame," Bortles said. "I think going through that last drive, the defense gets an opportunity to go out there. We have all the faith in the world in them and they made a big play to end it. They played unbelievably all night.
The first half was a battle of field goals as neither team could reach the end zone in the first 30 minutes.
Tennessee got on the scoreboard first, taking its opening drive to the Jaguars' 29-yard line, where it stalled. Ryan Succop converted on a 47-yard field goal to give the Titans the early lead.
After going three-and-out on their opening series, the Jaguars put together a 73-yard drive to the Tennessee 13-yard line, but a third-down pass was thrown away by Bortles.
Myers then hit on a 31-yard field goal.
Tennessee answered by marching to the Jaguars' 32, but a third-down pass by Mariota was incomplete. Succop then converted on his second field goal of the half, this one from 49 yards out to make it a 6-3 Titans lead.
Jacksonville's best chance to reach the end zone came late in the half. A 38-yard pass to wide receiver Allen Robinson gave the Jaguars a first down on the 13-yard line. Two running plays netted 7 yards to the 6-yard line, but Bortles was sacked by linebacker Brian Orakpo for a 9-yard loss. Myers then tied the game at 6-all with a 32-yard field goal.
It was more of the same in the third quarter. For the third time in the game, the Jaguars drove into the red zone but had to settle for a field goal. They took the opening drive of the half from the 20 to the 7-yard line. But three consecutive runs by running back Denard Robinson gained just 5 yards, and the Jaguars had to settle for another Myers field goal. It gave Jacksonville its first lead of the game at 9-6.
Tennessee then became the first team to make it to the end zone. The Titans put together an 81-yard march, including two pass-interference penalties against the Jaguars for 48 yards, in five plays. Mariota surprised the Jaguars by keeping on a run around left end from 23 yards out for the touchdown, giving the Titans a 13-9 lead with 5:22 left in the third quarter.
NOTES: The game marked the first return to Jacksonville for Tennessee interim head coach Mike Mularkey, who was head coach of the Jaguars for one season in 2012 when he compiled a 2-14 record. ... Jacksonville has one touchdown and one field goal in 10 opening drives this season. ... The Titans and Jaguars will meet again in a rematch in 17 days in Nashville.
