A thin team with fragile confidence now stands at 4-5 on the season but remarkably, is just a game out of first place in the moribund NFC North Divison.
On a sunny, 56 degree November afternoon, it was Tennessee, a home underdog as usual, having won only 4 games at Nissan Stadium since the start of the 2014 season, tried to steal a possession by attempting a surprise onside kick to start the game. Joe Thomas alertly recovered and the Packers opened a series at midfield and promptly went three and out as Aaron Rodgers missed an open Randall Cobb for the first down with a pass low and away.
Ryan injured his ankle covering the opening punt and didn’t return.
The Titans took advantage on the ground straight away. After Mike Daniels jumped offsides, DeMarco Murray took the first snap from scrimmage and found a gaping hole off left tackle and nothing but open field for a stunning 75 yard touchdown run. The Packers were allowing 80 rushing yards a game coming in.
Two more penalties (one declined) and the first of five sacks of Rodgers spoiled the next series.
Things got testy early when Letroy Guion jumped offsides and knocked Marcus Mariota down on a dead play. There were personal fouls called on both Guion and Taylor Lewan of the Titans who pushed an official and got ejected from the game.
Mariota simply took over from there, finding Tajae Sharpe wide open on 3rd and 14 for 21, he hit Delanie Walker who broke a Kentrell Brice tackle for 41 and then it was Murray, on an option pass, that fooled the Green Bay defense hitting Walker for a 10 yard touchdown and a 14-0 lead.
Another sack forced a Packer punt and the Titans promptly marched 71 yards in 9 plays with Mariota hitting Anthony Fasano behind Ha Ha Clinton-Dix for an easy 9 yard score and a 21-0 lead after the opening quarter in which Tennessee outgained the Packes 231 yards to 26.
30 points combined were scored in the second period with Jordy Nelson catching his 8th touchdown of the season but the Titans needed only four plays to reach 28 as Rishard Matthews out muscled Micah Hyde for a 32 yard scoring strike.
A Davante Adams 46 yard grab set up a Mason Crosby field goal and the defense finally got a stop, only to see rookie Trevor Davis muff a punt that was recovered by the Titans and rookie Kyler Fackrell picked up a 15 yard personal foul penalty on the play and Kendall Wright caught Mariota’s fourth TD of the half from six yards out to make it 35-10.
Another big catch by Adams covered 38 yards and James Starks, in his first game back in six weeks, scored on a nice 13 yard screen pass but Crosby missed the point after wide left.
The Packers tried a hail mary at the end of the half from midfield but Brice McCain juggled the deflected ball for an interception.
Green Bay closed to within two scores on a Rodgers 20 yard touchdown run that ended with a free for all.
Perrish Cox drilled Rodgers two steps into the end zone and Adams took exception, pushing Cox to the ground and both teams joined the fray with Adams getting shoved into the wall behind the end zone by Da’Norris Searcy.
The Packers went for two but Starks was denied on the ground leaving the score at 35-22.
In desperate need of a stop, the Packers imploded again, with Mike Daniels getting flagged for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and then Quinten Rollins busted coverage leaving Tajae Sharpe wide open for a 33 yard touchdown that put the game out of reach.
The teams traded field goals, two for Ryan Succop to one from Crosby for the final margin.
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Coverage by Mark Daniels
