NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The passing game that so many Tennessee Titans fans have longed for surfaced on Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Quarterback Marcus Mariota completed 30 of his 43 pass attempts for 344 yards and two touchdowns to push Tennessee (3-1) to a 26-23 win against the Eagles (2-2) in overtime.
Wide receiver Corey Davis, the Titans' 2017 No. 5 overall pick, and Mariota terrorized the Eagles secondary. The duo connected on nine completions for 161 yards, one of which was the game-winning touchdown. It was Davis' first regular-season touchdown as a pro and one of the best moments in his young career.
"I would say No. 1 for sure," Davis said of where the play ranks for him. "When the ball was in the air, all I was thinking was go get it and make a play."
The crowd went crazy when Davis made the touchdown catch in front of 69,013 fans at Nissan Stadium. And after the game, coach Mike Vrabel complimented Davis for using his length and strength to attack the football.
Mariota entered the Week 4 matchup with questions surrounding his passing ability because of a pinched nerve in his throwing hand. He was at his best, though, in the Titans' statement of a win against the defending Super Bowl champions.
The bulk of Mariota's targets went to Davis, who was elevated into the lead receiver role during training camp. He and Mariota have worked relentlessly on getting their timing down, and the results showed in the Titans' third consecutive victory.
"Every week we get after it. Me and Marcus, we always make sure we put in extra work to do the things that we need to do to go into the game with confidence. It's always a process. There is always room for improvement. That's what I expect for myself, to catch every ball and make plays," Davis said.
"I've been watching as far as those guys in practice, they are throwing routes. They are working on things like their chemistry," safety Kevin Byard said.
Added Mariota: "I love that guy. He brings heart every single day to work. I think he's got some incredible talent. We've got to find ways to get him the ball and allow him to use that talent."
Offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur showed from the start he wanted to match Davis up against Eagles cornerback Jalen Mills throughout the game, and it worked out well. Mariota's first pass attempt was to Davis on a deep arrow route off play-action, but it fell just out of the receiver's reach.
LaFleur dialed up a play to go right back at Mills, this time it was 28 yards down the sideline on a third-and-3. Davis' longest catch came in the fourth quarter when Mariota unleashed a beauty of a throw to him on a post route. The ball came out before Davis made his break and the speedy wideout pulled away from Mills to run it down for a 51-yard gain.
The way Mariota was able to lead Davis and let him run under that pass showed how far they've come in getting their timing in sync.
After being down 17-3, the Titans scored 23 points in the second half, including overtime while Philadelphia only scored six. Davis drew a pass interference call by executing a double-move against Mills on another third down later in the game to set up a 2-yard touchdown run by Mariota.
"We saw the offense grow up on the spot," Logan Ryan said. "The quarterback has been questioned. The receiver group has been questioned, and they stepped up. We felt like our receivers were better than their corners, and it showed."
LaFleur offered a glimpse of how he can showcase Mariota as a playmaker with his scheme. Now the Titans need Davis to build on this game.
Byard is convinced there is more to come from the second-year wideout.
"I know that is going to get his confidence rolling and he's going to be the dominant receiver we know he can be."