Tennessee Titans coach Mike Vrabel said he wasn't going to second-guess his decision to twice go for two points down by one with 31 seconds remaining Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur decided to call for Marcus Mariota to pass the ball despite having it on the 1-yard line because of a holding call on their first try. Mariota's pass was intended for wide receiver Taywan Taylor but was tipped by the Chargers' Adrian Phillips. The Chargers won the game 20-19.
"I have a lot of faith in our players, we prepare, we work together and I've got confidence in them to go out and execute. It just didn't work out. Faced with the same situation I'd like to think I'd do it the same way," he said.
Teams that have gone for two points when down one point in the last minute of the game are now 2-for-7 in those situations according to ESPN Stats & Information.
"We wanted to win the game. Wanted to go out there and win the game," Vrabel said.
Deciding to throw the ball rather than run it from 1 yard out didn't seem like the best decision since the Titans have a big back in the 6-foot-2, 245-pound Derrick Henry, who ended the team's two-game touchdown drought with a 1-yard plunge in the third quarter.
Even though it wasn't successful, Mariota felt it was the right call.
"I love the call. I love the confidence in going for it. We just couldn't execute the play. They did a good job covering. I should have maybe done a better job of extending the play," Mariota said.
The Chargers' Phillips also commended Vrabel on the call.
"It was a great decision,'' he said. "That's the game right there. If I'm the head coach, I go for it, too."
The Titans now enter their bye week with a 3-4 record.