Sam Darnold leads Vikings to 3rd straight win, beating Titans 23-13

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Sam Darnold overcame an early fumble by throwing for 246 yards and two touchdowns and running for a score and the Minnesota Vikings beat the Tennessee Titans 23-13 Sunday.

Darnold had been picked off five times over the previous two games, matching his total over the first seven games of the season. Then his toss to Aaron Jones on the Vikings’ third offensive play was fumbled and recovered by Jeffery Simmons for the Titans.

The quarterback answered right back to help the Vikings (8-2) win their third straight and improve to 5-0 against AFC teams this season. He found Jordan Addison for a 47-yard catch-and-run touchdown as the Vikings didn’t trail again as they scored 16 straight for a 16-3 halftime lead.

Andrew Van Ginkel had his two sacks on back-to-back plays as Minnesota finished with five. Pat Jones II also had two. Harrison Smith clinched the win with an interception with 1:50 left, giving the Vikings’ fans that turned this into a near home game another reason to celebrate chanting "SKOL."

The Titans (2-8) lost their second straight and went winless against the NFC North. They sure made it interesting.

Will Levis threw the longest TD pass in the NFL this season with a 98-yard score. He found Nick Westbrook-Ikhine on the right sideline for the catch-and-run, pulling the Titans within 16-10 midway through the third.

It was the Titans’ longest pass play since DeAndre Hopkins’ 61-yarder on Oct. 29, 2023, against Atlanta in Levis’ first NFL start. It tied the longest TD pass in franchise history matching Willard Dewveall’s TD catch from Jacky Lee with the then-Houston Oilers on Nov. 25, 1962, against the Chargers.

Levis also had a 51-yard TD pass to Calvin Ridley inside the final minute of the third wiped out by an illegal formation penalty on right tackle Isaiah Prince. They settled for Nick Folk’s second field goal, this a 43-yarder.

Down 23-13, they went for it twice on fourth down near midfield. Levis was sacked by Jones on fourth-and-4, and he was forced to throw it away on fourth-and-7 with 2:23 left.

The Titans couldn’t stop hurting themselves with too many penalties. Brian Callahan even drew a couple of flags tossed high in the air as the first-year Titans coach vehemently protested a penalty on safety Mike Brown for a hit on Addison in the end zone.

Darnold easily scored on a 1-yard keeper. Parker Romo’s extra point went off the right upright, but he made up for that with a 40-yard field goal late in the first half.

After Levis’ big play, Darnold padded Minnesota’s lead to 23-10 with a 3-yard toss to Cam Akers late in the third.

The Titans just keep hurting themselves. They had nine penalties for 71 yards by halftime. Minnesota didn’t draw its first flag until the Titans already had eight. Tennessee finished with 13 penalties for 91 yards compared to three for 35 yards by the Vikings.

Vikings: Addison dealt with cramping in the fourth quarter. WR Jalen Oliver hurt an ankle.

Titans: LB Jack Gibbens was carted off the field with his right ankle in an air cast early in the third quarter. … RB Tyjae Spears left in the second half being evaluated in the concussion protocol. … LB Otis Reese IV went down on the opening kickoff with injured ribs but returned in the second.

The Vikings wrap up a three-game road swing at Chicago, while the Titans hit the road again visiting AFC South rival Houston.