John Nestor

Matt Hasselbeck threw 19-for-34 for 160 yards and Chris Johnson rushed for 190 yards on 23 attempts, helping the Tennessee Titans beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 23-17, Sunday at LP Field.

The Titans stay in the hunt for a playoff spot as Hasselbeck and Johnson teamed up to spearhead the offense against a Buccaneers defense that allowed 398.9 in all-purpose yards.

Johnson was virtually unstoppable, recording the highest rushing game since 2008 and third highest in his decorated career.

Hasselback, who struggled against the Buccaneers pass defense early on, came through with a clutch 2-yard TD pass to wideout Damian Williams to put the Titans ahead, 20-17, with 3:01 minutes to play.

Kicker Rob Bironas scored on a 38-yard field goal to seal the victory for the Titans, who improved to 6-5.

Josh Freeman threw 18-for-33 for 199 yards with a TD, while cornerback Aqib Talib picked off Hasselback and scored on 27-yard interception return to give the Buccaneers a brief 17-10 lead at the end of the third quarter.

The Titans should play well in their last five games to give them a better shot at beating AFC South leader Houston Texans (8-3) or nabbing a Wild Card playoff spot.

The Buccaneers (4-7) continue their freefall after winning four of the first six games this season.

 

NFL 2011 Week 12 - Chris Johnson & Matt Hasselbeck Lead Titans Past Buccaneers