NFL Monday night: Titans, Giants win in upsets

NFL Monday night: Titans, Giants win in upsets

A pair of four-win teams had the opportunity to roll over and play dead on Monday night. Instead, the New York Giants and Tennessee Titans came to life to score NFL upsets.

Down 14 points after practically giving Miami two touchdowns in a one-minute span in the fourth quarter, Tennessee scored 15 points in the final 2:40 to knock off the Dolphins 28-27.

After falling behind by one point when the Green Bay Packers scored a touchdown with 1:33 to play, New York posted a 24-22 victory on Randy Bullock’s 37-yard field goal on the final snap of the game.

Miami Dolphins guard Lester Cotton during an NFL game against the Tennessee Titans on Monday, Dec. 11, 2023, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla.(AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Tennessee Titans 28, Miami Dolphins 27

Rookie quarterback Will Levis completed 23-of-38 passes for 327 yards with one touchdown and one interception for the Titans. Levis completed 9-of-11 passes for 132 yards with one touchdown on Tennessee’s final two possessions, which ended with touchdowns with 2:40 and 1:49 to play.

The Titans needed the touchdown drives after the Dolphins had to cover a total of 19 yards for two touchdowns after a muffed punt and a lost fumble by Tennessee in the fourth quarter.

Ten players from Alabama high schools and colleges got on the field during the Tennessee-Miami game:

· Titans defensive tackle Shakel Brown (Troy) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.

· Titans defensive back Shyheim Carter (Alabama) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.

· Lester Cotton (Central-Tuscaloosa, Alabama) started at left guard for the Dolphins.

· Dolphins defensive tackle Byron Cowart (Auburn) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.

· Titans defensive tackle Marlon Davidson (Greenville, Auburn) made one tackle in his first NFL regular-season action since the 2021 season. Tennessee elevated Davidson from its the practice squad to make him eligible to play.

· Dolphins defensive tackle Raekwon Davis (Alabama) made one tackle and registered one quarterback hit.

· Titans cornerback Eric Garror (McGill-Toolen) made one tackle and returned four punts for 30 yards. Garror also muffed one return when he tried to grab a bouncing punt and Miami recovered at the Tennessee 7-yard line.

· Dolphins defensive tackle Da’Shawn Hand (Alabama) broke up one pass.

· Derrick Henry (Alabama) started at running back for the Titans. Henry ran for 34 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries and had a 17-yard reception. Henry scored Tennessee’s first touchdown on a 1-yard run with 6:53 left in the first half and last touchdown on a 3-yard run with 1:49 left to play.

· Tyreek Hill (West Alabama) started at wide receiver for the Dolphins. Hill had four receptions for 61 yards, but he sat out a large portion of the game with an ankle injury.

· Titans offensive lineman Chris Hubbard (UAB) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.

· Roger McCreary (Williamson, Auburn) started at cornerback for the Titans. McCreary made seven tackles and broke up one pass.

· Dolphins wide receiver Anthony Schwartz (Auburn) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.

· Titans offensive lineman Lachavious Simmons (Selma) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.

· Tua Tagovailoa (Alabama) started at quarterback for the Dolphins. Tagovailoa completed 23-of-33 passes for 240 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions and ran three times for 15 yards. He was sacked five times and lost a fumble at the Tennessee 7-yard line.

· Jaylen Waddle (Alabama) started at wide receiver for the Dolphins. Waddle had six receptions for 79 yards even though he took a hard hit on his first catch and was attended to by trainers.

· Titans quarterback Malik Willis (Auburn) was designated as a game-day inactive.

The loss dropped Miami to 9-4 and kept the Dolphins from keeping pace with the Baltimore Ravens at the top of the AFC. Tennessee improved to 5-8.

At noon CST Sunday, Miami hosts the New York Jets and the Tennessee Titans host the Houston Texans as the teams return to division play.

New York Giants defensive tackle Rakeem Nunez-Roches tackles Green Bay Packers running back AJ Dillon

New York Giants defensive tackle Rakeem Nunez-Roches tackles Green Bay Packers running back AJ Dillon during an NFL game on Monday, Dec. 11, 2023, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.(AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

New York Giants 24, Green Bay Packers 22

Former practice-squad quarterback Tommy DeVito delivered a third straight victory for New York as he completed 17-of-21 passes for 158 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions and ran 10 times for 71 yards.

Thirty-two of the passing yards came on a connection with wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson that advanced the Giants to the Green Bay 22 with 42 seconds to play.

Nine players from Alabama high schools and colleges got on the field during the Green Bay-New York game:

· Packers kicker Anders Carlson (Auburn) made 3-of-4 field-goal attempts and his only extra-point try. Carlson’s 36-yard field goal gave Green Bay a 10-7 lead with 13 seconds left in the first half, his 32-yard field goal cut New York’s lead to 14-13 with 7:31 left in the third quarter and his 48-yard field goal left Green Bay trailing 21-16 with 5:30 to play. Carlson missed to the left on a 45-yard field-goal attempt with 10:42 to play.

· Packers running back Kenyan Drake (Alabama) dressed for the game but did not play. The Packers elevated Drake from the practice squad to make him eligible to play.

· Packers wide receiver Grant DuBose (Park Crossing) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.

· Cor’Dale Flott (Saraland) started at nickelback for the Giants. Flott made five tackles.

· Packers safety Rudy Ford (New Hope, Auburn) made one tackle and recovered a muffed punt. Ford came up with the loose football at the New York 14-yard line with 9:05 to play and Green Bay trailing 14-10. The Packers got only a field goal out of the break.

· Packers cornerback Zyon Gilbert (Jeff Davis) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.

· Giants center J.C. Hassenauer (Alabama) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.

· Giants safety Bobby McCain (Oxford) did not record any stats, but he did get hit by a Green Bay punt that the Packers recovered at the Giants 14-yard line.

· Xavier McKinney (Alabama) started at free safety for the Giants. McKinney made four tackles and recovered a fumble. McKinney recovered a fumble by Green Bay quarterback Jordan Love at the New York 27-yard line with 7:41 left in the second quarter.

· Giants offensive tackle Evan Neal (Alabama) was designated as a game-day inactive. An ankle injury kept Neal out of the lineup for the fourth game in a row.

· Giants defensive lineman Rakeem Nunez-Roches (Central-Phenix City) made two tackles.

· Giants cornerback Aaron Robinson (Alabama) is on reserve/physically unable to play.

· A’Shawn Robinson (Alabama) started at defensive tackle for the Giants. Robinson made eight tackles, recorded one tackle for loss and broke up one pass.

· Darius Slayton (Auburn) started at wide receiver for the Giants. Slayton had two receptions for 14 yards.

· Packers offensive tackle Kadeem Telfort (UAB) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.

· Packers defensive lineman Colby Wooden (Auburn) made two tackles.

While New York improved to 5-8, Green Bay’s playoff chances took a hit as the Packers dropped to 6-7.

At noon Sunday, Green Bay hosts the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New York visits the New Orleans Saints.

Green Bay Packers safety Rudy Ford celebrates after recovering a muffed punt

Green Bay Packers safety Rudy Ford celebrates after recovering a muffed punt during an NFL game against the New York Giants on Monday, Dec. 11, 2023, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.(AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.