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Titans blow another double-digit lead, lose 14-13 to Bills

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Tennessee Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) is tackled by Buffalo Bills outside linebacker Nigel Bradham (53) in the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 11, 2015, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Zaleski)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. >> Wide receiver Kendall Wright says he wants to be relevant and help Tennessee more.

Left tackle Taylor Lewan apologized to everyone for his three penalties, and linebacker Derrick Morgan is tired of talking about losing.

For a second straight home game, the Titans blew a double-digit lead, giving up too many big plays late in a 14-13 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. The frustration started bubbling over for a franchise that now hasn’t won on its own field in a year.

The Titans have lost three straight, the last two by a combined three points.

“Very clearly we’re all frustrated,” Titans coach Ken Whisenhunt said. “We’re 1-3 after four games, and we feel like we have a better football team than that.”

Tennessee quarterback Marcus Mariota went 21-for-32 for 187 yards, no touchdowns and one interception. He led the Titans in rushing with a career-high five carries for 47 yards, matching all the carries the rookie had through the team’s first three games combined.

The Titans missed a chance at matching their win total for all of 2014. They outgained the Bills 279-209 while holding the ball for more than 35 minutes. They settled for a pair of field goals by Ryan Succop and a 1-yard touchdown run by Antonio Andrews.

The Titans also had four sacks and shut out Buffalo in the first half, holding the Bills (3-2) to 51 yards. Tennessee recovered a fumble on a punt return to set up the lone TD.

“We’ve got the talent in here to win games,” Morgan said. ” We’ve just got to learn how to win and finish games. It’s frustrating. I’m tired of having this conversation with y’all. It’s got to a point where we’ve got to say enough is enough and get it cleaned up. We’ve got too much talent for it to go on like this. We let that one get away from us.”

Wright, who had a 1,000-yard receiving season in 2013 before Whisenhunt arrived, caught three of the six passes thrown at him. The last was intercepted by cornerback Stephon Gilmore with 1:32 left, and he is frustrated — whether it’s the ball not coming his way or the plays called.

“I just know that I don’t feel like I’m able to do enough,” Wright said.

Tyrod Taylor ran for 76 yards and a TD, and he threw for 109 yards and another TD. The Bills quarterback also caught a pass, helping Buffalo (3-2) snap a five-game skid against Tennessee.

The quarterback started the comeback with a 26-yard run for Buffalo’s longest play, then capped the drive by running for a 22-yard TD late in the third quarter. Taylor also scrambled for 24 more on third-and-23 from the Bills 7, jumpstarting an 80-yard drive he capped with a 2-yard TD pass to Chris Hogan. Taylor caught a 4-yard pass from Hogan to set up that TD.

The Bills played without wide receiver Sammy Watkins (calf) and running back LeSean McCoy (hamstring) for a second straight week, with McCoy’s replacement Karlos Williams also out recovering from a concussion.

Buffalo lost another running back to injury in the second quarter; Cierre Wood was carted to the locker room with an injured knee and did not return.

“We’ve got to get over that hump, we’ve got to win those games,” Whisenhunt said. “We’re close, but we’re not quite there.”

Late in the third quarter, Taylor started running and brought the Bills back. His biggest play came with the Bills facing third-and-23 at the Buffalo 7, and Taylor escaped a blitz running for 24 yards and a first down.

Buffalo nearly had a great start to the game when Bishop Sankey fumbled the kickoff in the end zone, and the Titans recovered at the 2. But the Bills, who lead the NFL in penalties, had to kick again with Marcus Easley offside on Billy Cundiff’s kick.

NOTES: The Titans’ last home win was Oct. 12, 2014, against Jacksonville. … The Titans shut out an opponent in the first half for the first time since Carolina on Nov. 13, 2011, and for the first time at home since Oct. 30, 2011, against Indianapolis. … Bills coach Rex Ryan did not have an update on Wood after the game.

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