Tennessee Titans running back DeMarco Murray scores a touchdown on a 2-yard run in the second half Sunday to give the Titans a 24-20 win over the Cincinnati Bengals in Nashville.

NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Titans faced a crucial test in the final minutes of Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Nissan Stadium.

On a day when the Titans appeared to be in control, Cincinnati looked on the verge of stealing a victory after a 70-yard touchdown pass to A.J. Green with five minutes left.

Tennessee was in that position because of two turnovers inside the Cincinnati 10-yard line that allowed the Bengals to stay close.

But the offense was able to come through when it mattered most, with quarterback Marcus Mariota engineering a 12-play, 73-yard touchdown drive that gave Tennessee a 24-20 victory – allowing the Titans to stay atop the AFC South with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

“I think I said this before, we are never going to give up,” Tennessee tight end Delanie Walker said. “We are always going to keep fighting and that’s the difference from years before. They didn’t have the fight. Now, we have that fight.’’

Tennessee methodically marched down the field, quickly getting into field goal range to have a chance to tie. The Titans were looking for more – converting a third down after a holding penalty by Josh Shaw.

Two plays later, a Mariota scramble set up first and goal at the 7. Tennessee got the go-ahead score two plays later with Mariotta finding DeMarco Murray open in the flat and Murray diving for the end zone.

“We had to find a way to win,” Tennessee coach Mike Mularkey said. “We had opportunities to do it early in the game and we didn’t, but when we had to at the end, we did. I know I use the word resilient a lot, but that’s, I think, the makeup of this team. It’s amazing that they believe in themselves and they just know we always have a chance to win. That’s important in this business.”

It’s that kind of resiliency that has helped Tennessee improve to 6-3 with four straight wins. The resiliency will get tested with a trip to Pittsburgh on Thursday, but Tennessee offensive tackle Taylor Lewan said he thinks the team’s confidence grows as the Titans pull out more wins like they did Sunday.

“That’s the big difference between us now and us two years ago is these situations we get into,” Lewan said. “Was there finger-pointing or whatever? I don’t know.

“Regardless of whatever it was back then, what’s huge now as an offense we saw their score, I don’t think anyone flinched. I had my Gatorade cup and I gave it a squeeze and threw it down and I was a little pissed about that, but our defense has been holding it down for us all year and it was our turn to pay it back. That is all that matters.)

– Follow sports reporter Micheal Compton on Twitter @mcompton428 or visit bgdailynews.com.