NASHVILLE, Tenn. _ So much for the Seahawks' defense carrying the offense.
On a day when the much-maligned Seattle offense showed its most sustained life of the year, the defense fell apart by allowing Tennessee to pass and run all over them in a 33-27 victory at Nissan Stadium.
With the defeat, Seattle fell to 1-2 for the first time since 2015, a year when the Seahawks lost their first two games on the road with Kam Chancellor holding out.
But there were no easy excuses for this one as Seattle had its full complement of eight players on defense who have been to at least one Pro Bowl in their career.
It looked promising for Seattle when the offense moved 75 yards on the first possession of the second half to take a 14-9 lead.
But then the Titans suddenly turned unstoppable, scoring on four consecutive drives to take a 33-20 lead early in the fourth quarter _ at that point Tennessee had scored on seven of eight drives, all of 47 yards or longer.
The Titans then held on for the victory with the Seahawks giving Tennessee a final first down in embarrassing fashion, lining up with 12 men on the field when the Titans were set to punt with 11 seconds left.
Seattle had cut the lead 33-27 on an 8-yard touchdown pass from Russell Wilson to Paul Richardson with 1:50 left. That capped a 12-play 72-yard drive.
But Tennessee's Delanie Walker recovered the onside kick at the 47 with 1:49 left. Seattle had just one time out remaining but appeared to force a punt before the penalty sent the home crowd home happy.
Tennessee used three big-play touchdowns in the second half to take control, including a 75-yard run by DeMarco Murray that was the longest rush against Seattle in the Pete Carroll era.
Tennessee led 9-7 after a first half filled mostly with punts and penalties and a game that began with each team staying in the locker room for the national anthem in reaction to President Donald Trump's recent tweets.
Seattle punted after its first six possessions in falling behind 6-0 after two short field goals by Tennessee's Ryan Succop.
Before the first field goal, an apparent Marcus Mariota run to the 1-yard line was called back due to a hold on receiver Eric Decker.
Later in the half, an apparent 80-yard punt return by Adoree Jackon was negated due to a block in the back on David Fluellen.
Those were two of what were 11 enforced penalties for the two teams in the first half _ three were called on one play on Seattle cornerback Richard Sherman that negated a Chancellor interception and prompted Sherman to angrily charge after the officials after the play. Sherman appeared to have a heated battle all game with Tennessee's Decker and was called for pass interference on him and then for holding him as well as hitting him on the ground following the interception.
Another handful of penalties were declined or were not enforced due to being offsetting, including four on what was the most controversial play of the game when Sherman hit Mariota after he had one foot out of bounds following a 4-yard run. Tennessee offensive tackle Taylor Lewan got in Sherman's face leading to some pushing and shoving among players from both sides.
Ultimately, four players were called for personal fouls for unnecessary roughness _ two on each side. Players can be ejected for committing two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties. But because the second penalty was termed unnecessary roughness, Sherman was not ejected.
Seattle had just 41 yards of offense before getting the ball with 2:04 remaining in the first half.
The Seahawks immediately hit their two biggest plays of the half _ a 36-yard pass from Wilson to Doug Baldwin and then a 46-yarder from Wilson to C.J. Prosise _ to move to the 4.
Following two incomplete passes, Wilson then hit a sliding Baldwin in the front of the end zone for a touchdown and a 7-6 lead with 1:15 left.
The Titans regained the lead with a quick 47-yard drive to set up a 47-yard field goal by Succop as time ran out.
Wilson was just 7 for 16 in the first half for 110 yards. At least three times he simply missing open receivers.
And Seattle had little running game with 26 yards on nine carries with five attempts for 14 yards by rookie Chris Carson, who got the start.
The third quarter began with each team exchanging 75-yard touchdown drives. On Seattle's, Wilson was 4 for 4 for 54 yards passing including a 10-yarder to Carson for what was his first NFL touchdown.
Tennessee's came in odd fashion on a play when Frank Clark jumped offsides, giving the Titans a free play.
As happened in a week one loss at Green Bay, the Seattle defense appeared caught off-guard when the ball was snapped and Mariota threw a receiver screen to Rishard Matthews. Matthews broke away from a tackle attempt by Michael Wilhoite and into open field and then at the 10 eluded another tackle attempt by Kam Chancellor and into the end zone to give the Titans a 16-14 lead.
The Titans never gave it up.
After forcing a three-and-out the Titans then moved a pretty easy 54 yards in five plays plays with Mariota hitting tight end Jonnu Smith on a 24-yard TD to make it 23-14. Smith lined up as a fullback on the play and the Seahawks appeared to lose track of him as he burst into the open for an easy score.
After Seattle punted the Titans broke the game open with stunning swiftness when Murray went 75 yards for a touchdown on the first play of Tennessee's next possession.
K.J. Wright and Chancellor missed chances to get Murray near the line of scrimmage and he then weaved his way down the field outrunning Jeremy Lane and Sherman into the end zone to put Tennessee ahead 30-14.
Ryan Succop added a 35-yard field goal _ his fourth of the game _ with 10:05 left to make it 33-20.
