Redemption Is a Real Kick for Del Greco

So much for the questions about Al Del Greco.

The 38-year-old Tennessee kicker, who missed two field goals and an extra point that cost the Titans two victories in the last three weeks, kicked a 50-yarder as time expired Sunday to beat the Philadelphia Eagles, 15-13.

“There have been question about our kicker, about his technique, about his mental toughness,” Titan Coach Jeff Fisher said. “I kept saying he was going to pull out of it. There wasn’t a bigger kick than that last one, and that’s a tribute to Al and what he’s been through.”

It was the fifth field goal of the game for Del Greco, and it put the Titans (10-3) a game ahead of the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Central and earned them a tie in the race for home-field advantage in the playoffs with the Oakland Raiders.

It also broke a four-game winning streak for Philadelphia (9-5), dropping them a half-game behind the New York Giants in the NFC East. The Eagles could have clinched a wild-card berth with a victory.

“We’ve lost before,” Philadelphia quarterback Donovan McNabb said. “I think when you lose a game like this, your confidence is still there. We played extremely hard, and it could have gone either way. But it’s a lot easier to bounce back from a loss like this than to bounce back from a blowout.”

McNabb completed 18 of 39 passes for 239 yards. McNair was 23 of 37 for 210 yards.

But this was basically a field-goal duel for 3 1/2 quarters--four for Del Greco to two for Philadelphia’s David Akers.

Del Greco’s fourth field goal, a 44-yarder with 5:23 to play, put the Titans ahead by six.

McNabb scramble into the end zone with 3:11 to play gave the Eagles a 13-12 lead.

Philadelphia held the Titans on one series but Tennessee got the ball back with 1:43 to play on its own 36 and advanced the ball to the Philadelphia 32 before calling on Del Greco to try from the 50.

It was straight through the upright.