Titans vs. Colts: Live Updates, Analysis
NASHVILLE – This is the third time the Tennessee Titans and Indianapolis Colts have met on a Thursday night contest at Nissan Stadium.
This one bears little resemblance to the first two. Tennessee (6-2) comes into this one alone in first place in the AFC South following a 24-17 victory over Chicago on Sunday. Indianapolis (5-3) is a game back following a loss against Baltimore.
The last time was Nov. 14, 2013. Then, the Titans had a losing record (4-5) following a defeat that was the first of five in a stretch of six contests. The Colts, at 6-3, were the team to beat
On Dec. 9, 2010, Tennessee was reeling from five straight defeats. Indianapolis had lost three in a row.
With these teams scheduled for another matchup Nov. 29 at Indianapolis, this game will figure much more prominently in the division race than either of the other two.
SERIES HISTORY
The Colts lead 34-17 overall, although the Titans won the only playoff matchup (a divisional round game on their way to Super Bowl XXXIV). Indianapolis won 11 straight from 2011-16 and is 15-8 all-time at Nissan Stadium. The teams split their two meetings last season with the most recent going to Tennessee, 31-17, in Week 13 of 2019.
INACTIVES
Tennessee: P Ryan Allen, WR Adam Humphries, CB Adoreé Jackson, LS Matt Orzech, T Isaiah Wilson, TE MyCole Pruitt and DE Matt Dickerson.
Indianapolis: QB Jacob Eason, CB Tremon Smith, DE Ben Banogu, TE Jack Doyle and WR Dezmon Patmon.
WORDS OF WISDOM
“I think that we’ve put ourselves in a position to again, play a lot of meaningful football games in the second half of the season. What will be most important is the short turnaround to a division opponent who’s playing really good football. They’re sound, they understand how good they are, how fundamentally sound, physical football team.” – Titans coach Mike Vrabel, on starting the second half of the season against Indianapolis.
And now, to the game …
FIRST QUARTER
Indianapolis wins the coin toss and defers its option until the second half. Tennessee gets the ball to start.
The Titans lost the toss for the seventh time (in nine games) this season. They won five of the first six.
Cameron Batson with a 35-yard return sets up the offense at the 33.
(14:03) Tennessee starts with back-to-back play-action passes, a 13-yard completion to fullback Khari Blasingame and a 21-yard completion to A.J. Brown. It’s now first-and-10 at the Indianapolis 33.
(11:54) Ryan Tannehill throws a 5-yard touchdown pass to running back D’Onta Foreman. Notice that Derrick Henry lined up at fullback on the play. Corey Davis’ 20-yard reception on third-and-2 from the Colts’ 25 set up the touchdown. Scoring drive: 6 plays, 67 yards, 3;10. TENNESSEE 7, INDIANAPOLIS 0
The Titans are 3-0 this season (6-0 since the start of 2019) when they score on their opening possession.
(10:26) Harold Landry stuffs running back Jonathan Taylor on third-and-1 from the Indianapolis 45. The Colts line up to go for it but have to burn a timeout to avoid a delay of game penalty.
(9:42) After the timeout, Indianapolis sticks with the notion to go for it and Taylor sticks it right up the middle of the defense for a two-yard gain.
(7:02) The defense gets another stop on third-and-1, this time from the Titans’ 29. Jadeveon Clowney forced Philip Rivers into a bad throw.
(6:58) Indianapolis goes for it again, and this time the defense holds. Running back Jeff Wilkins is stopped for no gain. Clowney hit him in the backfield (that’s back-to-back plays in the Colts’ backfield), and Malcolm Butler brought him to the ground.
(5:19) We get our first look at new punter Trevor Daniel … but only because A.J. Brown dropped a really well-thrown deep ball down the left sideline on third-and-11.
(5:13) Daniel’s punt goes 47 yards with no return because returner Naheem Himes settled on a fair catch. Ryan Allen did not force a fair catch on any of his eight punts Sunday against Chicago. Six were returned, one went out of bounds and one was a touchback.
(0:40) Indianapolis settles for a 24-yard field goal after Wilkins backs down rather than run a hard slant on fourth-and-3 from the Titans’ 6. The ball came his way, but Wilkins had at least one eye (maybe both) on safety Kenny Vaccaro, who was closing fast. Naheem Hines, with four runs for 26 yards, was a big factor on that possession. Scoring drive: 11 plays, 69 yards, 4:30. TENNESSEE 7, INDIANAPOLIS 3
The Titans are going to get out of the first quarter with a lead. They are 3-0 this season, 12-3 under coach Mike Vrabel when they lead after one.
(0:00) A Derrick Henry run for eight yards gets Tennessee to the end of the quarter. It will be second-and-2 from the 33 to start the second.
SECOND QUARTER
(13:39) Ryan Tannehill is sacked, but the play is negated by a holding penalty against the Colts’ secondary. Cornerback T.J. Carries grabbed tight end Jonnu Smith. That makes it first-and-10 at the 43.
(13:18) Derrick Henry runs for 20 yards over the right side on the next snap. He had six yards on four carries before that.
(11:17) Stephen Gostkowski makes it a seven-point lead again with a 50-yard field goal. He is now 6-for-7 from 50 yards-plus this season. In 14 seasons with New England, he never made more than five from 50-plus. Scoring drive: 8 plays, 43 yards, 4:24. TENNESSEE 10, INDIANAPOLIS 3
(7:49) The Colts move quickly down the field and tie things up. Hines with a 13-yard touchdown reception. The 5-foot-9, 196-pound back now has 34 yards on five rushes and 24 yards on two receptions. Scoring drive: 8 plays, 80 yards 3:23. TENNESSEE 10, INDIANAPOLIS 10
(5:59) The good news: The Colts are penalized for offsides on consecutive plays, which gives the Titans a first down at their own 49. The bad news: left guard Rodger Saffold is hurt and does not look good as he walks gently to the trainers’ tent.
This after it is announced that center Ben Jones has a knee issue. Jones is playing through it, though. Jamil Douglas replaces Saffold at left guard -- alongside backup left tackle Ty Sambrailo.
While we're on injuries: The Titans announce rookie defensive tackle Larrell Murchison is questionable to return due to a back injury.
(3:42) A pass interference penalty against Colts cornerback Rock Ya-Sin (he was covering Cameron Batson) gives the Titans 17 yards and a first-and-goal at the 1.
(3:06) After Derrick Henry is stuffed for no gain and the Titans get a fresh set of downs, courtesy of a roughing the passer penalty against Indianapolis on an incomplete pass, tight end Jonnu Smith runs it in on another well-designed red zone play from offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. Scoring drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 4:55. TENNESSEE 17, INDIANAPOLIS 10
Penalties are now: 5 for 33 yards against the Colts (four Tennessee first downs); 1 for five yards against the Titans.
Remember, Colts get the ball to start the second half. They will try to make it two-for-one with a score before halftime.
(0:16) DaQuan Jones with a sack on second-and-8 from the Titans’ 9. The Colts are out of timeouts but spike the ball with one second to play. Then, a false start sets them back five more yards. Rodrigo Blankenship’s 43-yard field goal is good (Josh Kalu was called for being offside but Indianapolis decline). Scoring drive: 13 plays, 51 yards 2:54. TENNESSEE 17, INDIANAPOLIS 13
Ryan Tannehill is 9-13 for 99 yards with one touchdown. Derrick Henry has 10 rushes for 51 yards. Kevin Byard (six) and Desmond King (five) lead the team in tackles because the Colts have thrown it 27 times. Rivers has completed 19 for 209 yards and a touchdown.
The Colts outgained the Titans 251-156 and had the ball for 15:43 of that half.
THIRD QUARTER
The Colts got first downs on their first three plays and then converted a fourth-and-2 from the Tennessee 25 (Rivers to Zach Pascal for 9 yards) and a fourth-and-1 from the Titans’ 7 (a 2-yard Jonathan Taylor run).
(7:29) The drive ends when Rashaan Evans tackles Jeff Wilkins for no gain on fourth-and-goal from the 1. Two plays earlier, a video review overturned what officials on the field ruled was a 3-yard touchdown reception by Pascal.
That’s a lot of time off the clock but no points up on the scoreboard.
(7:24) Left guard Rodger Saffold is back on the field with the Tennessee offense to start the second half. His left ankle is obviously taped, but he is going to give it a go.
(4:14) After Tannehill is sacked on third-and-1 from the 20, new punter Trevor Daniel shanks one out of bounds. The kick went 17 yards.
First down Indianapolis at the Tennessee 27. The Titans’ defense immediately is put in another tough spot.
(2:51) The defense can’t keep the Colts out this time. Hines gives Indianapolis the lead for the first time with a 2-yard touchdown run. Scoring drive: 4 plays, 27 yards, 1:18. INDIANAPOLIS 20, TENNESSEE 17
Tennessee’s defense was on the field for 75 plays and 33:54 Sunday against Chicago. Offensive plays in this one thus far: Colts 60, Titans 30.
(2:01) An incomplete pass to Anthony Firkser on third-and-9 from the 26 means a three-and-out and the defense has to come right back on the field.
Or not. The punt is blocked and returned 6 yards for a touchdown. E.J. Speed credited with the block. T.J. Carries picked it up and scored. Tennessee’s offense needs to do something to turn the momentum of this contest. INDIANAPOLIS 27, TENNESSEE 17
(0:00) End of the third quarter. Good news: The Titans got a first down when Derrick Henry broke a tackle in the backfield and converted a third-and-1 on the final play of the quarter. Bad news: As the team changed ends, Saffold took himself out of the game again. Jamil Douglas is back in at left guard.
FOURTH QUARTER
(14:21) Derrick Henry with runs of 12 and 6 yards on the first two plays of the period (both to the right side), and he now has 101 yards on 18 carries. This is the 15th 100-yard game of his career and the fifth this season.
(12:18) A holding call against Nate Davis negated an 11-yard run that would have made it first-and-goal at the 7. Instead, it was second-and-18 and after two incomplete passes Stephen Gostkowski misses a 44-yard field goal to the right.
(9:25) The Colts add to their lead when backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett sneaks it in from the 2 on third-and-1. A facemask penalty against Rashaan Evans turned a 3-yard loss into a 15-yard gain on the first play of the drive. The second was a 40-yard completion from Rivers to Michael Pittman. Scoring drive: 4 plays, 66 yards, 2:50. INDIANAPOLIS 34, TENNESSEE 17
(6:59) Tannehill’s pass to Jonnu Smith in the end zone on fourth-and-3 from the Indianapolis 12 is incomplete. The Colts offense comes back on the field and the Titans’ chances to win this game lie somewhere between slim and none.
(3:01) After the defense forces a punt, Mike Vrabel officially waves the white flag. Logan Woodside is in at quarterback for the Titans.
Woodside doesn’t attempt a pass. Instead, he hands off repeatedly to D’Onta Foreman, who gets the Titans as far as Indianapolis’ 46 before time expires.
The Titans lose 34-17 and are now tied for first place in the AFC South.
