This week’s Thursday Night Football matchup consisted of a divisional battle between the Indianapolis Colts and the Tennessee Titans. This game ended up being a total meltdown for the Titans as the Colts took the division lead with a 34-17 win.
During the opening drive, the Titans made it look easy driving the ball 67 yards down the field in six plays. To end the drive quarterback Ryan Tannehill threw a 20-yard pass to wide receiver Corey Davis to bring them to the Colts’ five-yard line. Tannehill then hit wide receiver D’Onta Foreman for a 5-yard touchdown reception to take the 7-0 lead. After both teams failed to score on back-to-back drives, the Colts finally found some success as they drove the ball to the Tennessee 6-yard line. The Titans played stellar red zone defense forcing the kicking unit on the field, kicker Rodrigo Blankenship punched in the 24-yard field goal. The Titans then extended their lead with a 43-yard drive that ended in kicker Stephen Gostkowski hitting a 50-yard field goal. This drive was led by star running back Derrick Henry who had multiple large runs, giving the Titans a 10-3 lead at the end of the first quarter.
To start the second quarter the Colts had a dominant eight play, 80-yard touchdown drive. Quarterback Philip Rivers spread the passes out between his whole receiving core and finished the drive with a 13-yard touchdown pass to Nyheim Hines. The Titans then quickly responded to reclaim their lead with a 75-yard touchdown drive. During the drive, Davis hauled in multiple passes, and running back Jonnu Smith finished the drive with a 1-yard rushing touchdown. The Colts then found themselves down 17-10 with three minutes left in the half. They slowly moved the ball down the field while managing the clock and capped the drive off with a successful 43-yard field goal from Blankenship. This would bring the score to 17-13 at halftime.
The second half quickly became all Colts as the Titans completely fell apart in all domains. After being forced to punt, the Titans special teams put on a lousy display allowing the Colts to receive the ball at the opposing 27-yard line. The Colts took advantage of this opportunity by scoring in four plays. The drive was capped off with a 2-yard touchdown run from Nyheim Hines, bringing the score to a 20-17 Colts lead. After scoring, the Titans special teams were sent out. They continued their struggles as T.J. Carrie blocked the punt and ran it back for a touchdown. In an attempt to get back in the game the Titans had a long 12 play, 52-yard drive. They were unable to get past the Colts red zone defense forcing the kicking unit onto the field where Ghostowski would miss a 44-yard field goal. The Colts then received the ball back and put the nail in the coffin with a 66-yard drive and a touchdown. During the drive, wide receiver Kevin Byard broke free for a 40-yard run and backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett ran it into the end zone to end the game at 34-17.
This was a colossal win for the Colts as it ties them with the Titans with a 6-3 record and gives them the top seed in the division. The Colts continue to display stellar defense and special teams that make them a force to be reckoned with.
