After a bit of a sluggish start from the Indianapolis Colts’ offense on the first two possessions of the game, the tide turned in the second quarter as they went from trailing 7-0 to being up 24-7 at halftime, thanks to their run game.
The offense and Jonathan Taylor kept that momentum going into the early third quarter, but the defense struggled to get stops late in the game, allowing the Titans to get back into this one.
However, fortunately, for the Colts, they had built up a big enough lead and made just enough plays at the end to leave with the win and keep their playoff hopes alive for at least one more week.
With the dust having settled and the game now wrapped up, if you’re up for it, let’s take a look back at the Colts’ performance and break it all down.
Final Score
It was over when…
…Following their second third quarter touchdown after an interception by Samuel Womack, the Colts held a 38-7 lead. At that point, it felt like the game might be over. However, the Titans were pesky and didn’t go away as the Colts’ defense softened up trying to prevent the big play. So, the game didn’t end up truly being over until the Colts final offensive possession, where Anthony Richardson connected with Michael Pittman for a massive third down conversion that allowed Indianapolis to run the clock down to almost zero.
Keys to the game
The run game: It all started here for the Colts. After early struggles in the passing game, the Colts ran six straight running plays on their third possession and found the end zone to tie the game at that point. On the next drive, Taylor had a 65 yard touchdown run. That success on the ground then helped open up some opportunities in the passing game, that Josh Downs and AD Mitchell took advantage of, and led to a very efficient third-down performance from the Colts’ offense as well.
Third downs: Not coincidentally, with success in the run game, the Colts also had one of their most efficient third down performances of the season as well. They finished the game converting 8-of-15 attempts and were also 1-for-1 on fourth downs. Those conversions helped keep the offense on the field, extend drive, and put up points. Time of possession-wise, the Colts would hold the ball for six more minutes than the Titans.
Too conservative in the second half: As I said in my instant takeaways article–I get it. When you’re up big in the second half, as a defense, you don’t want to give up the quick, big scoring play. However, by playing more soft in an effort to prevent those explosive passes, the Colts played right into Mason Rudolph’s hands. As we saw in the first half when the game was still close, he gets the ball out of his hands quickly–so pressuring him isn’t easy–and is more than willing to take the underneath throws. Well, when playing soft, that’s what is available, and Rudolph orchestrated a number of longer scoring drives, just plotting his way down the field. The Colts defense needed to turn up the heat more than they did.
Turnovers: The Colts defense continues to be very good at forcing turnovers, coming away with three more in today’s game. Obviously, it limits the number of scoring opportunities for the Titans’ offense by cutting multiple drives short, but the Indianapolis offense also turned two of those interceptions into 14 points, which clearly plays a big role in what ended up being an eight point game.
Stars of the game
DT DeForest Buckner: This was a dominant performance by Buckner, particularly in the first half. He was a one-man wrecking crew, blowing up multiple plays with a quick push up the middle. Buckner finished with a team high four pressures, according to PFF, and had four run stops as well.
RB Jonathan Taylor: Credit to Taylor for orchestrating this bounce back performance after last weeks’ game. Taylor was the Colts’ offense, rushing for 218 yards at over 7.0 yards per rush with three touchdowns.
Colts’ OL: Paving the way for Taylor in the run game were the linemen up front. Also, after Richardson entering Sunday’s game as one of the highest pressured quarterbacks in football since Week 11, he was pressured on only three of his 14 dropbacks, according to PFF’s early metrics, for a pressure rate of just 21 percent.
LB Jaylon Carlies: Welcome back Carlies. In his return from IR, he stepped in for EJ Speed, starting next to Zaire Franklin. Carlies led the team in tackles and did well to limit YAC, allowing only 6.2 yards per reception.
Injury updates
Tre Flowers would exit the game with a shoulder injury in the first half and did not return.
Jaylon Jones left in the fourth quarter with a throat injury and did not return either.
Quenton Nelson left briefly with an ankle injury that he got taped up and would be back in the game on the following possession. This will be worth monitoring as practice this week unfolds.
What’s next?
As we already stated, the Colts keep their playoff hopes alive for one more week. Next Sunday they are back on the road, taking on the two win New York Giants.
