The Indianapolis Colts (3-2) fought their way to a tough 23-16 win against the Tennessee Titans (2-3) at Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday.
The big storyline coming out of the game isn’t the win as great as it was. Instead, it will be the status of rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson, who exited the game during the second quarter due to a painful injury to his throwing shoulder on a designed run.
Buy Colts TicketsStill, the Colts were able to fight their way to a physical win against a divisional opponent.
Here’s our instant analysis from the Week 5 win:
What went right
- RB Zack Moss had a career day taking 23 carries for 165 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns while adding two receptions for 30 receiving yards.
- The offensive line didn’t allow a single sack and gave up just two quarterback hits.
- Rookie WR Josh Downs was a major advantage from the slot, catching all six of his targets for a team-high 97 yards.
- The Colts defense limited Derrick Henry to 43 rushing yards on 13 carries (3.3 average).
- After Anthony Richardson’s injury, Gardner Minshew completed 11-of-14 passes for 155 yards and a 112.8 passer rating.
- Matt Gay converted all three of his field-goal attempts and both of his extra-point attempts.
- The offense was 8-of-13 (62%) on third downs and the defense held the Titans to 1-of-4 (25%) in the red zone.
- DE Tyquan Lewis quietly had three quarterback hits and a batted pass.
What went wrong
- Rookie QB Anthony Richardson is believed to have suffered an AC joint sprain during the second quarter.
- TE Mo Alie-Cox suffered a concussion during the second half.
- The offense was 1-of-5 (20%) in the red zone.
- The defense had no answer for WR DeAndre Hopkins, who diced up the zone-heavy scheme. He recorded eight receptions for 140 yards.
- The Colts committed eight penalties for 55 yards.
- The pass rush was pretty stagnant at times, collecting just 1.0 sack.
The Bottom Line
The Anthony Richardson injury will be the main focus, and rightfully so. But this was just another example of how well-coached this team is. They continue to fight through adversity, competing every game right down to the final whistle. The offensive line was incredible in both phases while Zack Moss led the way on the ground. The defense was stingy in the red zone even though there wasn’t much of a pass rush. Getting the monkey off their back against the Titans was huge, and it just continues to show how much the culture has changed.
