NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Indianapolis Colts continue to find ways to win. The latest display was a 31-28 overtime victory over the Tennessee Titans. It's the Colts' first win in Nashville since 2020 and the first season sweep of the Titans since 2018.
Indy was without star running back Jonathan Taylor due to a right thumb injury he sustained in Week 12's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Colts are still looking to continue its push to the playoffs and delivered with a game that fans certainly will not soon forget.
The Titans dealt the first blow of the game on its first drive. Tennessee went 64 yards in just four plays, capped off by a Derrick Henry 22-yard touchdown run—a drive that looked a little too easy for Colts fans' liking.
The Colts, though, answered right back, needing just three plays to go 56 yards in just 1 minute and 16 seconds. Gardner Minshew unloaded to Alec Pierce deep down the field for a 36-yard touchdown. It was Pierce's first touchdown of the season and, in fact, his first touchdown since Dec. 4, 2022.
After the Colts held the Titans to a 24-yard field goal right at the end of the first quarter, Tennessee stuck to the run game. Derrick Henry continued to run all over the Colts. He punched it in from five yards at the front end of the second quarter to give the Titans a 17-7 lead. Henry had 89 yards and two touchdowns in the first half.
Midway through the second quarter, Matt Gay his first of four field goals on the day—this one coming from 23 yards out to pull the Colts within seven.
The Colts defense finally stopped the Titans rushing attack for a chance to score before the half. A 46-yard reverse flea-flicker from Minshew to Kylen Granson came up huge for the Colts right before the two-minute warning. However, a couple plays later on third and goal, Minshew was sacked, fumbled and the Titans recovered.
The Colts defense came up big again, though, forcing a three and out to get the ball back with under a minute to play in the first half. The offense marched down the field, and Matt Gay put in a 46-yard field goal just before the half. The Colts trailed 17-13 heading into the locker room.
The Colts ended the first half with three trips inside the 10-yard line and only nine points off of those opportunities.
The Colts made a statement with the drive out of halftime — 19 plays, 70 yards, 10:03 off the clock, however, again Indy had to settle for a field goal to make it 17-16 Titans late in the third quarter.
From this point forward, this game was highly entertaining. Nick Cross provided the spark the Colts so desperately needed late in the third quarter. Cross blocked the Titans punt attempt, Grant Stuard scooped it up, and ran it into the endzone for an 18-yard punt block touchdown. That gave the Colts a 22-17 lead for the time being. The Colts attempted to go for the two-point conversion, however, Minshew's pass was picked-off by Amani Hooker and taken all the way back for two points for the Titans. The Colts led 22-19 to start the fourth quarter.
Lightning struck twice for Indy's special teams, as Tony Brown blocked a punt in the fourth quarter that was picked up by Segun Olubi. That set the Colts up in prime scoring position, yet they were forced to settle for another field goal to make the lead 25-19.
"Big-time blocks right there," Shane Steichen said after the game. "Obviously, that’s a huge momentum change right there for us. But testament to Brian Mason and Joe Hastings, our special teams coordinators, for getting those things wired up and obviously getting the blocks. They were big."
With just over five minutes remaining in the game, Titans' rookie quarterback Will Levis hit DeAndre Hopkins for a five-yard touchdown. Nick Folk, however, missed the go-ahead PAT wide left, and we were all tied up at 25 a piece.
That score held until the end of regulation. It was the Colts' third time this season playing in an overtime game (Week 3 at Baltimore & Week 4 vs. Los Angeles Rams).
The Titans settled for a field goal on its first possession of the extra period to take a 28-25 lead—giving the Colts a chance to respond.
The play of the game was a Gardner Minshew 55-yard bomb to the waiting arms of Alec Pierce with under three minutes to play in overtime. That set the Colts up at the four-yard line. A couple plays later, Minshew hit Michael Pittman Jr. for the four-yard touchdown and yet another Colts win.
"Just the mental toughness, you know what I mean? There's so much back-and-forth, and there's so much mental swings in all these games. And just, obviously, if they get a big play, it's like, how do you bounce back from that? Same thing with us, keeping the momentum. But it's awesome to see our guys fight every single week and just keep finding ways to win," Steichen said after the win. "I think it's just guys believing. You hear that word a lot, but it is true. You believe every time you go out you're going to win the football game, no matter what the circumstances are, no matter what the situation is. You keep fighting and you keep going and you find ways at the end. If you believe you're going to win, you go and win the game."
It was certainly one of Pierce's best game of his young career and undoubtedly his best output of the season. Pierce hauled in three catches for 100 yards and one touchdown on the day.
"Obviously, I think he had three for 100. And then, obviously, the big one there was huge at the end to get us down there at the four-yard line. But he keeps working, he keeps grinding," Steichen remarked on the second-year wide receiver. "It might take some time every once in a while, but today was his opportunity, and he made the most of it."
"I am so proud of him," Michael Pittman Jr. said of his teammate. "I am so excited for him because he's worked so hard. People have kind of wrote him off, but he's doing everything right. It’s really great to see him have that success in a big game, and I'm so proud of him."
Michael Pittman Jr. brought in 11 catches for 105 yards and the game-winning touchdown in overtime. MPJ joined Marvin Harrison as the only two players in franchise history to have at least 10 receptions and 100 yards in consecutive games. Furthermore, Pittman Jr. passed Harrison for the most receptions by a Colts player in their first four seasons.
"It’s unbelievable," Steichen said. "He’s consistent every time he goes out there. I don’t know what he had today, 11-for-100-and-something, I think. Just came up back-to-back games with 100 yards receiving. Just the consistency that he plays with week in, week out, his preparation he puts into it, his toughness and his physicality, it’s special."
"I feel like it calms me down knowing that I'm going to get multiple opportunities," Pittman Jr. said. "If one doesn't go my way, I know I’m not going to sit for three quarters before I get another pass. I feel like they're really looking to come to me, which is what I love."
Gardner Minshew completed 26 passes on 42 attempts for 312 yards and two touchdowns. Minshew did have a lost fumble in this game.
"I know it wasn't pretty the whole time. I’m saying, the whole game, right? It was back and forth with all that stuff. But to have that game-winning drive right there, that says a lot about him, his preparation that he puts into it, his character, and the way he goes out competes. To get that game-winning drive was big by Gardner (Minshew)," Steichen said about his quarterback.
Zack Moss was held at bay in this game. Moss ran 19 times for just 51 yards in what was a starkly different Titans defense than this team saw back in Week 5.
The Colts have now won four straight games and sit at 7-5 this season. Indy is currently in playoff position as it stands.
"We proved to ourselves that we can stick together, and we can come on top no matter what situation that we have," linebacker EJ Speed said. "Our coaches did a great jobs of putting us in position this game, I feel like. So, everything else between the lines, it's just being great and just coming together and getting the job done."
Indianapolis has five games remaining—three of which are at home. Next up for Indy: on the road in Cincinnati next week at 1 p.m. ET.