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.