Richardson-less Colts Get Division Victory vs. Titans | Jake's Takes

The Indianapolis Colts were able to win a sloppy affair against the AFC South division rival Tennessee Titans on Sunday.

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs (1) brings in a touchdown against the Tennessee Titans during the first quarter at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. / Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Indianapolis Colts (3-3) are back in the win column on Sunday as they gutted out a hard-fought victory over the Tennessee Titans (1-4) at Nissan Stadium by a score of 20-17.

It was an ugly affair, and it seemed like the Colts only made plays when it was absolutely necessary, but both the offense and defense did enough in the second half to mount a comeback and seal the win. It's their first AFC South victory of the season out of three tries.

Here are my main takeaways from the Colts' win.

— Starting quarterback Anthony Richardson was unofficially held out as he continued his recovery from an oblique injury, missing his second straight game as he was designated the emergency QB behind Joe Flacco and Sam Ehlinger. Richardson sat out again after indications in the days leading up to Sunday were that he would likely play. While Richardson wanted to play against the Titans, the Colts' decision-makers elected to give him one more week to heal, according to reports before the game. He also would've played "if this was a playoff game," according to Jordan Schultz. If playing Richardson today presented an increased risk of reaggravation or a setback, sitting him is understandable. However, it feels like this situation is a little too cautious. Most quarterbacks play if they're physically capable of being on the field. We'll potentially learn more in the coming days.

— For a second straight week, the Colts offense started out white-hot on their opening drives and then quickly disappeared. Last week against the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Colts put together a 12-play, 71-yard touchdown drive followed by two punts before they scored again. On Sunday, it was a 10-play, 70-yard touchdown drive before an interception and two punts. The quick starts are critical, but they'll need to figure out how to sustain a bit of that momentum.

— Crazy respect goes out to Colts receiver Michael Pittman Jr., who finished with 35 yards and a touchdown on 3 catches. On Tuesday night, it was reported he could be out for multiple weeks with a back injury, and that injured reserve was on the table. He then was able to get back and practice by Friday, play on Sunday, and catch what was ultimately the game-winning touchdown. He also made a crucial 16-yard first-down catch to bring on the two-minute warning late in the game. Pittman is as tough as they come.

— Tight end Mo Alie-Cox's size (6'5", 267) and ability to make tough catches in traffic has endeared him to veteran quarterbacks throughout his career, and the same can be said for Flacco in his two starts. Alie-Cox's six catches over the last two weeks include 19 and 22-yard first downs and an 18-yard touchdown. He also had an 11-yard first-down catch on Sunday that was called back due to a penalty.

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— There's not much shame in being beaten one-on-one when it's a solid effort, but self-inflicted wounds and a lack of execution are killers for a defense as bad as the Colts' had been this season. The Titans took the lead in the second quarter on a drive that saw cornerback Jaylon Jones flagged for illegal contact on 3rd-and-13, which gave Tennessee a new set of downs, and then Julian Blackmon wasn't able to come up with an interception on a poor throw by Titans quarterback Will Levis later in the drive. The Titans would kick a field goal on the drive. Perhaps the ugliest defensive play of the day was on a 3rd-and-19 that Tennessee had at Indy's 23-yard line. They called a run up the middle to simply put themselves in good position to kick a field goal, but any Colts defender that wasn't occupied by a block and in the area was unable to make a tackle, and it resulted in a 23-yard touchdown run.

— This was yet another game where the Colts failed to register a sack, their third so far out of six games. They did hit Levis four times, but the pressure and sack numbers have got to get rolling. Injuries are one excuse, but the Colts also got starting defensive end Kwity Paye back from injury on Sunday.

— The Titans offense has some weapons in the passing game with DeAndre Hopkins, Calvin Ridley, Tyler Boyd, and Chig Okonkwo, but playing so conservatively did the Colts a huge favor in staying in the game. Levis is big on taking the checkdowns, but the Titans offense averaged just 3.5 passing yards per attempt.

— In a close game like this, the Colts' special teams performance was huge. Three of Rigoberto Sanchez's five punts were downed inside Tennessee's 20-yard line as he averaged 54.2 yards per punt. Gunner Ashton Dulin made a few key plays in punt coverage as well. Kicker Matt Gay was 4-of-4 combined on field goals and extra points, while Tyler Goodson and Josh Downs had nice moments in the return game. The little things matter.

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