Colts' Season-Sweeping Win vs. Titans Summed Up in Two Words

The Indianapolis Colts took care of business in their divisional bout on Sunday.

Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor (28) rushes for a touchdown Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, during a game against the Tennessee Titans at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. / Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Indianapolis Colts got the job done in their Sunday battle vs. the Tennessee Titans, 38-30, in a game that came down to some unexpected drama in the fourth quarter.

Despite the Colts taking a three-score lead after the first half and some dominating play from Jonathan Taylor, the Titans found a way to get back into the mix and continue the Colts' season streak of not winning a game over one score.

A win is a win, but Indianapolis had some clear lapses at the end of the game to allow Tennessee a puncher's chance.

ESPN's Stephen Holder highlighted the Colts' late-game struggles in their Sunday performance within two simple words: "unnecessarily difficult."

"The Colts allowed the Titans to score 23 unanswered points in the second half after taking a 38-7 lead," Holder said. "It didn't need to be that hard. A clutch third-down conversion with under two minutes remaining iced the game, as quarterback Anthony Richardson connected with wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. to move the chains."

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The Colts let the game get within reach at the end, but the dust settled when Taylor, Anthony Richardson and Michael Pittman went to work in the final offensive drive of the game. They did enough damage for Indianapolis to pin Mason Rudolph and the Titans deep in their own territory with little time remaining, and the defense took care of the rest with an interception.

The win came in the hands of the Colts a bit later than expected, but this one really should've had the outcome wrapped up midway through the third quarter, especially factoring in the performance of their superstar running back.

Taylor ended the game with his best showing of the season, having 29 carries for 218 yards and three touchdowns. It's his second straight week rushing for at least 100 yards. Looking ahead to the Colts' remaining schedule for the year, there's no reason to believe he can't keep that streak going down the final stretch.

Overall, the Colts offense showed some extreme positives, especially in the run game, to allow this team to hang on by a thread in the Wild Card discussion. Yet, a defensive unit that began to unravel late in the contest may have more work to do in the coming weeks to keep those postseason aspirations alive.

The Colts will have a golden opportunity to build off of Sunday's win next weekend when they face the New York Giants.

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