Colts 34, Titans 17: What We Learned

Rookie wide receivers have a good time against Tennessee; Titans wide receiver Corey Davis showed real heart after a terrible day.

NASHVILLE – After the Tennessee Titans’ 34-17 loss to the Indianapolis Colts on Thursday at Nissan Stadium, there is no way to know which team will win the AFC South this season.

With seven games remaining, both are now 6-3 with one more matchup not too far away (Nov. 29 at Indianapolis). For now, Tennessee is considered the second-place team based on the head-to-head result.

Here is some of what we do know about the Titans following that contest:

• Rookie wide receivers are a problem. Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. had the best game of his career to date with seven receptions for 101 yards, the first 100-yard game of his career. His 40-yard catch in the fourth quarter was the longest gain of the contest for either team and set up Indianapolis’ final touchdown, which put the game out of reach.

A second-round pick out of Southern Cal, he came into the game with 14 catches for 135 yards in five appearances (he also spent three weeks on injured reserve).

Now, he is just one of several first-year receivers to have a big day against Tennessee’s defense. Most notable, of course, was Minnesota’s Justin Jefferson, who caught seven passes for 175 yards and a touchdown. Tee Higgins caught six passes for 78 yards in the Bengals’ upset of the Titans and was a difference-maker throughout that contest. Jacksonville’s Laviska Shenault Jr. caught five passes for 35 yards and ran five times for 37 yards in a performance that gave Tennessee’s coaches a lot to consider for the next matchup.

“The one he got hurt in he was coming on strong and had a little setback with the injury,” Colts quarterback Philip Rivers said. “… I feel like the game is slowing down a little bit for him. Certainly not too big for him. I knew that from day one. Just (Thursday) he was just playing fast.”

On a positive note, Pittsburgh’s Chase Claypool managed just one reception for a loss to two yards. So, it is clear the Titans can contain rookie receivers. They just don’t do it often.

• The defense has its limit. The best thing you can say about the defense this season is that – to borrow one of the players’ preferred clichés – is that it will defend every yard even though it gives up plenty of them. That was evident again in this one with a goal-line stand that stymied the Colts on the opening possession of the second half.

At that point, though, the defense had been on the field for 56 plays, nearly twice as many as the offense (30). That, after that unit played 75 snaps Sunday in the victory over Chicago. That is a lot of work in a short period of time for any unit.

Not surprisingly, therefore, the Colts’ offense scored touchdowns on each of its next two possessions and put the game out of reach. Of course, it didn’t help that immediately after the goal-line stand, the offense went three-and-out, and punter Trevor Daniel (added to the active roster earlier in the day) shanked a 17-yard kick, which gave the Colts the ball at the Tennessee 27.

When all was said and done, Indianapolis only ran nine plays more than the Titans (69-60) but had a 430-294 edge in total yards and held the ball for 31:18 of the game’s 60 minutes.

“It wasn’t a fatigue thing,” safety Kenny Vaccaro said. “I think guys play hard every play. It’s more details and not executing the way we’re coached. That’s the problem.”

• Stephen Gostkowski is going to drive Mike Vrabel to drink. Early in the second quarter, the Titans kicker made a 50-yard field goal that extended a four-point advantage to seven (10-3). It was Gostkowski’s sixth of 50 yards or more this season (on just seven attempts). In 14 years with New England, he never made more than five in a season and he was good on 25 of 35 (five out of every seven) overall.

That’s the good news.

Early in the fourth quarter, with the game slipping away, Gostkowski had a chance to settle things but missed a 44-yard field goal attempt to the right. Had he made it the Titans would have been down by seven with more than 12 minutes to play. After the miss, the Colts drove 66 yards in four plays (against that tired defense) for a touchdown that pushed their advantage to 17.

Gostkowski was supposed to settle the Titans’ kicking situation after last season’s debacle. He is now 12-for-20 (60 percent) this season. Yes, he has made some game-winners, but he has not shown that he can be trusted yet.

“I think we’re going to have to evaluate everything that we do,” coach Mike Vrabel said when asked about Gostkowski. “How we’re coaching. What we do in practice. The performance. We have to be better, and I’ll say in all areas.”

Corey Davis deserves a pat on the back. A day after his older brother died of cancer at 27 years old, Davis took the field with the Titans and finished the night as their leading receiver. He caught five passes for 67 yards while no one else on the offense had more than two receptions or 21 receiving yards. His 20-yard reception on the opening possession led to Tennessee’s first touchdown – and a 7-0 lead – one play later. His 18-yard reception in the second quarter helped set up another touchdown four plays after that.

Titus Davis was a record-setting college wide receiver in his own right but never made it in the NFL. Corey Davis is now in his fourth season with the Titans, and through nine games he is their leading receiver with 34 receptions for 436 yards.

“Really just a tough situation, a sick situation that I wouldn’t wish upon anybody,” quarterback Ryan Tannehill said. “He was so close to his brother. His brother meant so much to him. I can’t even imagine what he’s going through right now, emotionally. But I appreciate his effort and the way he battled through that and played for us. He played a heck of a game.”