Titans blow lead to Andrew Luck, Colts
The Tennessee Titans just can’t seem to get the monkey off their back. They let one slip away, yet again, to the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.
The last time the Tennessee Titans beat the Indianapolis Colts was on October 30, 2011. The Colts started Curtis Painter at quarterback and were in the midst of a 2-14 season. The Titans’ quarterback was Matt Hasselbeck, who would lead them to a 9-7 record and a second-place finish in the AFC South.
Things have changed since then, but there has been one constant: The Indianapolis Colts beat the Tennessee Titans every single time they played each other. This year’s first meeting was no different as the Colts prevailed, 35-33.
This time, it looked like the Titans were going to get the monkey off their back and beat the Colts for the first time since Indy drafted quarterback Andrew Luck, as Tennessee held a 13-point lead going into the fourth quarter. Even when the Colts scored on a 35-yard pass to Phillip Dorsett with 6:49 left in the game, the Titans had to feel confident. The Colts’ defense was struggling to contain Tennessee’s attack, with quarterback Marcus Mariota tearing up their secondary.
Unfortunately for the Titans, however, Mariota made his first major mistake in the passing game, staring down his receiver and throwing a bad interception. The Colts scored a go-ahead touchdown on the very next snap. The Tennessee offense stalled on their next drive, and Indianapolis scored again after forcing a punt.
Now, down eight points with under three minutes left, it was up to Mariota to lead the Titans down the field, and he did. Mariota passed for 69 yards on the final drive, and after being helped by a pair of big Indianapolis penalties, running back Jalston Fowler ran in from the 1-yard line to cut the lead to two.
The Titans had no choice but to go for two to tie the game, and the Colts defensive line made a big stop, chasing Fowler backwards and tackling him on the 16-yard line. With 47 seconds left, Indianapolis recovered the onside kick and took a knee to end the game.
The Titans (1-2) get their next shot at ending their losing streak to the Colts (1-2) in January. For now, their focus will be on their next game, when they host the Buffalo Bills on Oct. 11.
Featured image by Casey Fleser
Edited by Cody McClure
Quinn is an assistant sports editor for TNJN and a sophomore majoring in Journalism and Electronic Media at the University of Tennesse. When he's not writing, he's probably doing something else. You can follow him on Twitter (@QuinnNotCook) or e-mail him at qpilkey@vols.utk.edu.
