The matchups behind how the Colts held on to beat the Titans 38-30
INDIANAPOLIS — The Colts made it a little too close to comfort.
But Jonathan Taylor’s early brilliance and a little help from Anthony Richardson allowed Indianapolis to salt away a 38-30 win over the rival Titans on Sunday, sweeping the season series against Tennessee and keeping the Colts’ slim playoff hopes alive.
Indianapolis (7-8) largely dominated the game at the line of scrimmage offensively, and although most games are full of critical matchups, most of Sunday’s win over the Titans came down to what the Colts were able to do up front.
Colts RB Jonathan Taylor vs. Titans S Daryl Worley in a footrace
Taylor hasn’t always been able to get into the open this season.
An ever-rotating cast on the offensive line, along with the focus a few teams placed on slowing down Taylor, cut down his room to run in the middle of the season, forcing him to pick and bang his way for short gains.
But if there was any question about whether Taylor still has his breakaway speed in the aftermath of a couple of high ankle sprains, they can be directed to Titans safety Daryl Worley.
Taylor broke into the open on two runs, and on both runs, it looked like Worley might have a chance to chase down the Indianapolis running back.
Taylor ran away from Worley both times. Worley wasn’t the only one; Titans cornerback Chidobe Awuzie was left behind on the first run, and Jarvis Brownlee Jr. was left in the dust on the second.
Worley just happened to be the only unblocked victim on both runs. Taylor ran the 40-yard dash in 4.39 seconds at the NFL scouting combine; Worley ran it in 4.64 seconds.
Taylor can still win a sprint. The Colts star ripped off a 65-yard run in the second quarter to give Indianapolis a 14-7 lead, and he beat the number on the second, erupting for a 70-yard touchdown run that put the Colts in firm command with a 31-7 lead.
The two big runs formed the basis of a vintage Taylor performance. The Indianapolis star ripped off 218 yards and three touchdowns on 29 carries, pushing him well over the 1,000-yard mark for the third time in his career.
The Colts vs. their worst impulses
One week after fumbling away, both literally and figuratively, a game the Colts appeared to control, Indianapolis managed to avoid back-breaking mistakes against the Titans.
Taylor made a big show out of holding onto the ball as he crossed the goal line after dropping it early against Denver, Indianapolis turned the ball over just one time and Shane Steichen leaned hard into what was working best, handing the ball off 50 times in a game where the Colts ran just 62 plays.
All Steichen did was recognize that the Titans could not stop the Indianapolis running game.
But that's a mistake a lot of coaches have made before, and instead Steichen ran the ball until Tennessee stopped him.
Colts OL vs. Tennessee front seven
Indianapolis essentially abandoned its passing game after Richardson fired late on an interception in the red zone early, turning almost exclusively to the running game in an effort to get the offense moving without risk.
Tennessee’s front still has several stars from their recent run of success, including defensive tackle Jeffrey Simmons.
But the Colts obliterated the Titans front for most of the game.
Taylor ripped off his 218 yards, Richardson added 70 yards on just nine carries and the Colts exploded for 330 rushing yards overall, a remarkable figure in the modern NFL.
Tennessee TE Chig Okonkwo vs. Colts LBs, safeties
Indianapolis has struggled against tight ends all season long, hemorrhaging receptions to the position because of its inability to consistently defend the middle of the field.
Rudolph found a rhythm after Indianapolis built a 38-7 lead, and he found it by exploiting the same hole in the defense that has plagued the Colts all season long.
Wide receivers Calvin Ridley and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine got the touchdowns.
Okonkwo’s the one who did the work. Rudolph hit Okonkwo nine times for 81 yards, repeatedly finding the tight end over the middle, then found him all alone on the left side for a two-point conversion that cut the lead to one score late in the game.
Colts DT DeForest Buckner vs. Titans RG Dillon Radunz
Tennessee’s offense threatened to force the Colts into an early shootout, taking an early 7-0 lead on a six-play, 65-yard first-quarter drive.
The best defensive player on the Indianapolis roster kept the Titans from doing much more than that.
Buckner’s final statistical line — five tackles, one tackle-for-loss, one pass breakup and one quarterback hit — did not do his first half justice. Buckner made two tackles on the opening series, and after the Titans threatened to get going on the next series after the touchdown by picking up 19 yards on first-and-20, Buckner registered quarterback hits on back-to-back plays, first by driving Radunz back into Mason Rudolph’s lap to force one incompletion, then hitting him hard again after twisting inside Radunz on the next play, forcing another incompletion and a punt.
Buckner’s pass breakup also came on third down, singlehandedly keeping the Tennessee offense from getting going until late in the second half.