Titans vs. Colts 2016 final score: Indianapolis holds off Tennessee comeback for a 24-17 win

The Indianapolis Colts held on to defeat the Tennessee Titans, 24-17, in an AFC South showdown at Lucas Oil Stadium. Here are four things you should know about this game.

Indianapolis’ offensive barrage in the first half

The Colts’ offense got off to a fast start against Tennessee’s defense. Indianapolis scored on its first three offensive possessions. On the Colts’ first possession, quarterback Andrew Luck led an eight-play, 68-yard drive that was capped off by a 1-yard touchdown run from running back Robert Turbin.

The Colts were not done reaching the end zone. One possession later, late in the first quarter, Luck threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to receiver Donte Moncrief to increase the lead to 14-0. Luck took the snap, moved up in the pocket, and delivered a strike to Moncrief, who had a defender draped all over him.

Early in the second quarter, Indianapolis increased the lead to 21 on its third possession. 4th-and-1 at Tennessee‘s 2-yard line, Luck threw a 2-yard touchdown strike to receiver T.Y. Hilton. Hilton fought off Titans cornerback Perrish Cox for the touchdown.

However, after the first half, Indianapolis’ offense failed to score a lot of points. Luck finished the game with 262 yards to go along with two touchdowns and an interception.

Indianapolis’ up-and-down performance on defense

The Colts’ 28th-ranked defense has not played well this season. However, this unit had an okay outing against one of the hottest offenses in the NFL. The Titans can move the ball through the air, but they love to feed opposing defenses a heavy diet of running back DeMarco Murray.

Indianapolis stifled Tennessee’s rushing attack by clogging up running lanes. All eleven players on Indianapolis’ defense swarmed to the ball to make plays. Coming into this game, the Titans had the best rushing attack in the NFL. Because the Colts jumped out to a 21-0 lead, the Titans had to abandon the run game for a while to catch up.

The Colts did a great job of applying pressure on Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota in the first half. He did not have enough time to make decisions in the pocket, and he made some bad throws. However, this unit struggled towards the end of the first half and throughout most of second.

The Colts’ defense gave up two passing touchdowns in that time span and allowed Mariota to use his legs to extend plays.

Mariota battles back

Down 21-0 late in the second quarter, Mariota got Tennessee on the scoreboard with a 3-yard touchdown pass to Murray. Mariota avoided a sack and drilled the pass to Murray for the touchdown.

Tennessee went into halftime with the momentum. In the second half, the Titans cut deeper into Indianapolis’ lead. Late in the third quarter, Mariota threw a 34-yard touchdown pass to receiver Tajae Sharpe. Mariota faked the handoff, stood tall in the pocket, and threw a deep pass to Sharpe for score. Sharpe beat cornerback Vontae Davis on the play.

Mariota couldn’t bring his team back from the early 21-0 deficit. However, he finished the game with 290 passing yards and two touchdowns.

Tennessee struggled on the ground

Tennessee’s offensive line struggled to keep defenders out of Mariota’s face. Unlike past games, the Titans were unable to break off long runs in this game. Indeed, give credit to the Colts’ defense. However, Tennessee’s offensive line failed to create rushing lanes and carve out space for Murray to run.

On his first three rushing attempts, he only gained 3 yards. Murray finished the game with 70 yards on 21 carries.

What’s next for both teams

The Colts will host the Pittsburgh Steelers on a Thursday Night Football showdown Thanksgiving day. Indianapolis must continue to score points and play solid defense against the Steelers.

Tennessee will travel to the Windy City for a Week 12 matchup against the Chicago Bears. In Chicago, especially in November and December, the weather is brutally cold and windy. Tennessee must depend on its rushing attack to move the chains.