Colts remain in the playoff picture with 31-28 overtime win over the Titans
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WISH) — The Indianapolis Colts defeated the Tennessee Titans 31-28 in an overtime thriller in Nashville.
The victory extends the Colts winning streak to four games, moving Indianapolis to 7-5 on the season.
The Colts swept the Titans for the first time since 2018, dropping their AFC South rival to 4-8 on the season.
Tied at 25 heading into overtime, the Titans struck first with a long field goal drive to take the lead and put all the pressure on the Colts’ offense.
And it was Alec Pierce who came up as the unlikely hero for the Colts.
The second-year wide receiver scored the Colts’ first touchdown of the game back in the first quarter, tying the score at 7.
But it was his third and final catch that won the game for Indianapolis.
Pierce has run the most go-routes in the league this season, and the former Cincinnati Bearcat went streaking down the field late in the overtime period for a 55-yard catch, setting the offense up with a first-and-goal situation.
Indy scored the game-winning touchdown two plays later.
“He keeps working, he keeps grinding,” Colts Head Coach Shane Steichen said. “It takes some time every once in a while but today was his opportunity and he made the most of it.”
Pierce finished with three catches for 100 yards and a touchdown, the first time in his career that Pierce went above the century mark.
Meanwhile, his teammate Michael Pittman Jr. had another fantastic outing, catching 11 passes for 105 yards and a touchdown to continue a career year.
His eleventh catch came in the back of the endzone at the end of overtime, walking the game off and giving the Colts the three-point victory.
“It’s unbelievable,” Steichen said of his top receiver. “The consistency he plays with week in and week out, and his preparation that he puts into it, his toughness and his physicality, it is special.”
Colts quarterback Garnder Minshew struggled at times, missing a few big throws and leaving points on the table at multiple points throughout the game.
But Minshew delivered when the Colts needed it most.
The former Jaguar and Eagle was 0-8 in his career when throwing for 300 or more passing yards, but Minshew snapped that streak with 312 passing yards in the overtime win on Sunday.
The Colts QB also threw for two touchdowns, including that game-winner to Pittman Jr.
For the Titans, All-Pro running back Derrick Henry continued his usual domination against the Horseshoe, taking 21 carries for 102 yards and a pair of rushing touchdowns.
Henry did leave the game late in the fourth quarter with a head injury.
Similar to Henry, future Hall of Fame wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins has made a living with big games against the Colts.
Hopkins caught five balls for 75 yards and the game-tying touchdown late in the fourth.
Late in the third quarter, the tide turned in the Colts’ favor when Nick Cross blocked a Ryan Stonehouse punt, while Grant Stuard scooped the ball up and ran into the endzone for six.
Six, not seven.
Up 22-17 following the special teams touchdown, Minshew’s two-point attempt failed miserably.
Titans safety Amani Hooker grabbed an interception and took it to the house for two Tennessee points, keeping the Indy lead at just five points.
2 game minutes later, Tony Brown ran over Stonehouse on a punt attempt and Segun Olubi recovered the ball for another great special teams play.
Minshew and the offense failed again when the quarterback was dropped for a big sack on third-and-goal from the 1-yard line, forcing the Colts to settle for a field goal.
Stonehouse was hurt on the punt block, forcing kicker Nick Folk to take over the punting duties and backup quarterback Ryan Tannehill to hold for Folk on field goal and point-after attempts.
Rookie quarterback Will Levis and the Titans pass game heated up, as DeAndre Hopkins caught a touchdown to tie the game at 25.
A successful PAT would give the Titans the lead late in the game, but Folk missed on the Tannehill hold and the game stayed tied until overtime.
BOX SCORE
Minshew completed 26 of his 42 pass attempts for 312 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. Minshew did lose a fumble.
Titans QB Will Levis went 16 of 33 for 244 yards and a touchdown, losing a fumble as well.
Colts running back Zack Moss took 19 carries for 51 yards.
Tennessee’s Derrick Henry had 21 rushes for 102 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns.
Colts WR Michael Pittman led the game in receiving with 11 catches for 105 yards and the game-winning touchdown.
His teammate Alec Pierce caught three balls for 102 catches.
On defense, rush ends Kwity Paye and Samson Ebukam each recorded two sacks as the Colts brought down Levis six times.
UP NEXT
The Colts head to Cincinnati for a game against the Bengals at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
Meanwhile, the Titans get an extra day of rest with a Monday Night Football game in Miami coming on Dec. 11 at 8:15 p.m.
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