Six Things That Stood Out for the Titans in Sunday’s Loss to the Colts

INDIANAPOLIS – The Titans lost 38-30 to the Colts on Sunday here at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Here’s a look at six things that stood out from the contest:

Titans quarterback Mason Rudolph looked sharp early, starting 8-of-8 for 86 yards and a touchdown – a 38-yard scoring strike to receiver Calvin Ridley. Rudolph had some good moments in the contest, but there were also some tough stretches. Rudolph finished the day 23-of-34 for 252 yards and two touchdowns, along with three interceptions. He went 2-of-8 for 25 yards, along with an interception, in the latter stages of the first half, when the Colts took control of the game. “They scored 14 points off of (interceptions), and that’s on me,” Rudolph said. “I put our team in a bad spot, and that can’t happen. That’s not winning football.”

I’ve covered the Titans since the 1999 season, and I’d never seen a Titans team allow as many rushing yards as this one did on Sunday. The Colts ran for 335 yards against the 2024 Titans. The Colts had 290 yards through three quarters. Running back Jonathan Taylor ran for 218 yards himself, while quarterback Anthony Richardson added 70. It’s the most in the Titans era (since 1999), and the second-worst run defense performance in franchise history. There were issues across the board, which allowed it to happen. “We didn’t stop the run at all,” Coach Brian Callahan said. “A super-disappointing performance.”

The Titans lost this game in the second and third quarters, as the Colts went on a run of 38 consecutive points. I give the team credit for making a late run, scoring 23 points of their own on an 11-yard touchdown run by Tyjae Spears, a six-yard touchdown catch by Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, and then another score from Spears (2-yard run). If the Titans could’ve gotten one more defensive stop, they would have had a chance for a late miracle. But while the late comeback was nice, the dreadful stretch that put them in a hole was not.

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