NASHVILLE — The Tennessee Titans (1-1) return home this week to face the AFC South rival Indianapolis Colts (0-2). Kickoff at Nissan Stadium (capacity 69,143) is scheduled for noon CDT on Sunday, Sept. 26.
TITANS LOOK TO BUILD ON OVERTIME WIN AT SEATTLE
Last week at Seattle, the Titans scored the final 17 points of the game to stun the Seahawks 33-30 in overtime. They faced a 15-point deficit at halftime and trailed by 14 points in the fourth quarter before rallying to tie the score at 30-30 with less than a minute remaining in regulation.
In overtime, Randy Bullock’s 36-yard field goal—his fourth field goal of the game in his first appearance in a Titans uniform—gave Tennessee its sixth consecutive overtime victory and its fourth (4-0) under head coach Mike Vrabel. Titans running back Derrick Henry rushed for 182 yards and scored three second-half touchdowns, including a 60-yarder and lastly a oneyard plunge with 29 seconds on the clock in the fourth quarter. His 237 scrimmage yards (55 receiving) amounted to the 10th-best total in franchise history and the fourth-highest output of his career.
Meanwhile, quarterback Ryan Tannehill registered 347 yards on 27-of-40 passing. He was credited with his 10th game-winning drive since arriving in Tennessee in 2019, the most of any quarterback since that point. Tannehill delivered six passes to wide receiver Julio Jones, who totaled 128 yards in his second game with the organization. Jones notched his 59th 100-yard career game in the regular season and is now tied with Marvin Harrison for third place in NFL history in 100-yard receiving games behind only Jerry Rice (76) and Randy Moss (64).
With the heroics from Henry, Tannehill and Jones, the trio gave the franchise its 10th all-time game with a 100-yard rusher, 300-yard passer and 100-yard receiver. The offense totaled 33 first downs at Seattle, tied for the second-highest amount in franchise history and the most since Nov. 10, 1991. The 532 total yards by the Titans (212 rushing, 320 passing) were their most since a franchise-record 607 total yards in an overtime win against Houston on Oct. 18, 2020. By possessing the ball for 42 minutes and 33 seconds, the Titans had their best time of possession since Oct. 1, 2000 against the New York Giants (42:46).
THE COLTS
After dropping their first game of 2021 to the Seahawks, the Colts hosted the Los Angeles Rams in Week 2. They battled from being down 11 points in the second half to tie the score at 24-24 in the fourth quarter. But Matt Gay’s 38-yard field goal with 2:23 remaining gave the Rams a 27-24 win.
The Colts are in their fourth season under head coach Frank Reich. He spearheaded two playoff berths in his first three campaigns, including a wild card appearance after an 11-5 finish in 2020.
During the offseason, the Colts acquired veteran quarterback Carson Wentz in a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles. The former second-overall NFL draft pick (2016) produced four 3,000-yard passing seasons with the Eagles, including a career-high 4,039 yards in 2019. In his first two games with the Colts, he totaled 498 passing yards with three touchdowns and one interception. However, he exited last week’s game against the Rams with an ankle injury, and backup Jacob Eason finished the contest at quarterback.
SERIES AT A GLANCE
Overall series (regular & postseason): Colts lead 35-18
Regular season series: Colts lead 35-17
Postseason series: Titans lead 1-0
Total points: Titans 1,069, Colts 1,364
Current streak: One win by Titans
Titans at home vs. Colts: 8-16
Titans on road vs. Colts: 10-19 (including 1-0 in playoffs)
Longest winning streak by Titans: 3 (twice, last 1999–2002)
Longest losing streak by Titans: 11 (2011–2016)
Titans vs. Colts at Nissan Stadium: 5-14
Last time at Nissan Stadium: COLTS 34 at Titans 17 (11-12-20)
Titans vs. Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium: 3-10
Last time at Lucas Oil Stadium: TITANS 45 at Colts 26 (11-29-20)
First time: COLTS 24 at Oilers 20 (10-11-70)
Mike Vrabel’s record vs. Colts: 2-4
Frank Reich’s record vs. Titans: 4-2
Mike Vrabel’s record vs. Frank Reich: 2-4
A TITANS VICTORY WOULD …
Give the Titans their fourth consecutive division win, dating back to 2020.
Improve the Titans’ all-time record at Nissan Stadium, including playoffs, to 103-80.
Improve Mike Vrabel’s career record to 33-22 as a head coach, including playoffs.
Improve QB Ryan Tannehill’s combined starting record in the regular season and playoffs to 64-57, including a 22-11 record with the Titans.
MOST RECENT MATCHUPS
2019 Week 2 • Sept. 15, 2019 • COLTS 19 at Titans 17
Jacoby Brissett completes the game-winning four-yard touchdown pass to T.Y. Hilton with 4:38 on the clock in the fourth quarter … The Colts convert 50 percent on third down (7-14) and limit the Titans to 10 percent (1-10) … Brissett totals three touchdown passes, while Marcus Mariota completes one touchdown pass to offensive lineman David Quessenberry … Derrick Henry (81 rushing yards) adds the other touchdown on a one-yard run.
2019 Week 13 • Dec. 1, 2019 • TITANS 31 at Colts 17
The Titans erase a 10-point deficit in the second half, taking the lead with 5:02 remaining in the fourth quarter on Tye Smith’s 63-yard touchdown return after Dane Cruikshank blocks a 46-yard field goal attempt by Adam Vinatieri … The Titans block two total field goals (Austin Johnson) … Derrick Henry rushes for 149 yards and a score … Ryan Tannehill passes for two touchdowns, including a 40-yarder to Kalif Raymond in the fourth quarter … The Titans defense intercepts Jacoby Brissett twice (Kevin Byard, Logan Ryan) and notches three sacks … Tannehill is sacked six times by the Colts.
2020 Week 10 • Nov. 12, 2020 • COLTS 34 at Titans 17
The Colts score the game’s final 24 points to defeat the Titans on Thursday Night Football … The Titans’ second half includes three consecutive possessions ending with a 17-yard punt, a blocked punt by the Colts for a touchdown, and a missed field goal, leading directly to 21 total points for the Colts … Colts quarterback Philip Rivers passes for 308 yards and a touchdown, while running back Nyheim Hines accounts for 115 scrimmage yards (70 rushing, 45 receiving) and two total touchdowns … Derrick Henry rushes for 103 yards on 19 carries.
2020 Week 12 • Nov. 29, 2020 • TITANS 45 at Colts 26
In a battle between 7-3 teams, the Titans win to take the lead in the AFC South … Derrick Henry totals 178 yards on 27 rushing attempts and in the first half alone accounts for 140 rushing yards and three touchdowns … The Titans score touchdowns on five of their six possessions in the first half … After the Colts tie the score at 14-14 in the second quarter, the Titans score the next 24 points … A.J. Brown (98 receiving yards) scores on a 69-yard catch-and-run in the first quarter and adds a 42-yard touchdown return of an onside kickoff attempt by the Colts in the fourth quarter … The Titans total 449 yards, including 229 rushing yards.
SERIES HISTORY
The Titans and Colts have played 53 all-time games, including playoffs. The Colts lead the series 35-18. They have split the series in each of the past two seasons.
In 2020, the Titans and Colts played two games in a three-week span. In the first meeting on Nov. 12, a nationally-televised Thursday night game in Tennessee, the Colts scored 24 consecutive points and took advantage of Titans special teams miscues to secure a 34-17 victory. The Titans had a punt for 17 yards, a punt blocked and a missed field goal contribute to the defeat.
In the 2020 rematch at Lucas Oil Stadium on Nov. 29, the Titans won 45-26. Derrick Henry rushed for 178 yards and three touchdowns, while Ryan Tannehill threw for 221 yards with a 69-yard touchdown to A.J. Brown. Brown added a late 42-yard kickoff return touchdown to become the first player in franchise history with a receiving touchdown and a kickoff return touchdown in the same game.
The Colts swept the season series every year from 2012 through 2016 until 2017, when the Titans swept the season series for the first time since 2002.
The Titans and Colts have met only once in the postseason, a 19-16 Titans victory in a Divisional Playoff game in the RCA Dome on Jan. 16, 1999. Eddie George rushed for 162 yards, including a 68-yard touchdown run to help lead Tennessee during its run to Super Bowl XXXIV.
Three years later, in 2002, the NFL realigned, and the AFC South was created. The Titans moved from the AFC Central, and the Colts moved from the AFC East to form half of the new division.
The teams first clashed in 1970 following the AFL-NFL merger. The then-Baltimore Colts defeated the then-Houston Oilers 24-20 during the Colts’ run to a Super Bowl V Championship.
ALL-TIME SERIES RESULTS
10-16-17 Tenn W 36-22
11-26-17 Ind W 20-16
11-18-18 Ind L 10-38
12-30-18 Tenn L 17-33
9-15-19 Tenn L 17-19
12-1-19 Ind W 31-17
11-12-20 Tenn L 17-34
11-29-20 Ind W 45-26
