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:
Rudolph's Day
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."
Porous Run Defense
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."
Late Comeback
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.
Back-to-Back Big Days From Spears and Okonkwo
Spears had another good day. After tallying two touchdowns against the Bengals, Spears scored two more times against the Colts. Spears finished the day with 27 rushing yards, along with three catches for 39 yards, to give him 66 all-purpose yards and two TDs in the game. Tight end Chig Okonkwo also followed up a big game against the Bengals with another solid performance, finishing with nine catches for a team-high 81 yards.
Amani Hooker INT
In a game when Titans failed to make many plays on defense, safety Amani Hooker provided the biggest one. It came early, with the Colts driving. That's when Hooker stepped in front of a Richardson pass, and intercepted it deep in Tennessee territory. It was Hooker's fifth interception of the season, and it also provided a little comic relief: Hooker tried to give the ball to a Colts fan dressed up as Santa Claus, but Santa knocked it back to him. On this day, however, not much else was too funny.
Injuries
The Titans saw a lot of guys leave the game with injuries, and a number of them didn't return. Linebacker Kenneth Murray (wrist), defensive lineman T'Vondre Sweat (eye), linebacker Otis Reese (ankle), tackle Dillon Radunz (shoulder) and Hooker (shoulder) all left the game at some point with injuries. Coach Brian Callahan indicated the injury to Murray "is probably not encouraging." Running back Tony Pollard, who went over 1,000 yards for the season in the contest, also left the game with his lingering ankle injury and did not return.
