INDIANAPOLIS – The Titans beat the Colts 34-31 in overtime here on Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Here's a look at six things that stood out from the contest…
Resiliency
Say what you want about these Titans. They weren't perfect on Sunday, and oftentimes they made things more difficult on themselves. But once again, they found a way to win. Trailing 14-0 early, the Titans battled back to tie it at 14-all. Down 24-21 in the third, they rallied again. And, after blowing the lead late in regulation, the Titans managed to seize momentum back again in overtime before walking away with yet another gut-check win. The Titans have now won twice in overtime in 2021, and they've won four games in a row. "Enjoy the heart of that football team, the compassion that they play with," Titans coach Mike Vrabel said of his squad. "It's a grind. There's guys that are banged up, beat up, but they find a way. I am so honored and humbled to be their coach."
Elijah Molden's Pick Six
In a wild one, this was undoubtedly the craziest play of the day. Late in regulation, Titans rookie Elijah Molden picked off a pass from Colts quarterback Carson Wentz, and he bounced into the end zone for a Pick-6. What made it so wacky is Wentz threw the ball with his left hand, as he was being harassed by Titans outside linebacker Bud Dupree, who was trying to drag him down for a safety. "I was just happy," Molden said. "But really, I think the credit goes to Bud (Dupree) – to me, he's the one that made that play. At that point, I just ran in there and got the ball. It was a pretty easy interception. I didn't have to do much. It was a great rush."
Kevin Byard's Redemption
Titans safety Kevin Byard admitted after the game he was pondering his post-game speech on the sideline, the one where he'd take all the blame for his pass interference penalty that set up the Colts game-tying touchdown in late in regulation. Byard was upset with himself after that play, because he thought it might've cost the Titans the game. Then he went out and did something about it. In overtime, Byard intercepted Wentz, and he returned it to the Indianapolis 32-yard line. It set up the game-winning field goal, and it gave the Titans the win. "I definitely take a lot of blame for putting my team in that position, to need to go into overtime," Byard said. "I was sitting on the sideline thinking, "I have to redeem myself. I have to redeem myself." But that's the thing about this team, we are resilient, and we are going to keep swinging and we are going to keep swinging and I was able to make a big play at the end of the game and we won the game."
Randy's a Dandy
That game-winning kick, of course, came off the right foot of Titans kicker Randy Bullock. It was Bullock's second-game winning kick in overtime, as he hit a walk-off to beat the Seahawks back in September as well. "A.J. Brown actually came over to me and said, "Be ready, we are going to need you to win this," Bullock said. "It's cool to have the confidence from my teammates, and you just have to be prepared and do your job when called upon. … I felt like I hit it pretty good, and it went through. We got a win, and that's what matters most." Bullock's game-winner was from 44 yards, and he also hit a clutch 46-yarder to tie it in the fourth quarter. Bullock is now 15-of-17 on his field goals since joining the Titans, and 21-of-22 on PATs. "I am just happy to be here more than anything," Bullock said. "I have really enjoyed my time here so far."
A.J. More Than OK
Receiver A.J. Brown has been on quite a roll for the Titans, just in time. Brown caught 10 passes (on 11 targets) for 155 yards on Sunday, including a 57-yarder for a touchdown. After the game, Brown credited his quarterback. "It is really not me," Brown said. "It's (Ryan) Tannehill. Some of the throws today, he couldn't have put it in a better place. I was more hyped about the throws that what I did, with the catch. He's been spot on. He has always been accurate, but he's been balling." Brown's day on Sunday followed an eight-catch, 133-yard performance against the Chiefs, and a seven-catch, 91-yard game against the Bills. Tannehill gave the credit to Brown, who now has 35 catches for 509 yards and three touchdowns in seven games played. "I love playing with A.J," Tannehill said. "He's a heck of a football player, makes huge plays for us weekly. I love him as a friend, too. … He is extremely talented, and dangerous with the ball in his hands. If he continues to get open, I'll continue to throw it to him."
Mistakes, and Penalties
The Titans have won four straight games, and they're now 6-2. The Titans are not only all alone atop the AFC South standings, with a three-game lead over the Colts, they're also currently the No.1 seed in the AFC. The Titans won on Sunday despite being banged up, and without some of their key players. So, there's plenty to be proud of, and celebrate. But moving forward, the Titans need to clean some things up, too. The Titans were penalized 11 times for 161 yards on Sunday, including some costly penalties on defense. Tannehill was intercepted twice. The Titans managed to win despite making mistakes, a positive amongst some negatives. "We fought through adversity," said Tannehill, who also threw three touchdown passes. "This team has shown we have toughness, and we can fight through it. We hung in there – things weren't pretty. We started off terrible and … we got down 14-0. But we stuck with it and found a way to win at the end."
