The Indianapolis Colts had their fans in a state of panic heading into a Week Seven match-up with AFC South foe Tennessee Titans. The Colts entered the game with a record of 2-4, and the Titans entered the game with a record of 3-3. To stay alive in the division, the Colts would need to get a win this week. After blowing a 14-point fourth quarter lead last week against the Houston Texans, head coach Chuck Pagano and general manager Ryan Grigson also needed a win to keep themselves off their respective hot seats. Now let’s take a look at a game recap and the Indianapolis Colts week seven takeaways.
Indianapolis Colts Week Seven Takeaways
Game Recap
The Titans would take the lead early against the Colts with a ten-yard touchdown pass from Marcus Mariota to Taylor Lewan. Colts running back Frank Gore would even up the score with a three yard touchdown catch on the following drive. The Colts would add ten more points in the second quarter. Before halftime, Titans running back DeMarco Murray scored on a one-yard touchdown run to trim the Colts halftime lead down to 17-13. The third quarter stayed rather quiet, with the only points coming by way of an Adam Vinatieri field goal.
However, the fourth quarter started off fast with a touchdown from Mariota to tight end Delanie Walker. The Titans would take the lead on a Ryan Succop field goal at the six minute mark of the fourth quarter. The Colts would tack on two more touchdowns by way of a Jack Doyle touchdown reception, and a 14-yard fumble return for a touchdown by Robert Mathis. Succop would add another field goal for the Titans, but the game would end with a 34-26 Colts victory.
Andrew Luck is Still a Top Tier Quarterback
The Colts finally took advantage of a healthy and productive Andrew Luck. He put up 353 yards passing, and three touchdowns, with 27 completions on 39 attempts. Luck is third in the NFL in passing yards with 2,074 on the season. He is also fourth in the NFL in passing touchdowns with 14. It was nice to see Luck getting time in the pocket to find his receivers. The offensive line did look much better as they only gave up two sacks this game. This is a much needed improvement, as Luck is still the most sacked quarterback in the league with 25. If the Colts can continue to give Luck time to drop back and find his receivers, their fortunes will be a lot better for the rest of the season.
The Defense Looked Better, but Still Needs Improvement
It’s hard to fault the defense for much in this game, considering it was this unit that sealed this victory, after Mathis’ scoop-and-score in the final two minutes. However, they did let Murray run for over 100 yards and a touchdown. The secondary did look much better though. Cornerbacks Vontae Davis and Darius Butler both notched five tackles, and helped to hold Mariota under 250 total yards. Linebacker D’Qwell Jackson led the team in tackles with nine, and also had one pass deflection and a quarterback hit. If the Colts want to continue to be on the right side of the win column, then the defense will need to continue to improve.
Up Next
The Colts face a tough week nine test against the Kansas City Chiefs this Sunday. The Chiefs come into this game with a 4-2 record (1-2 on the road). They are coming off of a two game winning streak against the New Orleans Saints and Oakland Raiders. The Chiefs and Colts kick-off this Sunday at 1 p.m. ET, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
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