INDIANAPOLIS — The Indianapolis Colts beat the Tennessee Titans, 31-28, in overtime at Nissan Stadium on Sunday afternoon. The game featured back-to-back blocked punts by the Colts’ special teams unit.
Quarterback Gardner Minshew hit wideout Michael Pittman Jr. for a 4-yard touchdown to clinch a win in the extra period. The score was set up by a 55-yard pass from Minshew to receiver Alec Pierce.
The Colts needed the TD for the win because the Titans opened overtime with a field goal.
The Colts have now won four games in a row for the first time since 2018. They remain locked into an AFC wild card spot. The Colts also swept the Titans for the first time since 2018.
The game took a wild turn late in third quarter. Nick Cross blocked the first Ryan Stonehouse punt. Grant Stuard scooped up the ball, taking it 18 yards for a touchdown to put the Colts up, 22-17. Tennessee’s Amani Hooker intercepted the two-point attempt and returned it for two points to keep it a field goal game.
Tony Brown blocked the second Stonehouse punt. Segun Olubi recovered, setting up the Colts for a 28-yard field goal to extend their lead to 25-19.
The Titans tied the game on a Will Levis to DeAndre Hopkins 3-yard touchdown. Kicker Nick Folk missed the extra point that would have put Tennessee on top.
The Titans scored the first time they touched the ball, marching 64 yards on four plays, capping the drive with a Derrick Henry 22-yard touchdown run.
The Colts answered right back with a three-play, 56-yard drive of their own. Minshew connected with Pierce for a 36-yard touchdown to tie the game.
The teams exchanged punts before one of the more bizarre sequences of the year. Pass rusher Samson Ebukam sacked Levis, forcing a fumble. Defensive back Julian Blackmon then picked the ball up and began to return it. Levis later raced down the field and forced Blackmon to fumble. Levis recovered, then led Tennessee on a field goal drive to reclaim the lead.
The Titans scored again on their next possession as Henry picked up his second touchdown of the game, giving Tennessee a 17-7 lead. The Colts countered with a Matt Gay 23-yard field goal.
Indianapolis had a chance to tie the game before halftime, driving to the Tennessee 4-yard line, but former Colts’ defensive lineman Denico Autry forced Minshew to cough up the football. The Titans recovered to end the threat.
All was not lost, as the Colts salvaged three points before the end of the half with a Gay 46-yard field goal to make it 17-13 as the teams headed to the locker room.
Gay began the third quarter scoring with a 23-yard field goal to make it 17-16 before the Colts’ special teams sparked a flurry of scoring with the punt blocks.
The Colts are now 7-5 overall and 5-1 on the road. They’ll play their second straight away game next week at Cincinnati on CBS4.
