National Football League

Colts maintain control of playoff destiny with overtime win over Titans

Updated Dec. 3, 2023 8:45 p.m. ET

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Ben Arthur

AFC South Reporter

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Splash plays on the defensive side of the ball have been the Colts' calling card over the past several weeks. In their three-game winning streak entering Week 13, the sacks and takeaways had come in bunches. They've fueled ugly wins.

On Sunday, when it mattered most on the road against the division-rival Titans, it was a splash play on offense that led to a dramatic victory. 

"I feel like everybody is just bought in," wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. said. "We just don't ever quit." 

Quarterback Gardner Minshew, not known for his arm strength, connected on a 55-yard strike to wide receiver Alec Pierce, setting up the Colts at the 4-yard line in overtime. Two plays later, Minshew hit Pittman in the end zone to give Indianapolis a thrilling 31-28 win, stunning the home crowd. 

The Colts (7-5), who entered the game in possession of the third and final AFC wild-card spot, improved their playoff chances and swept the Titans (4-8) in the process.

Early on, the home team was in control. It was shaping up like many of the recent Titans-Colts matchups pre-Shane Steichen: Tennessee winning the game with its run game and defensive front. Derrick Henry had 89 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns on 5.2 yards per carry in the first half. The Jeffery Simmons-led defensive line kept Indianapolis RB Zack Moss — who erupted for 165 yards and two rushing touchdowns in the first matchup in Week 5 — in check. 

The Colts were 0-for-4 in the red zone through 60 minutes, including a 19-play drive that took 10:03 off the clock — the team's longest drive in the past seven seasons, according to ESPN Stats & Information — that resulted in a field goal. 

Indianapolis had many reasons to lose and won anyway. 

It started with the team's propensity for splash plays. 

It wasn't just about Pierce's big reception at the end. The Colts took their first lead of the game in the final seconds of the third quarter, when defensive back Nick Cross blocked Ryan Stonehouse's punt. Linebacker Grant Stuard recovered the loose ball and returned it 18 yards for the touchdown. 

Minshew's pass on the two-point try was picked off by Titans safety Amani Hooker, who took it to the house. But the Colts registered a second straight takeaway in punt coverage, with cornerback Tony Brown forcing a Stonehouse fumble that was recovered by linebacker Segun Olubi. 

The Colts created 10 points on special teams. 

"This week on special teams was different," Stuard said. "We had so many different checks. All 11 people have to know what's going on. I got to yell at the gunner. … Everything has to come together. It was something we really worked on, worked on, worked on. 

"We worked on it so hard, so it was one of those things where it had to shake eventually, you know? 

The Colts sacked Titans quarterback Will Levis six times, including four times in the second half. They have 21 sacks in what's now a four-game winning streak. They're up to 42 for the season. 

Pierce (three catches, 100 yards) and Pittman (11 receptions, 105 yards) also became the first pair of Indianapolis pass-catchers to each have at least 100 receiving yards in the same game since Coby Fleener and Donte Moncrief in 2014, per ESPN Stats & Information.  

Sunday was just the latest example of the resiliency of these Colts. 

They have every reason to be a bad team. They've been without star running back Jonathan Taylor for five games and counting (he's currently sidelined with a thumb injury). Standout rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in Week 5 against the Titans. Minshew, his replacement, has been a roller-coaster at quarterback. Indianapolis has had cornerbacks in and out of the lineup, too. Nose tackle Grover Stewart — an elite run stuffer — has missed the past six games due to suspension, the result of violating league policy on performance-enhancing drugs (he's eligible to return next week).

But these flawed Colts continued to find a way. It's why Steichen is a Coach of the Year candidate. 

Indianapolis is on a four-game winning streak for the first time since 2018. The team has won two overtime games in the same season for the first time since 1995 (the Colts also beat the Ravens on the road in Week 3).  

"I think it's just guys believing, you know what I mean?" Steichen said. "You hear that word a lot, but it is true. You believe every time you're going to go out and win the football game. No matter what the circumstances are, no matter what the situation is, you keep fighting and you keep going and you find ways at the end. 

"You believe you're going to win, you're going to go out and win the game." 

Ben Arthur is the AFC South reporter for FOX Sports. He previously worked for The Tennessean/USA TODAY Network, where he was the Titans beat writer for a year and a half. He covered the Seattle Seahawks for SeattlePI.com for three seasons (2018-20) prior to moving to Tennessee. You can follow Ben on Twitter at @benyarthur.

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Indianapolis Colts

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NFL - Indianapolis Colts vs. Tennessee Titans - 12/03/2023

Gardner Minshew II

Alec Pierce

Ben Arthur