INDIANAPOLIS – There were moments, albeit brief ones, early on Sunday when the Titans flashed potential, and showed some promise.
Those moments, however, were too few and far between here at Lucas Oil Stadium in a 38-14 loss to the Colts.
And the biggest moment of the game – a quick sequence early in the third quarter – helped put in motion what ended up being another long day for the Titans.
With the loss, the Titans dropped to 1-7.
"We have to do a better job overall as an entire football team," interim head coach Mike McCoy said. "We have to play better."
Titans quarterback Cam Ward completed 22-of-38 passes for 259 yards, with a touchdown and an interception.
Receiver Chimere Dike had seven catches for 93 yards.
Running back Tyjae Spears ran for 59 yards and a touchdown.
But any good vibes for the Titans disappeared here in Naptown early in the third quarter.
That's when Colts running back Jonathan Taylor broke the game open with an 80-yard touchdown run, immediately following a Tennessee punt.
It was ugly after that, as Taylor finished the game with 153 rushing yards and three total touchdowns on the day.
"Obviously, I am very upset," linebacker Cedric Gray said. "As a team, as a defense, we have to be better, it's that plain simple. … I think the biggest problem – offense, defense, special teams – there's a lack of execution that I feel like is lacking with this team, and we have to change that."
"We are just going through some rough (expletive) right now, excuse my language," said Spears. "It's very frustrating, because we put the work in, put the time in. But we have to show it on Sundays."
It was interesting early, at least for a bit.
After the Colts jumped out to a 10-0 lead on a 43-yard field goal from kicker Michael Badgley, and an 18-yard touchdown run by Taylor, the Titans answered back in the second quarter.
That's when Ward connected with tight end Gunnar Helm for a one-yard touchdown pass to make it 10-7 at the 11:14 mark. Helm's score was set up by a 41-yard run by Spears, which put the ball at the Indianapolis one-yard line.
The Colts stayed the aggressor, quickly scored on a 21-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Daniel Jones to receiver Michael Pittman Jr. to make it 17-7 with 7:44 left in the second quarter.
It was still a game, 17-7 at the half, even after Titans kicker Joey Slye misfired on 58-yard attempt with one second left before the break.
The Titans were on the move early in third quarter, in fact, looking to make it closer.
But Tennessee's drive stalled at the Indianapolis 42, and the team punted on fourth-and-three.
The game quickly changed from there.
Taylor scored on his long run on the first play of Indy's next possession, making it 24-7, and the Colts scored again on a 10-yard touchdown pass from Jones to receiver Josh Downs to make it 31-7 with 4:26 left in the third quarter.
A 19-yard touchdown pass from Jones to Taylor made it 38-7 with 14:22 left in the contest.
A three-yard touchdown run by Spears made it 38-14 with 2:36 left, snapped a 28-0 scoring run for the Colts, and that's how it ended.
"We had some positive moments, but it wasn't enough to win the game," Ward said. "I have to do more, I have to be more accurate with the football, and we have to consistently move the ball up and down the field and end with points. I think the last couple of weeks we have been better just moving the ball, but we have to end it with points.
"If we don't score points, we are not going to be in a lot of games."
The Titans return to action next Sunday at Nissan Stadium against the Los Angeles Chargers.
