INDIANAPOLIS – The Titans rallied to beat the Colts 26-20 here on Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Senior Writer and Editor Jim Wyatt takes a look at six things that stood out from the contest:
Jeffery Simmons and the Defense Dominated
Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons played with a refuse-to-lose mentality on Sunday, and on this day, he was rewarded. Simmons had two sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery against the Colts. Per NextGenStats, Simmons generated seven pressures, which tied for the most by any defensive tackle this season. Simmons was double teamed on 24 pass rushes, recording four pressures and both of his sacks in those matchups, the most pressures against double teams by any player this season. The forced fumble by Simmons on the first play of the second half sparked a run of 20 unanswered points. But Simmons wasn't alone. His performance was part of a big day for the Titans defense, which forced three turnovers and six sacks. "When you do your job and you're not chasing, you're not trying to chase plays and make things up, the ball will find you," Simmons said. "We've been talking about turnovers. We've been talking about how we can win the turnover margin. How can we get the ball? And today was a great start. Guys where they're supposed to be and eventually just attacking the football."
Go Big Femi
Two of the game's biggest plays came on special teams, and that included a 58-yard return by Chimere Dike that set up a score. Perhaps the biggest play was a blocked punt by linebacker James Williams that was picked up and returned for a touchdown by defensive end Femi Oladejo. It was a smooth pick-up and score for Oladejo, who raced 14 yards for a touchdown. "In practices, you practice scoop and scores," Oladejo said with a smile. "If it's country, you pick it up and run with it, if it's city, you dive on it. It felt like country to me, so I ran." The 14-yard return for a touchdown gave the Titans a 20-13 lead in the fourth quarter. It was the second blocked punt in as many seasons for Williams. "We do a lot of studying," Williams said. "I called it – I kind of felt we were going to get it." The Titans became the first NFL team to have three takeaways, six sacks and a blocked punt in a game since the Colts did so at Minnesota on Dec. 17, 2022.
Tate's Day
Titans receiver Carnell Tate caught his first career NFL touchdown on Sunday – an eight-yard pass from quarterback Cam Ward. Tate had six catches for 70 yards on the day, and he now has a team-high 29 catches for 344 yards on the season. Tate kept battling for the Titans, even after he was slammed down and checked out by trainers on the sideline. "It felt good, to go out there and finally get a touchdown," Tate said. "We just have to go out there and continue to play consistent. It was good to go out there and makes plays." Tate was credited with three of the Titans' four longest offensive gains, including a 19-yard reception on third-and-10 in the third quarter. Tate also added an 18-yard catch and a 14-yard catch, each resulting in a new set of downs. It was his third game of the season with at least six receptions and 50 receiving yards. He is the first Titans receiver with three such games in a season since DeAndre Hopkins in 2023 and the first Titans rookie receiver to accomplish the feat since Kendall Wright in 2012.
Sputtering Offense
The Titans offense owes a big thanks to the defense, and special teams, for Sunday's win. Ward, after all, threw for just 102 yards in the game, along with an interception. The Titans managed just 11 first downs and 186 yards of offense, which was just 3-of-10 on third down. Too many drives ended with field goals, and some never really got going. The Titans made some big plays on offense on Sunday late, but this is a unit that still needs to be a lot better. Heck, the Titans won despite being outgained by 213 total yards, their worst total yards margin in a win since Week 15, 2006, against the Jaguars (-298). "I think going into the second half, we didn't play how we wanted to offensively," Ward said. "We still – second half, still got a lot of things to clean up offensively, but the mindset just didn't change in the locker room. … At the end of the day, I think all three phases complement each other at the right time."
Too Many Penalties
The Titans also hurt themselves with penalties, so this is an area that needs to be cleaned up as well. Truman Jones was flagged for a running into the kicker penalty that kept an Indianapolis drive alive, and an offsides on Jacob Martin and an illegal contact penalty on Joshua Williams also gave Indy first downs when it appeared they were set to punt. A holding call wiped out another long return by Dike, and another hold on the opening kickoff left the Titans starting in a hole. The Titans were penalized eight times for 54 yards in the game. Sorry to be a buzz kill, but all this needs to be cleaned up if the team is going to win more games.
Robert Saleh Gets Game Ball
Bottom line, the Titans won the game. And, after some heartbreaking losses early this season, the Titans rallied to win this one. Ward handed head coach Robert Saleh the game ball after his first win as Titans coach, and it was the franchise's 500th win. "It's not about me," Saleh said. "I'm happy for Miss Amy – I apologize to her that it took a little longer than we all wanted. The players, these kids put in so much work, and this league is hard. We'd been close on a few occasions, and to knock this one out for them, I am much more excited for them than for myself." Said Ward: "I'm proud of him. Coach Saleh, he is the same person each and every day he comes in the building. For him to get his first win in the fashion that we did, it's awesome. We have to continue to rally around coach Saleh."
