INDIANAPOLIS – The Titans lost 38-14 to the Colts here on Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Here's a look at six things that stood out from the contest:
Cam's Day
Titans quarterback Cam Ward threw for 259 yards and a touchdown in the game, but he expressed frustration afterward on the team's inability to finish drives. The Titans moved the football at points in the contest, but they couldn't do it consistently enough. The Titans went three-and-out on two occasions, and punted four times in the contest. "We had some positive moments, but it wasn't enough to win the game," said Ward, who was intercepted late. "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."
4th and 3 Punt
The biggest turn in the game happened in the third quarter, after the Titans decided to punt on fourth-and-three from the Indianapolis 42-yard line. When the Colts got the ball, running back Jonathan Taylor busted loose for an 80-yard touchdown run on their first offensive play. It made the score 24-7, and it was pretty much game over after that. Interim coach Mike McCoy was asked about the decision to punt rather than go for it. "It was something we talked about," McCoy said. "The last thing we thought they were going to do was have the big touchdown run after that. You look back and say, 'I should have gone for that.' But initially, when I said to punt it, you pin them deep and the defense had done a nice job in the second quarter, so you punt them deep and get the ball back. But, looking back it's one you wish you would have just went for it."
Porous Run Defense
Taylor's 80-yard run was the back-breaker for the Titans, but it was just part of an overall big day for him – and a bad day for Tennessee's run defense. Taylor ran for 153 yards on just 12 carries – an average of 12.8 yards per carry. Taylor scored three touchdowns on the day, counting his score on a 19-yard passing play. "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." Added McCoy: "The run defense, you have to be able to stop the run. We came in here against a really good team that runs the ball. … We have to play better."
Helm's First Score, and Mindset
Titans rookie tight end Gunnar Helm scored his first career touchdown, on a one-yard touchdown catch. "I saw a little hole, and tried to settle in, and Cam did a good job of getting out of the pocket and making a play," Helm said of the play. "Anything I can do to help this team win football games." Helm had two catches for 23 yards in the game, and he now has 19 catches for 172 yards on the season. Helm was asked what is keeping him going during what's now a 1-7 season. "It's the NFL, and it's a long season," Helm said. "We have a young team, a brand-new coach. We all know that we are all in this together. We come to work every day, and we bust our ass. We are sick and tired of hearing that we are a horrible football team, because we know we are a good football team. We just hurt ourselves at times, and we dig ourselves in some holes. We have to do our best to get out of it."
Tyjae's Day
Titans running back Tyjae Spears had his most productive day of the season on Sunday, when he flashed with some plays. Spears set up Helm's score with a 41-yard run in the second quarter, which put the ball at the one-yard line. Spears later scored on a three-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. Spears finished the day with nine carries for 59 yards, a 6.6-yard average. He added three catches for 23 yards, giving him 82 scrimmage yards in the contest. "I'm always blessed, and always appreciative for everything that I get," Spears said. "I'll just look and see what I could have done better, and look at see what I did good, and keep building off of it."
Dike Keeps Momentum
Rookie receiver Chimere Dike continues to be a bright spot for the Titans. Dike caught a team-high seven passes (on eight targets) for 93 yards against the Colts, including another big early start. Dike's 93 receiving yards were the most by a Titans rookie since Treylon Burks' 111 at Green Bay in 2022. He became the first Titans rookie to register back-to-back games with at least 70 receiving yards since Burks in Weeks 11-12 of 2022. "But at the end of the day, we didn't get the win," Dike said. "Our job is to win football games for the Tennessee Titans, and if we are not (winning), we have to figure ways to get better, and improve."
