Titans at Colts: Live Updates and Analysis

The Tennessee Titans are in Indianapolis for what is unquestionably the biggest game of the year.

Win and they move up to second place in the division. Lose and their playoff hopes take a serious hit.

There’s not much more to say. So let’s get to it.

FIRST QUARTER

Colts won the toss and deferred their option to the second half.

The Titans will start with the ball. It’s a touchback.

(14:51) First play of the game, Derrick Henry with a big gain off the left side and the Colts recover and start at the Tennessee 39.

(11:03) Indianapolis 7, Tennessee 0. Tight ends have been a problem for the Titans’ defense all season and apparently today will be no different. Jack Doyle with three catches for 37 yards, the last of which was for 21 yards and a touchdown. Scoring drive: 6 plays, 39 yards, 3:48.

That’s nine times in 12 games the opponent has scored first against the Titans. All five losses have been in games in which they allowed the first points.

(5:05) Tennessee 7, Indianapolis 7. The offense with a decisive answer. Ryan Tannehill goes 6-7 for 61 yards with completions to five different receivers. Adam Humphries caps the drive with a 13-yard touchdown catch. Scoring drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 5:58.

Titans were 3-for-3 on third down on that drive. There have been five times this season when they converted three or fewer in an entire game.

Adam Humphries now has two touchdown catches in the last six quarters. He had none before that.

(4:30) Adoreé Jackson is down, getting attention from the trainers. The Titans already are thin at cornerback with Malcolm Butler (wrist) on IR and LeShaun Sims (ankle) unavailable this week. This could be a major issue if Jackson can’t go.

(2:12) The Colts lined up to attempt a fourth-and-1 from the Titans’ 32, but the center botched the snap and was penalized for illegal procedure. Indianapolis therefore, opts for a 55-yard field goal attempt and Adam Vinatieri misses to the right.

 (2:03) Another Titans turnover. Ryan Tannehill fumbles when he is sacked on first down. Indianapolis recovers at the Tennessee 33 and starts again.

A little bit of good news: Adoreé Jackson is back on the field for Tennessee.

(1:19) Now, linebacker Jayon Brown is hurt. Brown has missed two games recently with a groin injury.

(0:45) The defense holds and forces a 53-yard field goal attempt. Austin Johnson blocks the kick. The Titans are dodging bullets early.

End of the first quarter. Each team has five first downs. Colts have outgained the Titans 85-73 and have an edge in time of possession (8:02-6:58). Tennessee has committed two turnovers. Indianapolis has two missed field goals.

SECOND QUARTER

(13:22) On third-and-6 from the Indianapolis 35, Ryan Tannehill is sacked, which forces the Titans to punt. A lot of Derrick Henry of late. Tannehill has thrown one pass since the opening possession.

Brett Kern does his thing and forces the Colts to start from their own 10.

(6:07) Indianapolis 10, Tennessee 7. Indianapolis drives 80 yards to the Titans’ 10 but finally stalls and has to attempt another field goal. This one – from 27 yards – is good. Scoring drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 6:20.

 (4:39) Titans’ offense with its first three-and-out of the day, capped by the third sack of Tannehill.

When Tannehill is able to throw, he is averaging 6.4 yards per attempt, well down from the 9.2 yards he was averaging coming into the game.

(1:50) Tennessee will start at its own 8 after an illegal block by Dane Cruikshank on the punt return.

The drive starts with two runs by Derrick Henry for 18 yards and Henry reception for nine yards. Titans on the move.

(0:35) Cody Hollister with his first career reception (11 yards). Titans have it third-and-7 at the Indianapolis 49. One timeout remaining.

(0:26) Tannehill sacked for the second time on this drive, the fifth time (a season-high) in this game. Titans will punt.

(0:15) Brett Kern doing Brett Kern thins again. His punt is downed at the 6 and the Colts will take a knee and take their three-point lead to the locker room.

Halftime. Titans trail 10-7. They have been outgained 177-118 but have been the better team on third down, 4-7 as opposed to Indianapolis' 1-5. Turnovers and sacks are keeping Tennessee from putting points on the board.

Colts will have the ball to start the second half.

THIRD QUARTER

(15:00) Ryan Santoso with his second touchback in as many tries. Colts will start from their own 25.

(14:24) Harold Landry with his team-leading ninth sack. No other Titans player has more than three and a half. Indianapolis overcomes it with a 19-yard pass on the next play.

(11:15) Cornerback Adoreé Jackson has been ruled out for the remainder of the game with a knee injury sustained in the first half. He tried to play on it but won’t make it to the finish.

(10:23) Indianapolis 17, Tennessee 7. The Colts convert a pair of third downs on another methodical drive, their second of 11 plays. Nyheim Hines caps the drive with 1-yard run. Scoring drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 4:37.

(5:52) Indianapolis 17, Tennessee 14. Derrick Henry gets the offense moving with a 34-yard run and caps the drive with a 13-yard touchdown run, his 11 rushing touchdown of the season. Good response from the Titans, who overcame another sack of Tannehill. Scoring drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 4:31.

(5:40) After another touchback, the Colts throw on first down and Kevin Byard intercepts the pass and returns it to the Indianapolis 14. Tennessee in business.

(4:26) Tennessee 17, Indianapolis 17. The offense gains just two yards after the interception. Ryan Succop ties it with a 31-yard field goal – his first field goal of the season and his first attempt since he went 0-3 at Carolina. Scoring drive: 4 plays, 2 yards, 1:14.

(3:06) The defense forces a three-and-out. Titans have a chance to take the lead for the first time today.

(0:41) The offense goes three-and-out, but Brett Kern’s 62-yard punt forces Indianapolis to start from its own 8.

End of the quarter. Score is tied. Titans are 1-1 this season when tied after three quarters (lost to Buffalo, beat Tampa Bay).

Titans have zero third-down conversions since halftime.

FOURTH QUARTER

 (13:40) Colts will have to punt again. That’s two straight possessions the Titans defense forced a punt. The Colts kicked it away just once in their first seven possessions.

(11:19) Colts challenge after officials ruled a pass to A.J. Brown was incomplete. Review showed he caught it, possessed it and fumbled it – but officials could not determine whether Indianapolis made a clear recovery inbounds. Titans very nearly committed their third turnover.

(11:02) Titans forced to punt after Ryan Tannehill overthrows Adam Humphries on third down, but Brett Kern does it again. Indianapolis forced to go a long way to try to score after the punt is fair caught at the 10. Kern has punted five times. Four have been downed inside the 20. Four the season, he has punted 62 times and 33 have been downed inside the 20.

(5:02) Tennessee 24, Indianapolis 17. Dane Cruickshank blocks (more like smothers) Adam Vinatieri’s 46-yard field goal attempt and Tye Smith returns it 63 yards for the go-ahead score. Colts went 57 yards in 10 plays before that drive stalled.

(4:41) Logan Ryan with an interception. He ties Kevin Byard for the team lead with his fourth of the year and gives the offense a chance to run out the clock or add to the lead.

(3:03) Tennessee 31, Indianapolis 17. The Titans strike quickly and Kalif Raymond scores his first career touchdown with a 40-yard reception on a play-action pass. Scoring drive: 3 plays, 44 yards, 1:39.

The Titans have scored 13 or more fourth-quarter points in four of the six games since Ryan Tannehill became the starting quarterback.

(2:00) The Colts are driving. They have it first-and-10 at the Titans’ 13. Two timeouts remaining. If they can score quickly, they might still make this interesting.

Hold that thought … Titans challenge the last play, ruled on the field as a 31-yard reception by Jack Doyle, who was then down by contact when he fumbled. Following review, it’s determined that Doyle fumbled and the Titans recovered. Credit Tye Smith with the forced fumble and Kamalei Correa with the recovery. This one is all but finished.

(0:00) Titans win 31-17. Derrick Henry finishes with 149 yards and a touchdown on 26 carries. Ryan Tannehill completes 17 of 22 passes for 182 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions (a 131.2 rating). Henry, A.J. Brown and Anthony Firkser with three receptions each. Logan Ryan and Kevin Byard with interceptions. Jayon Brown credited with a team-high nine tackles and cornerback Kareem Orr, in his NFL debut, is credited with eight.

Titans are in second place in the AFC South.