A battle ensued on Sunday at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee where the Indianapolis Colts went head-to-head with the Tennessee Titans.
In a match-up where the momentum was ever-changing, the Colts came out on top in the second game of the regular season for a 19-17 division win over the Titans.
The Colts started the game strong with a 13-7 lead at halftime, but remained stagnant throughout much of the third quarter, allowing the Titans to take the lead. Jacoby Brissett connected with T.Y. Hilton in the endzone with 4:38 left in the fourth quarter. The Colt’s defense held on for the Titan’s final drive resulting in Sunday’s win.
Brissett completed 17 of 28 pass attempts for 146 yards and completed 3 passing touchdowns (the most single-game touchdowns of his short career). While Brissett seemed to be level-headed and in control throughout most of the game, he did present multiple errors and inconsistencies. Not only did Brissett throw his first interception of the season, he also lost the first fumble as well. Brissett showed inconsistency in the pocket. At times, he showed the stellar capability of breaking tackles and progressing the play, while at others, he was seemingly unable to make a decision fast enough. Brissett has shown that he is fully capable of being the Colt’s starting quarterback so long as he continues to adapt and progress.
While Marlon Mack could not seem to break through the Titan’s defense (accounting for only 51 rushing yards on 20 carries, and 12 yards on two of three connecting targets), Jordan Wilkins had minimal issue. Wilkins gained an explosive 82 rushing yards on five carries and 4 yards on his only target of the game. Wilkin’s performance should be comforting to Colts fans going into week three as he has shown the capability to bypass a solid defensive line for tremendous gains.
Adam Vinatieri has seemingly made no improvement after his harsh performance during the first regular-season game against the Los Angeles Chargers (in which he missed three kicks). Vinatieri missed two more extra-point kicks on Sunday in Nashville. Colt’s owner Jim Irsay commented post-game on the issue. “Breaks my heart to see it because I know how hard [Vinatieri] works,” Irsay said. “Of course it’s a concern. I can’t lie to you guys. Anyone would tell you it’s a concern. Adam, Coach [Frank Reich], Chris [Ballard], me. Yeah, I mean, in this league, it’s professional football. We all have to produce.” Vinatieri is expected to release a statement Monday.
The Colt’s move into week three (their home opener against the Atlanta Falcons) with plenty to improve on. Only time will tell of Vinatieri’s future with the team.
