Titans Rally From 13-0 Down to Beat Colts 26-20 for First Win of the Season

The Tennessee Titans beat the Indianapolis Colts 26-20 on Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium, scoring 26 straight points after a scoreless first half to win for the first time this season.

Tennessee came in 0-5 under head coach Robert Saleh, trying to avoid an 0-6 start, The Tennessean reported. The Titans are now 1-5. Indianapolis fell to 2-4 after leading 13-0 at halftime and holding the ball for most of the afternoon.

Indianapolis controls the first half

Daniel Jones threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Mo Alie-Cox in the second quarter, and Spencer Shrader added field goals of 23 and 47 yards. Indianapolis led 13-0 at the half, and Tennessee had no points and little offense to show for two quarters.

The Colts finished with 399 total yards to 186 for Tennessee and held the ball for 38 minutes 32 seconds, according to Sportradar. None of it held up once the turnovers started.

Defense and special teams turn the game

On the first play after halftime, running back Jonathan Taylor fumbled, and Tennessee took over at the Indianapolis 33, the Indianapolis Star reported. Defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons forced the fumble, the Titans said, and he spent the rest of the day in the Colts backfield. Indianapolis allowed six sacks, and Jones threw two interceptions as part of three Colts turnovers.

Joey Slye put Tennessee on the board with a 29-yard field goal, then cut the lead to 13-6 with a 56-yarder late in the third quarter.

The fourth quarter belonged to Tennessee. Chimere Dike returned a punt 58 yards to the Indianapolis 28, and four plays later Cam Ward rolled left and found rookie Carnell Tate for an 8-yard touchdown. It was Tate's first touchdown in the NFL. He finished with six catches for 70 yards, NBC Sports reported, and the game was tied 13-13 with 13 minutes left.

Minutes later, Julius Chestnut blocked a punt and Femi Oladejo scooped up the loose ball and ran it in for a touchdown. Tennessee led 20-13, and the home crowd booed, the Indianapolis Star reported.

Slye finishes the job

Taylor answered for Indianapolis. He capped an eight-play, 72-yard drive with a 4-yard touchdown run that tied the game 20-20 with 5:32 left. Taylor touched the ball on almost every play of the drive and had 23 touches for 151 total yards at that point, The Tennessean reported.

Ward then drove Tennessee into field goal range twice. Slye made a 49-yarder with 2:03 left to put the Titans back in front, and after the defense held, his 44-yarder with 47 seconds left made it 26-20.

Ward finished 11 of 22 passing for 102 net yards with the one touchdown, according to Sportradar team statistics, modest numbers on a day when Tennessee needed its defense and special teams to win the game. They did.