Insider: 10 thoughts on the Colts' 19-10 loss to the Titans
NASHVILLE - Ten thoughts on the Colts' 19-10 loss to the Titans at Nissan Stadium:
Insider: Matt Ryan costs Colts a chance to lead AFC South
As it happened:Titans beat Colts in critical AFC South matchup
More:Derrick Henry makes the Colts pay late ... again
The Colts wanted to run a good amount of the hurry-up, pass-heavy approach they broke out for 34 points in a win over the Jaguars the week before. The Titans were more ready for it, and it didn't go nearly as smoothly. They went 3-and-out on the first possession, and they had a harder time moving that way and sustaining drives without falling into the danger that so often strikes this team. The Colts drove half the field before Matt Ryan had a miscommunication with Parris Campbell on a hot route and threw an interception that Andrew Adams took for a touchdown. Ryan threw another interception soon after that, on a play where he had time and just forced a ball right to a defender across the middle, reminiscent of his interception in Denver.
Ryan was masterful last week against the Jaguars with those 58 attempts, the zero turnovers, a quarterback rating over 100 and the game-winning touchdown pass. This week was the opposite of that. He couldn't generate the same consistency or even close. He didn't take advantage of the few solid pockets he got, either throwing the ball away or throwing it right at a defender for an interception. He had another back-breaking turnover, with the seven points he gave away almost outscoring his own offense on the day. It's just terrible situational football, as the Colts could have kicked a field goal in Chase McLaughlin range there and might have won 13-12 with how Tennessee's offense operated. It goes to show that Ryan is just a flawed player at this stage, at age 37 in a new offense without an identity. He's brought them back in games and helped them get to 3-3-1, but today he was the biggest reason they lost.
The scheme helped the offensive line out a lot last week, resulting in zero sacks on 58 attempts, but Ryan still took some brutal hits. This week, they rolled with the offensive line that finished that game, with Dennis Kelly at left tackle, and it had a tougher week against a tougher defensive front. Ryan was hit 10 times and sacked three times, and with a pretty quick trigger, the Titans were able to keep routes in front of them and tackle to force the Colts to drive the length of the field. Kelly regressed some, and none of the other linemen had a dominant day to pick up the overall performance.
Jonathan Taylor's usage was limited by design today. The Colts like what they have in Nyheim Hines and Deon Jackson. They planned on employing another pass-heavy approach. And they didn't want to rush Taylor back to workhorse level after he missed two games. But the lack of Taylor's presence in the middle of the game stressed all the other parts in this offense at the worst time, leading to an avalanche with two turnovers and a half that ended in a shutout. Taylor finished with 10 carries for 58 yards and seven catches for 27 yards. In hindsight, the offense could have used double the carries out of him if it meant limiting the destruction of the rest of the unit.
The Titans led 13-0 at halftime with all of 111 yards. They finished the game with 254 yards and zero offensive touchdowns and won by two scores. This is who the Titans are: They force opponents into mistakes, they grind out drives to limit possessions and magnify those mistakes, and they don't give any of their own back. The Colts always seem to oblige in beating themselves against this team, and that's why they've lost five straight. The AFC South is a floor division right now, and the Colts' isn't high enough with the constant changes at quarterback and inability to maximize what they have on the offensive line.
For the first time this season, the Colts started Isaiah Rodgers Sr. over Brandon Facyson at the second outside cornerback position. But the rotation continued nonetheless, as Facyson was in by the third series, which is the time Rodgers Sr. used to check in. Neither had a big impact on the game, but it'll continue to be a talking point. Rodgers Sr. has not only outplayed Facyson this season, but he's a younger, more athletic, higher-upside player with excellent ball skills, and the Colts need all the playmaking ability they can get with their inability to score at the moment. Facyson's struggles notwithstanding, the Colts have to find more ways to get Rodgers Sr. on the field.
I had a feeling during the week that this could be the Parris Campbell game. He scored his first touchdown last week, and Reich spoke about needing to force the ball his way more with how well he's fit into the flow of their middle-of-the-field passing concepts. Campbell saw the first two targets of the game, and he just got into a groove from there. He finished with 10 catches for 70 yards and his second touchdown of the season. He's become a critical part of this offense with all he does on motions and spacing on his routes, and now the volume is there. This team has had some brutal injury issues and a lot of things going wrong, but Campbell's availability, ascension and hidden contributions have been a plus.
Another game for DeForest Buckner, another dominant effort. This time, he played a good amount of defensive end snaps in place of an injured Kwity Paye, and he was the main reason the Titans weren't able to get to the edge to get Derrick Henry rolling with a head of steam. When Tennessee ran the other way, Buckner shot gaps and used his length to catch Henry from behind. And on passing plays, Buckner won 1-on-1 matchups to harass Ryan Tannehill, finishing with three quarterback hits. Buckner is so at home in this scheme, the one he played to 12.5 sacks and within a quarter of a Super Bowl in San Francisco. It's keeping him free of the double teams he saw last year and allowing him to be a constant presence around the ball, and it's a huge reason the Colts defense has ascended to a level where it can hold this Colts offense in games week after week.
Rodney Thomas II started the game at free safety and played a majority of it, but Julian Blackmon replaced him in the second half. It was a question throughout the week, as Thomas II, as seventh-round rookie from Yale, has had a really strong season in what's still a tiny sample for a career. Blackmon represents a bigger voice and more explosive downhill athleticism at this stage of his career. I think both are positives for this team, and it'll be interesting to see how they mix them moving forward, given they don't want to take Rodney McLeod off the field at strong safety either. One of the good problems on this roster.
The Colts finally got a downfield jump ball to Michael Pittman Jr., which extended a second-half drive to set up their touchdown. That's one part of last year's passing game they could really use, as Pittman Jr. and his 6-foot-5 height and basketball burst can create explosive plays when the design doesn't call for one. The challenge to protect Ryan for those has been obvious, but Ryan needs to let a couple more rip down the field in order to have a chance at big plays. They're nonexistent in this offense right now without that.
Contact Colts insider Nate Atkins at natkins@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @NateAtkins_.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Colts vs. Titans: 10 thoughts on AFC South matchup
