Titans vs. Colts: Full Report Card Grades for Indianapolis
The Indianapolis Colts had no problem taking down the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, coming away with their second straight blowout thanks to the 41-17 win.
Because of some early turnovers and a surprise onside kick, the Colts were able to take an early 17-0 lead. Titans backup quarterback Charlie Whitehurst couldn't get the offense going, while the Colts kept moving down the field.
However, a late first-half interception from Andrew Luck followed by a touchdown to Delanie Walker helped the Titans pull to within 10 points at 20-10 heading into halftime. Luck started to heat up in the second half, however, throwing three touchdowns to put the game away.
Indianapolis dominated the time of possession, holding on to the ball for over 42 of the 60 minutes. That helped it outgain the Titans 498-261 in total offense, as it was able to control the game on both sides of the ball.
Overall, it was another promising outing for the entire team, so let's take a look at the full report card grades for the Colts.
Quarterback
1 of 10
In the first quarter, Luck looked as sharp as ever, going 8-of-12 with 121 yards and a touchdown to Dwayne Allen. He was able to find five different receivers and wasn't afraid to step up with pressure in his face to make accurate passes downfield.
While Luck headed into halftime with 218 yards and a touchdown, he ended up throwing a baffling interception that landed in Wesley Woodyard's hands. It was an ugly pass despite Luck having a clean pocket, and it hurt what was otherwise a strong first half from the third-year quarterback.
Fortunately, that was the only mistake Luck would go on to make.
Luck was able to take over in the second half, finding Reggie Wayne, Coby Fleener and Ahmad Bradshaw on touchdowns. He was pulled in the fourth quarter once the team went up 41-17, finishing the day going 29-of-41 with 393 yards, four touchdowns and an interception. He now has 13 touchdown passes on the year, and it doesn't look like he plans on slowing down anytime soon.
Things could have gone downhill after that first-half interception, but Luck lit it up in the second half and gave his team another blowout win.
Grade: A
Running Back
2 of 10
Ahmad Bradshaw and Trent Richardson have been productive so far this season, but this might have been their worst game so far.
At halftime, the two had combined for just 41 yards on 17 carries. Richardson was the more productive back through the first 30 minutes, grabbing a one-yard touchdown on the ground while also adding 34 receiving yards on three catches.
The running game was never really able to get much going, with the two combining for just 79 yards on 29 carries. The two were productive in the passing game, however, putting up 72 yards and a touchdown on six combined catches.
Seeing the Colts use the running backs more in the passing game helped open up the field even more, but the lack of production on the ground was a bit disappointing. They should be able to turn it around next week, but for now, they'll have some work to do over the next week.
Grade: B-
Wide Receiver and Tight End
3 of 10
Despite leaving last week's game with an ankle injury, T.Y. Hilton looked just fine to start this game. He had two receptions for 55 yards on the first two drives, including a huge 37-yard catch that set up an easy Richardson touchdown. He finished the half with 95 yards on five catches.
Reggie Wayne continues to play as if he never tore his ACL, making a few terrific catches in the first half, putting up 41 yards on three receptions through the first two quarters. He was able to break the 100-yard mark by the third quarter thanks to a 28-yard touchdown reception from Luck on a beautiful back-shoulder throw. The two have always had great timing, and that was definitely on display on Sunday.
The duo of Hilton and Wayne were able to combine for 224 yards, but Hakeem Nicks was the odd man out. He had just two catches for 12 yards and continues to struggle getting involved more. Still, if the problem for Nicks is that other guys are putting up big numbers, then there are worse things to be worried about.
The two tight ends in Dwayne Allen and Coby Fleener were each able to find the end zone, combining for 64 yards and two scores. Fleener hasn't played his best football this season, but he looked better than usual on Sunday.
Nine different players were able to get a catch on Sunday, as this unit continues to be one of the deepest in the league.
Grade: A
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Offensive Line
4 of 10
The offensive line looked a bit shaky to start the game on Sunday. On the opening drive, two holding penalties forced the Colts to punt despite a promising drive through the air. While Luck did have pressure in the pocket from time to time, the offensive line kept him from getting sacked in the first half.
Luck continued to light it up in the second half thanks to a clean pocket and was not sacked a single time in the game. In fact, Luck has been sacked just twice over the past two weeks, which is a huge surprise considering how much concern there was about the offensive line heading into this season.
The running game, on the other hand, wasn't nearly as productive. The Colts ran for 105 yards as a team but averaged just 2.6 yards per carry. Some of that might have had to do with the absence of Hugh Thornton, but it still would have been nice to see some bigger holes.
Grade: B
Defensive Line
5 of 10
The defensive line was able to make some good plays despite not having Arthur Jones once again. His replacement, Ricky Jean Francois, made a handful of plays in the first half, including recovering a fumble. Meanwhile, undrafted rookie Zach Kerr made the most out of his opportunities, making a couple of stops and getting a sack.
Cory Redding continued to be one of the few legitimate pass-rushing options for Indianapolis, recording a sack and stopping Whitehurst on a few attempted scrambles. He's been able to step up in the absence of Jones, even in the running game, and that needs to continue as the schedule gets tougher.
The Titans running game was able to put up 85 yards, but 40 of those were on Whitehurst scrambles. Excluding the quarterback runs, the Titans averaged just over 4.0 yards per carry on 11 catches. It wasn't a perfect day from the defensive line, but without Jones, it continues to hold its own.
Grade: B
Linebacker
6 of 10
It was not a pretty game for the linebackers against the Titans, as they continued to struggle without Jerrell Freeman in the starting lineup.
The inside linebackers seriously struggled to contain Delanie Walker, who had his way in the passing game, catching four passes for 73 yards along with a touchdown right before halftime. He was the only legitimate threat offensively heading into the game, yet the linebackers had no way of covering him.
A lot of that is on Josh McNary, however. On the other hand, D'Qwell Jackson looked more comfortable, consistently making tackles, and was even able to get a sack on Whitehurst in the third quarter.
The outside linebackers in Erik Walden and Bjoern Werner weren't able to do much either. Walden had been playing well heading into this game, but neither him or Werner was able to generate any pressure on Whitehurst in the first half.
The linebackers continue to be a concern on defense, especially without Robert Mathis, and that needs to change if they're going to want to contain opposing tight ends or put pressure on quarterbacks.
Grade: C
Secondary
7 of 10
Playing against a backup quarterback, the Colts secondary didn't have too much work to do on Sunday. Still, it stepped up when needed to and was able to shut down the wide receivers in the passing game.
The Colts were able to come up with an interception on a tipped pass early, with Mike Adams grabbing the easy pick. In the fourth quarter, Adams came up with yet another interception on a wild pass from rookie Zach Mettenberger.
The two opposing quarterbacks couldn't get much going at all, finishing with 14-of-28 passing, 176 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. Vontae Davis, Greg Toler and Darius Butler shut down the Titans wide receivers, holding them to just seven receptions for 87 yards.
LaRon Landry wasn't as effective as he was last week, but that's to be expected. He's not great in pass coverage, but the cornerbacks have been able to help him out.
The secondary has stayed healthy and kept making plays, but the Colts are hoping that it can stay that way for the rest of the year.
Grade: A-
Special Teams
8 of 10
Once again, the special teams played a big part in the Indianapolis victory. Their biggest play came on the ensuing kickoff after the Colts' first touchdown of the game, pulling off a surprise onside kick to perfection to get the ball back.
Adam Vinatieri remained perfect against the Titans, making two easy field goals and all five of his extra points. He's now made all eight of his field goals, showing that age isn't a factor when you're as consistent as Vinatieri.
Pat McAfee only averaged 42 yards per punt this week, but that's only because three of his four punts landed inside the 20-yard line. The Boomstick still showed off his strength, however, getting a 60-yard punt to pin the Titans inside the 10-yard line.
The special teams have been reliable every game this year, and there's a good chance it stays that way.
Grade: A+
Coaching
9 of 10
The coaching staff gets a lot of credit for being aggressive against the Titans this week. That started in the first quarter with a surprise onside kick call right after scoring a touchdown. The Titans were not prepared at all, and the Colts were able to get the ball back.
The offensive play-calling was significantly more aggressive in this game, with Pep Hamilton not afraid to have Luck throw passes deep down the field. Luck attempted 41 passes while the Colts also called 41 run plays, maintaining that balance they want.
Perhaps the best drive came in the fourth quarter, with Pep Hamilton continuing to call passing plays despite being up 34-17. Because of the passing plays, the Colts were still able to chew some clock before Luck found Bradshaw on a 15-yard score to officially put the game away.
There's been plenty of criticism regarding the coaching staff this season, but this was one of the better-coached games of the season.
Grade: A-
Final Grades
10 of 10
| Positional Unit | Overall Grade |
| QB | A |
| RB | B- |
| WR/TE | A |
| OL | B |
| DL | B |
| LB | C |
| Secondary | A- |
| Special Teams | A+ |
| Coaching | A- |
| Cumulative Grade | B+ |
Aside from the play of the linebackers, the entire team played well. The defense didn't have to do too much, but the offense showed up in a big way with another 40-point game.
The biggest surprise so far this season has been the offensive line, which continues to surprise and keep Luck upright. Jack Mewhort and A.Q. Shipley have performed much better than anticipated, and that's gone a long way to help the Colts put up so many points.
All eyes will continue to be on Hamilton and Chuck Pagano to see how they use Luck and the rest of the offense, but they deserve credit for calling a good game Sunday. The personnel is still iffy on defense, but if the Colts can hold like they have been and get healthy in time for the playoffs, this could be a legitimate Super Bowl contender in the AFC.
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