NFL News & Analysis

NFL Week 13 PFF ReFocused: Tennessee Titans 31, Indianapolis Colts 17

Ryan Tannehill and Derrick Henry led the Tennessee Titans to a 31-17 win over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.

[Editor's Note: All of PFF's advanced stats and grades for every NFL player are made available in PFF's ELITE subscription. Subscribe today to gain access!]

PFF's ReFocused series features immediate takeaways from the two analysts who graded the game live. The two offer a detailed breakdown of the game's most notable performances before the grades and advanced stats are reviewed and finalized by Senior Analysts.

All of PFF's grades and advanced stats from this game and the other games played this week will be finalized and made available to ELITE subscribers within 24 hours of the final whistle. ELITE subscribers can view player grades, advanced statistics, positional snap counts and more in Premium Stats.

PFF's ELITE subscribers can also preview NFL and NCAA games in PFF Greenline, an online dashboard with projections for the spread, totals and moneyline.

Final Score

Tennessee Titans 31, Indianapolis Colts 17

Tennessee Titans

With Adoree' Jackson out for most of the game, the Titans had to get creative to get Jacoby Brissett out of rhythm. The unit rattled him with a variety of blitzes and stunts. On several occasions, Brissett was forced to move off his spot and throw to his checkdown.

The Colts had leaned on their rushing attack in recent games, but the Titans did a solid job of taking that away. Led by Daquan Jones and Austin Johnson, the Titans' front-seven clogged the rushing lanes on a majority of runs.

Reminiscent of his late-season success from last season, bruising back Derrick Henry carried the load for nearly 150 rushing yards that included an impressive 13-yard touchdown run in the third quarter on fourth down. Henry was forced to abandon his intended point of attack after three blocks were defeated across the line of scrimmage. The Alabama product cut to the outside, stiff-armed Malik Hooker and spun into the end zone.

With Henry in the backfield and the level of talent out wide in Corey Davis and A.J. Brown, Tennessee has put themselves in a great spot for a playoff push with Ryan Tannehill stepping in as the starter with poise and rather surprising accuracy. Tannehill’s finest pass on the day came on a 40-yard bomb to Kalif Raymond on a crosser where the undrafted Holy Cross alum stretched out to collect the ball while simultaneously crossing the goal line.

Indianapolis Colts

After a crisp start to the game, Brissett's play steadily declined as time went on. He struggled with his accuracy, and the Titans made him pay for it with two interceptions in the second half on overthrown passes. He also missed a few throws that would've led to first downs.

While Brissett struggled, wide receiver Zach Pascal and tight end Jack Doyle were effective with T.Y. Hilton and Eric Ebron out. Pascal showed nice rapport with Brissett, as the duo connected on a variety of routes. All seven of his catches resulted in first downs. Doyle was a nice safety blanket. He consistently found ways to get open whenever Brissett needed it most.

Second-year stud linebacker Darius Leonard did everything in his arsenal to give the Colts’ offense additional opportunities. In addition to double-digit tackles, the 2018 Defensive Rookie of the Year collected three sacks and multiple additional quarterback pressures. The Indianapolis defense played a strong game despite the final score. Turnovers on offense proved to be their undoing.

While the Colts' defensive line did not necessarily play a poor game, they did suffer from a lack of splash plays to maintain a lead, or while playing from behind. The Tennessee ground game was far too effective with so few points being put on the board. The Colts’ safeties also struggled with multiple missed tackles, and Henry made them pay for their mistakes.

Subscriptions

Unlock the 2023 Fantasy Draft Kit, with League Sync, Live Draft Assistant, PFF Grades & Data Platform that powers all 32 Pro Teams

$31 Draft Kit Fee + $8.99/mo
OR
$89.88/yr + FREE Draft Kit