Andrew Luck threw for 297 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Indianapolis Colts to an easy 38-10 win over the visiting Tennessee Titans on Sunday in a battle for second place in the AFC South.
T.Y. Hilton caught two of Luck's touchdown passes and totaled 155 receiving yards to tie Marvin Harrison for the most 150-yard games (11) in Colts history.
Indianapolis scored on four of five first-half drives and dominated the first 30 minutes, scoring 24 points, the most points the Titans had allowed in an entire game this season.
Luck has thrown a touchdown pass in 33 consecutive games. He was 12 of 17 for 195 yards and one touchdown toss in the first half. His day ended (23 of 29) with just over nine minutes left as the Colts brought in backup Jacoby Brissett.
The Titans played with a pall cast over the team as defensive coordinator Dean Pees was taken from the stadium to an Indianapolis hospital in the first quarter after suffering what Tennessee said was a "medical issue."
Quarterback Marcus Mariota also was knocked out of the game late the first half. The Titans said Mariota sustained an elbow injury. He was replaced by Blaine Gabbert, who was largely ineffective.
Early in the third quarter, Gabbert was picked off by Darius Leonard. Three plays later, Luck found Hilton from 14 yards out, and Colts had a 31-3 lead.
On a day when former wide receiver Reggie Wayne was inducted into the Colts Ring of Honor, Indianapolis (5-5) won for the fourth straight time. In the three previous wins, Luck and the Colts averaged 35 points and more than 400 yards per game.
On Sunday, the Colts outgained the Titans 397 yards to 263 yards.
Tennessee fell to 5-5 and saw its modest two-game win streak end.
After punting on their first possession, the Colts broke through first with Marlon Mack rumbling off left tackle for 1 yard to produce the game's first score.
Quincy Wilson intercepted Mariota on the Titans' next possession. The Colts converted the turnover into an Adam Vinatieri 22-yard field goal and 10-0 lead.
After a Tennessee punt, the Colts extended the lead to 17-0.
With the running game working, Hilton ran a post and Luck completed the longest passing play of the season for Indianapolis, a 68-yard strike, and the Colts had the league's No. 1 scoring defense reeling.
The Colts had four sacks in their past five games and recorded four in the first half on Sunday. Mariota was shaken after the fourth sack near the end of the half.
Gabbert replaced Mariota and completed a short pass to Jonnu Smith, which appeared to be the last play of the half. However, a penalty on Colts safety George Odum gave Tennessee the ball on the 24-yard line with three seconds left in the half.
Ryan Succop connected on a 42-yard field, and the Titans trailed 24-3 at intermission.
Tennessee scored its only touchdown of the game on a 1-yard pass from Gabbert to Tajae Sharpe with 1:49 left.
--Field Level Media
Tennessee | Indianapolis | |
Derrick Henry | Player | Marlon Mack |
9 | Attempts | 16 |
46 | Yards | 61 |
5.1 | Avg Yards | 3.8 |
0 | Touchdowns | 1 |
16 | Long | 9 |
Tennessee | Indianapolis | |
Anthony Firkser | Player | T.Y. Hilton |
3 | Receptions | 9 |
44 | Yards | 155 |
14.7 | Avg Yards | 17.2 |
0 | Touchdowns | 2 |
28 | Long | 68 |
Yards | Scoring | Defense | ||||||
Team | Tot | Rus | Pas | TD | FG | INT | Sck | FF |
Tennessee | 267 | 91 | 176 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 2 |
Indianapolis | 397 | 102 | 295 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 5.0 | 1 |