Sports · NEWS EXPLAINER
Titans erase 13-point halftime deficit, beat Colts 26–20 for first win
Joey Slye kicked four field goals, Tennessee's defense forced three turnovers and a blocked punt became a touchdown in a 26-point second half.
The Tennessee Titans rallied from a 13–0 halftime deficit to beat the Indianapolis Colts 26–20 on October 18, earning their first win of the season and Robert Saleh's first victory as the team's head coach.
Tennessee scored on every second-half possession, forced three turnovers and recorded six sacks. Joey Slye made four field goals, including the 49-yarder that broke a 20–20 tie with 2:03 left and a 44-yarder after a fourth-down stop.
Indianapolis controlled the first half
Daniel Jones found Mo Alie-Cox for a 1-yard touchdown, and Spencer Shrader added field goals from 23 and 47 yards. The Colts led 13–0 at halftime while Tennessee managed only 64 yards and three first downs.
Amani Hooker had intercepted Jones earlier, but the Titans did not turn that takeaway into points. Cam Ward later threw an interception that helped set up Indianapolis' second field goal.
Turnovers started Tennessee's recovery
Jeffery Simmons forced and recovered Jonathan Taylor's fumble at the Indianapolis 33, leading to Slye's 29-yard field goal. Cor'Dale Flott then intercepted Jones at Tennessee's 11, and Slye converted from 56 yards.
Those two kicks cut the margin to 13–6 without requiring Tennessee's offense to finish either short-field chance in the end zone. The defense finished with three takeaways and six sacks.
Special teams produced the lead
Chimere Dike's 58-yard punt return set up Ward's 8-yard touchdown pass to Carnell Tate, tying the game 13–13 with 13:00 left. On Indianapolis' next punt, Julius Chestnut made the block and Oluwafemi Oladejo returned it 14 yards for a touchdown.
Jonathan Taylor's 4-yard run restored a 20–20 tie with 5:32 remaining. Slye then made the 49-yard go-ahead field goal, Tennessee stopped the Colts on fourth down, and his 44-yard kick supplied the final margin.
What the first win established
Tennessee moved to 1–5 and Indianapolis fell to 2–4. Ward completed 11 of 22 passes for 102 yards, one touchdown and one interception; Jones finished 22 of 42 for 269 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.
The result also gave Saleh his first win with Tennessee. It does not erase the 0–5 start or predict a turnaround, but it shows exactly how defense, special teams and four Slye field goals converted a 13-point halftime deficit into a six-point win.
