INDIANAPOLIS – The Titans lost 38-30 to the Colts here at Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday.

Here’s a look at six things that stood out in the competition:

Titans quarterback Mason Rudolph looked good early, going 8 of 8 for 86 yards and a touchdown – a 38-yard score to receiver Calvin Ridley. Rudolph had some good moments in the competition, but there were also some difficult parts. Rudolph finished the day 23 of 34 for 252 yards and two touchdowns along with three interceptions. In the second period of the first half, with the Colts taking control of the game, he went 2-of-8 for 25 yards to go along with an interception. “They scored 14 points off (interceptions), and that’s on me,” Rudolph said. “I put our team in a bad situation and that can’t happen. That doesn’t mean winning football.”

I’ve covered the Titans since the 1999 season and have never seen a Titans team allow as many rushing yards as this one did on Sunday. The Colts ran for 335 yards against the 2024 Titans. The Colts had 290 yards through three quarters. Running back Jonathan Taylor ran for 218 yards himself, while quarterback Anthony Richardson added 70 yards. This is the highest performance in the Titans era (since 1999) and the second-worst run defense performance in franchise history. There were issues across the board that led to it happening. “We didn’t stop the run at all,” coach Brian Callahan said. “A super disappointing performance.”

The Titans lost this game in the second and third quarters as the Colts scored a streak of 38 consecutive points. I give the team credit for making a late run and scoring 23 points of their own on an 11-yard touchdown run by Tyjae Spears, a 6-yard touchdown catch by Nick Westbrook-Ikhine and then another score by Spears scored (2-yard run). If the Titans had gotten one more defensive stop, they would have had a chance for a late miracle. But while the late comeback was nice, the terrible stretch that drove them into a hole was not.

Back-to-back big days from Spears and Okonkwo

Spears had another good day. After scoring two touchdowns against the Bengals, Spears scored two more times against the Colts. Spears finished the day with 27 rushing yards and three catches for 39 yards, giving him 66 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns in the game. Tight end Chig Okonkwo also had another solid performance after a key play against the Bengals, finishing the game with nine catches and a team-high 81 yards receiving.

In a game where the Titans failed to make many plays on defense, safety Amani Hooker provided the biggest advantage. It came early as the Colts drove. At that point, Hooker stepped in front of a Richardson pass and intercepted it deep in Tennessee territory. It was Hooker’s fifth interception of the season and also provided a little comic relief: Hooker tried to give the ball to a Colts fan dressed as Santa Claus, but Santa Claus threw it back to him. However, there wasn’t much else that was funny that day.

The Titans had many players leave the game with injuries, and some of them did not return. Linebacker Kenneth Murray (wrist), defensive lineman T’Vondre Sweat (eye), linebacker Otis Reese (ankle), tackle Dillon Radunz (shoulder) and Hooker (shoulder) all left the game with injuries at some point. Coach Brian Callahan suggested that Murray’s injury was “probably not encouraging.” Running back Tony Pollard, who rushed for over 1,000 yards in the contest this season, also left the game with his lingering ankle injury and did not return.