Indianapolis Colts 33-17 Tennessee Titans: Andrew Luck stars as Colts clinch playoff place
Monday 31 December 2018 11:57, UK
Andrew Luck threw for 285 yards and three touchdowns as the Indianapolis Colts beat the Tennessee Titans 33-17 on Sunday night to clinch the final available spot in the postseason as the AFC's No 6 seed.
With the Houston Texans winning the AFC South title earlier in the day with victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Colts and Titans were left playing for a Wild Card berth and for the right to visit Houston on Saturday.
With victory, Luck remains perfect against the Titans, notching his 11th win - the most without defeat by a quarterback against any one franchise since 1970.
Luck shredded a Tennessee team that came in as the NFL's No 2 scoring defense - giving up just 18 points a game - and sixth against the pass. He firstly drove the Colts 92 yards before hitting Dontrelle Inman with an 11-yard TD pass, and then finished off a 90-play drive that used up nearly 10 minutes with a nine-yard pass to Eric Ebron.
That left the Colts up 14-0, having held the ball for nearly 17 of the first 21 minutes. Luck also added a one-yard TD toss to Ryan Hewitt on the opening drive of the third quarter for a 24-10 lead.
But Titans linebacker Jayon Brown almost single-handedly kept the Colts from putting the game away before half-time, returning an interception 22 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter. And, after the Colts had a TD run by Marlon Mack erased by a holding penalty on center Evan Boehm, two plays later Brown stripped Mack of the ball and recovered it.
Ryan Succop kicked a 38-yard field goal that pulled Tennessee to within 17-10 at half-time, while Blaine Gabbert also threw a 22-yard TD pass to Luke Stocker late in the third quarter to bring the Titans back to 24-17 behind, before the Colts ultimately eased clear and into the postseason.
FIRST QUARTER
Colts 7-0 Titans: Andrew Luck 11-yard touchdown pass to Dontrelle Inman (Adam Vinatieri extra point good)
SECOND QUARTER
Colts 14-0 Titans: Luck nine-yard touchdown pass to Eric Ebron (Vinatieri extra point good)
Colts 14-7 Titans: Jayon Brown 22-yard interception return for a touchdown (Ryan Succop extra point good)
Colts 17-7 Titans: Vinatieri 53-yard field goal
Colts 17-10 Titans: Succop 38-yard field goal
THIRD QUARTER
Colts 24-10 Titans: Luck one-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Hewitt (Vinatieri extra point good)
Colts 24-17 Titans: Blaine Gabbert 22-yard touchdown pass to Luke Stocker (Succop extra point good)
FOURTH QUARTER
Colts 27-17 Titans: Vinatieri 25-yard field goal
Colts 33-17 Titans: Marlon Mack eight-yard touchdown run (Failed Vinatieri extra point)
