2024 NFL season, Week 16: What We Learned from Sunday’s games

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Michael Baca’s takeaways:

1. Indy’s ground game dominates Titans. The Colts didn’t mess around with their slim playoff chances on the line, running the ball 50 times for a total of 335 yards to come away with a seamless win over a division rival. Running back Jonathan Taylor led the charge with 218 rushing yards and three touchdowns, exaggerating his sure handle of the ball for each score in reference to last week’s gaffe at the goal line. With the Colts’ offensive line clearing big paths, Taylor exploded for 65- and 70-yard trots to the end zone virtually untouched and might have had a career-best day if not rested for a good portion of the second half. Anthony Richardson was the bulldozer in short yardage situations, producing 70 yards on nine carries (TD), and the second-year quarterback stuck a fork in Tennessee’s comeback attempt with a big 10-yard gain on third-and-8 in the final offensive possession. Barring the late-game charge by the Titans, it was a harmonious day for the Colts due to a flourishing ground game, but they will rely on help from other teams to claim one of the AFC’s final two playoff spots. 
2. Different QB, same issue for Titans. Mason Rudolph started the game in place for Will Levis, but the offensive woes persisted for Tennessee. Rudolph started off well, connecting with Calvin Ridley on a deep TD pass for the game’s first score, but he led a sputtering offense that totaled four three-and-outs, three in the first half. That doesn’t include Rudolph’s interception late in the second quarter, which really spurred a blowout as it put the Colts directly into scoring position. His second pick in the third frame, which led to another TD, was part of a 38-point unanswered sequence by the Colts. The Titans crept back into the game late with 23 unanswered points, scoring on three straight drives beginning late in the third quarter, but the defense’s inability to stop the run ultimately prevented a miraculous comeback from happening. Rudolph finished 23-of-34 passing for 252 yards with two TDs and three INTs — the last coming on the final play of the game — but any of the success he provided was too little too late for a team that is seemingly looking forward to 2025. 
3. Richardson teetering on Tebow line. The Colts QB came into this game with a 47% completion rate that’s threating Tim Tebow’s all-time low mark for qualified passers — 46.5% in 2011. Richardson wasn’t asked to pass often thanks to a dominant rushing attack, but he did improve his efficiency rate on the season by going 7-of-11 passing on Sunday. However, the INT he threw on the second drive of the game was what really prompted coach Shane Steichen to call run plays a majority of the way. Richardson did have a nice TD pass to close out the second half — a short, decisive throw to Josh Downs, who galloped 27 yards untouched on a well-designed play call — but there was certainly a governor being put on the 22-year-old project. Avoiding that Tebow line will require better accuracy from Richardson in the coming weeks. He goes on to face a solid Giants pass defense next week but ends the season against the league-worst Jaguars in Week 18.

Next Gen Stats Insight for Titans-Colts (via NFL Pro): Jonathan Taylor carried the ball 29 times for 218 yards and three touchdowns, generating a career-high +102 rush yards over expected in Week 16 against the Titans, the third most by any player this season. Taylor recorded a max speed over 21 mph on both of his explosive run touchdowns, two of his three fastest rushing speeds of the season. 

NFL Research: The Colts’ 335 rushing yards against the Titans on Sunday broke the franchise’s team record of 299, which was set in Week 16 of the 1985 season.