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Colts use backup plan to salvage 30-24 victory over Titans

-The Colts say there will be no announcement today on the future of head coach Chuck Pagano, who is in the final year of his contract.

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Several callers to the program argued that Colts General Manager Ryan Grigson should be let go instead of Pagano.

Indianapolis officially was eliminated from the playoff picture in a complicated scenario after New Orleans defeated Atlanta, 20-17. Houston clinched the AFC South title with a 30-6 win over Jacksonville.

While the Colts managed to finish a game without an injured quarterback for the first time since November, they didn’t escape unscathed.

Nine things have to go their way for the Indianapolis Colts to make the playoffs, and that’s not even counting their major issues at quarterback.

Meanwhile, Pagano was reflective in his postgame press conference and said he wouldn’t change a thing. “I have zero regrets”. He is obviously a player’s coach who has earned the respect of his players, but I’m not sure he’s the coach who can lead this rudderless ship out of obscurity.

“I love this job, and I love Indianapolis”.

“When I spent 26 days in the hospital (during 2012 cancer treatment), that was tough. We will deal with tomorrow on Monday”.

The first pick. By losing to the Colts, the Titans locked up the No. 1 pick in the draft.

Grigson, of course, was the one who came out and defended the injury report, claiming that it was accurate despite rumors of forgery. “I don’t know what the future holds”. “I told our guys to keep their heads up high”.

“And then you lose Andrew and at that point, I’ve seen a lot of teams unravel”.

“I learned so much from him”. Tanney directed a six-play, 59-yard scoring drive. It came on a fourth-and-goal play.

The Colts kept it going at the start of the third quarter, as linebacker Jerrell Freeman intercepted a batted pass thrown by Mettenberger and returned it for a touchdown to make it 27-14.

-OT Joe Reitz and CB Vontae Davis both left the game in the third quarter with knee injuries and did not return. In the receiving end, T.Y. Hilton had 64 yards in four receptions while Andre Johnson added 39 yards in three catches.

Then, trailing 14-13, Lindley entered. Ryan Succop bagged a 49-yard field goal for the Titans’ first score of the half. The second-year Titan and former LSU player was 5 of 13 for 38 yards. A personal foul face mask penalty against Lowery extended the Tennessee drive. That four-play drive covered 69 yards.

Freeman finished 15 of 28 with 149 yards with one touchdown and one interception. In that game, he threw the ball 53 times, but he only completed 23 of his passes, threw for under 200 yards, and had an interception.

“It was a great experience”, said Freeman.

Yeah, that right there is making that statement you have your guy. Who will win this game?

This regime has amassed 41 of them in their first four seasons together. He has not taken a snap in the National Football League since 2013, when he was with the Minnesota Vikings.

However, despite all that, it seems Pagano and the Colts were able to work through their differences.

“This is absolutely the best day of my life”, Pagano said. Only one opinion really matters, though, and Irsay hasn’t dropped any hints about which way he’s leaning.

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The pick was a short pass that skipped through the hands of running back Boom Herron into the hands of Da’Norris Searcy deep in Colts territory, setting up a short touchdown run by Titans quarterback Zach Mettenberger.

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