The Indianapolis Colts game against the Tennessee Titans wasn’t expected to be overly entertaining. At least aside from the team’s respective fanbases. The game started with big plays from both teams that resulted in touchdowns. Then, the second half started and the excitement took off.
In a matchup between division rivals, you can always expect a hard-fought game and in some games some trickeration.
And in this game, fans were treated to all this and more. Late in the third quarter, with the Colts trailing 17-16 they forced a punt. Except the Colts were able to block the punt, then scoop up the live ball and return it for a touchdown.
Instead of going for the point after, Shane Steichen elected to go for two. The play was good but the execution was severely lacking and it resulted in two points for Tennessee.
Still, the excitement and entertainment in this game wasn’t over. With the start of the fourth quarter and Tennessee’s first possession after the block, they went three and out and were forced to punt again.
Lightning strikes again for the Colts as gunner Tony Brown flies in off the edge and for the second time blocks the punt.
Unfortunately, this live ball was not able to be returned for a touchdown. They were able to get a Matt Gay-made field goal to put them up 25-19. Tennessee would eventually tie the game with a touchdown only to miss the go-ahead extra point as Ryan Tannehill failed to get the laces out.
The last time the Colts blocked a punt was back in 2021. They were featured on HBO’s Hard Knocks series and were facing off against New England. Former special team coach Bubba Ventrone game-planned a play for his unit to block a punt. They executed the play and it too resulted in a touchdown for the horseshoe.
The last time the Colts blocked two punts in a season was the aforementioned, 2021 season. And the last time two punts were blocked in the same game was back in 2014 by the Minnesota Vikings against Carolina.
This was the first time this feat had been accomplished since Detroit did it in 1975. Now, in nine years two punts being blocked in the same game has happened again. And just like Minnesota, the team that blocked two punts ended the game with a victory as the Indianapolis Colts won 31-28 in overtime.