SportsDirect Inc. staff
Dec 18, 2011
Donald Brown rushed for 161 yards and a score and Reggie Wayne caught a touchdown pass while playing in his 164th consecutive game as the Indianapolis Colts avoided a winless season and dealt a major blow to the Tennessee Titans' playoff hopes with a 27-13 home victory on Sunday.
Jacob Lacey returned an interception for a TD and Adam Vinatieri booted a pair of field goals for the Colts, who posted their first win since edging Tennessee in last season's finale on Jan. 2.
Three of Indianapolis' last five triumphs have come against the Titans (7-7).
Matt Hasselbeck started after suffering a calf injury last week and completed 27 of 40 passes for 223 yards with two interceptions for Tennessee, which entered the day one game behind the New York Jets for the final wild-card berth in the AFC.
Trailing 6-3 at halftime, the Colts (1-13) took the lead for good with 9 1/2 minutes remaining in the third quarter as Dan Orlovsky found Wayne near the left corner of the end zone for an 18-yard score.
On Tennessee's next possession, Lacey picked off Hasselbeck and scampered 32 yards for a 17-6 advantage.
Jake Locker replaced Hasselbeck and threw a 7-yard TD to Nate Washington with 3:43 remaining to get the Titans within 20-13. But Brown broke a tackle in the backfield on Indianapolis' next play from scrimmage and sprinted 80 yards down the left sideline to seal the Colts' first victory.
Brown's run was a career high and tied the record for the longest in franchise history.
Orlovsky was 11 of 17 for 82 yards.