The Indianapolis Colts dominated the Titans for an easy Week 3 win. The usual suspects showed up, but Indy had a surprise star show out in the 41-20 win over Tennessee.
The Colts' offense practically moved at will against the Titans. There were plenty of reasons to expect this. Two of the main factors played out as expected. Jonathan Taylor turned in his second straight 100-yard game, to no one's surprise. The fact that he scored three touchdowns made it that much sweeter. Tight end Tyler Warren was solid, but wasn't the story of the game.
Going into the 2025 season, most observers would be stunned to see Daniel Jones among the top quarterbacks in the league. But that's exactly where he is after leading Indy to their third consecutive win. Danny Dimes was far from perfect. Horror of horrors, the Colts actually punted once. Despite that, Indianapolis saw a new hero emerge in the game.
Colts' Alec Pierce blossoms as much more than a deep threat
The Colts' 2022 second-round pick has always been a dangerous target. Unfortunately, that can be taken two ways. He averaged 14.5 yards per catch as a rookie and led the league last year with 22.3 yards per reception. He was nearly as dangerous for Indianapolis, though. He caught less than 52 percent of his targets in his first three seasons.
Pierce showed in camp that he was working on his route tree and consistency. So far this season, it's shown up in games. After the first two weeks, Pierce had five catches on eight targets. Not the best, perhaps, but significantly better than his track record.
Against the Titans, Alec Pierce was nearly Mr. Reliable. He came within a jolting collision with the ground while hauling in a 42-yard bomb and going five for five in the contest. He still pulled in his first four targets for a total of 67 yards. Unfortunately, that hard hit knocked him out of the game. He'll be in the league's concussion protocol, but from all appearances, he shouldn't miss much time, if any.
Yes, Michael Pittman was terrific, and Tyler Warren will have much bigger games in the coming weeks. But today, Alec Pierce emerged as more than a guy who can run post routes and occasionally make the catch. He just became a very dangerous weapon for an explosive Colts offense.