An unsettling loss

The Colts haven't had a bad regular-season loss in a long time, but the Titans game was an unqualified disaster. Indy blew a 14-0 lead before losing 20-17. They dropped passes. Stalled drives with penalties. Couldn't score after it was 1st-and-goal at the 1. Do I need to mention run defense? The Titans are hot, but the Colts have a history of winning games like this when they mean something, and they failed to clinch the AFC South.

I'm sure it was a long trip home:

Passing game: Peyton Manning's numbers would have been spectacular if not for the interceptions. He was 21 of 28 for 351 yards. I don't know that you can blame Manning for the recent picks, they've gone off his receivers' hands. Marvin Harrison's big day (7-172, 1 TD) wasn't perfect since he had a drop, too. Brandon Stokley couldn't hold his big pass on his first day back. Reggie Wayne needs more than three catches for the offense to thrive.

Running game: Mediocre. No runs longer than eight yards. An average of 3.4 per carry. Dominic Rhodes started strong but couldn't maintain. Joseph Addai was brought back to earth.

Pass defense: If Vince Young weren't so erratic, this might have been a bigger problem. As it was, the defense allowed Young to exploit them with big plays at the worst times. It was good to see Bob Sanders back in uniform, however.

Run defense: It's not going to get any better, folks, and it could end up biting the Colts hard come playoff time.

Special teams: Granted, it was a 53-yarder, but Adam Vinatieri missed it wide right with the same wind Rob Bironas used to win the game from 60 yards.

Coaching: Tony Dungy's decision to call timeout when the Titans lined up for the "punt" played into Jeff Fisher's hands, whether by ingenious Fisher plan or plain dumb luck. Dungy was afraid the Colts would have 12 men on the field. If so, that falls on the coaches' shoulders, too. Not their finest moment.

As Booger McFarland said after the game, the good thing is the Colts come back out next Sunday and play again. The bad news is it's in Jacksonville and the Jags are ready to pounce. Colts fans might need to brace for a rocky finish unless Manning & Co. put up monster numbers.