INDIANAPOLIS — The Colts avoided their first 0-16 season thanks to a quarterback who was trying to prevent his second.

Dan Orlovsky, who closed out the NFL’s only 0-16 season with Detroit in 2008, threw one touchdown pass and the key block to spring an 80-yard touchdown run Sunday and lead the previously winless Colts to a 27-13 win over playoff hopeful Tennessee.

It was the franchise’s first win in 14 years without Peyton Manning, and all it took was 14 tries and three quarterbacks.

Players and coaches celebrated by throwing their arms in the air, and Orlovsky got to close it out by taking the traditional kneel downs for the first time in his NFL career.

“I’m happy for a lot of people on this team, for a lot of people in this organization,” Orlovsky said. “It’s a lot better than the feeling we’ve had lately.”

Indianapolis (1-13) had been waiting for what seemed like an eternity, 50 weeks, since their previous win, also at home against the Titans.

For Orlovsky, the drought was even longer. The seven-year veteran was 0-9 in his previous NFL starts. He didn’t have to do too much Sunday, going 11-of-17 for 82 yards with one touchdown, but he didn’t turn the ball over.

And though the numbers looked nothing like Manning’s, they were good enough to get a win.

“I think in my career, I’ve learned not to take them [wins] for granted,” Orlovsky said, drawing polite laughter.

Donald Brown added a career-high 161 yards rushing, including a late 80-yard TD run for Indy.

The Colts will need their offense to keep playing like this in the final two games, too, after team vice chairman Bill Polian announced Manning would not be back this season, though he has started throwing to his teammates.

For Tennessee, the loss is a devastating blow.

Had Tennessee (7-7) closed out the season with three wins, it might have been able to reach the postseason without any help. Now the Titans will probably need to win their last two games and get help from some others to make it.

But Tennessee had only itself to blame for this one.

Matt Hasselbeck was 27-of-40 for 223 yards with no TDs and two interceptions before being lifted in favor of rookie Jake Locker. Chris Johnson ran 15 times for 55 yards. The Titans lost a fumble and muffed a kickoff out of bounds at their own 1-yard line.

“I never would have expected us to come out, and they’re playing like the team going to the playoffs and we’re the team that’s 0-13,” coach Mike Munchak said. “We just weren’t playing well at all. The intensity wasn’t there at the start.”

Nor was it there at the end.

Locker’s 7-yard TD pass to Nate Washington with 3:43 to go, got Tennessee within one score as tense Colts fans began to wonder if this one would slip away, too.

On the Colts’ next play, the Titans appeared to have Brown corralled in the backfield. But when Brown reversed field and got away from the defenders. Orlovsky jumped in front of the man closest to him, providing enough of an obstacle to give Brown a wide-open lane on the edge. All Brown had to do was outrun the defense 80 yards to the end zone.

The play tied Tom Matte’s record for the franchise’s longest run, set Oct. 12, 1964, against St. Louis.

Brown then enjoyed an overdue celebration with Orlovsky in the end zone.

“The O-line did a great job; somebody came free, the running back’s job is to make him miss. Dan threw a great block, Reggie threw a great block and I think [Jacob] Tamme was running down there, too,” Brown said. “It was just an all-out great effort by the guys on offense.”

Sunday’s game had a totally different complexion from the first 13.

Indy spent the past nine weeks fighting for a lead, any lead. After playing more than 500 minutes from behind or tied, the Colts finally took the lead on Adam Vinatieri’s 47-yard field goal.

The Colts gave it right back just before halftime when Rob Bironas made his second field goal to give the Titans a 6-3 lead. It didn’t last long.

Orlovsky hooked up with Reggie Wayne for an 18-yard TD that made it 10-6 early in the third quarter. The Colts never trailed again.

Jacob Lacey, the oft-criticized cornerback, returned an interception 32 yards for a touchdown to give the Colts a 17-6 lead.

On the ensuing kickoff, Marc Mariani tried to field the bouncing ball in the end zone, but kicked it out of bounds inside the Titans 1. That mistake and Brown’s 39-yard run, set up Vinatieri for a 40-yard field goal to make it 20-6 with 12:53 to play.

Locker gave the Titans a chance with his TD pass, but Orlovsky and Brown took it away with run that ended Indy’s chase of 0-16 and the first 0-14 mark in franchise history.

“It means a lot, but we’re a proud ballclub so one game out of 13 or 14, we still have a ways to go,” defensive end Robert Mathis said. “Everybody held the fort today. We just kept chopping wood and the tree fell today.”

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Talk about your decision to leave school early and enter the NFL draft?

“I think things happen for a reason. God had a plan for me. I felt like I was ready to play at the next level. I knew I could run, block and catch and be a dynamic player in the NFL. There really wasn’t one reason I left early. It was a combination of things. I wasn’t sure about the new offense they were bringing in (at Clemson), and I wasn’t sure what my role in that offense might be, so I felt like it was a good time to leave. I have no regrets about leaving early.”

Clemson certainly has turned things around offensively. How do you think you’d have done in that offense?

“That offense has been unbelievable. Those guys are my brothers and I couldn’t be happier or more proud of them. Tajh (Boyd) is having a great season, and Andre (Ellington) is running great. They are all stepping up and playing great, and I think they are finally going to get that ACC championship this year. A little part of me wishes I was back there running in that offense, but I made the right decision.”

What’s Chris Johnson really like?

“He’s a great guy. He always tries to keep things loose. He works harder than anyone on the team, and I’ve learned so much from him this year. He likes to laugh and joke around, but when it’s time for work, he wants to work and you better bring your A-game. He’s a perfectionist. He practices like he plays and that’s what makes him one of the best running backs in the NFL?

How fast is Chris Johnson? Faster than C.J. Spiller?

“They are two of the fastest guys I’ve ever been around. When Chris hits a hole, he hits it full speed and C.J. is the same way. You think a guy has an angle on Chris and he blows right past him. I’d love to see those two guys race each other. I’m not sure who’d win. They both have crazy speed. But on a track, I’d have to go with Jacoby Ford all day.”

At 6-2 and 235 pounds, you’re big enough to be a fullback. Any talk of playing some at fullback?

“Not really. They use me a little bit as a back-up to Ahmard Hall, but there’s no talk about moving me to fullback. Being a fullback is a totally different mentality. If they need me to play some fullback, I’ll do it. Whatever gets me on the field.”

You’ve got Jared Cook and Shaun Smith, both former USC players on the team. With the Clemson-USC game this week, what’s that been like?

“Shaun is a good bit older than me, so we don’t talk much, but Jared and I played against each other and we’ve been talking a little trash all week. You have to stand up for your school. Jared comes into the locker room with his South Carolina gear on and I have my Clemson gear on and we’ll go at it, but it’s all in good fun. We’re friends and teammates now.”

Compiled by Andrew Miller

There may not be a lot of aerial fireworks when the Indianapolis Colts visit the Tennessee Titans on October 30, but there should be plenty of ground-rumbling running action for fans to enjoy. The Colts enter this game with the second worst run defense in the NFL, surrendering more than 150 yards per game so far this season. The Titans’ efforts at stopping the rush have been better, but not by much: they’ve given up nearly 125 yards per game. So, both teams will have a terrific opportunity to move the ball with their feet, but the Colts have always been a target for blockbuster running backs, and you just know that Chris Johnson has had this date circled on his calendar for quite some time. As a longtime Colts’ fan, I fear that their recent string of embarrassing performances will continue and allow Johnson to reclaim his spot among the NFL’s elite rushers.

Johnson infamously held out during each of the last two training camps until the Titans finally caved to his demands and made him the highest-paid running back in the game. So far this season, he has rewarded their largess with less than three yards per carry and one measly touchdown. That is a far cry from his breakout season in 2009, when he rushed for 2006 yards (5.6 per carry) with 14 TDs. Even last year’s dropoff (1364 yards, 1 TD) was a stellar performance compared to the current debacle. For Johnson, then, a tilt against the Colts comes at the perfect time, because Indy is a bona fide star-maker for opposing backs. Just ask Arian Foster(notes) about his affinity for this defensive unit.

Normally, a game pitting the Colts against the Titans would have implications for the AFC South race, and that may still be true, but not in the typical manner. At 3-3, Tennessee still has designs on competing this year, but their recent slide puts those ambitions in jeopardy. Indianapolis is clearly playing out the string, already, and the only question is just how bad the team can get. This game represents just another afternoon to slog through for the Colts, but a chance to save the season for the Titans. Don’t be surprised if Tennessee, and especially Chris Johnson, come up really big on Sunday.

Adam Hughes was raised, and still lives, in rural Indiana. He has been a Colts fans since the team arrived in Indianapolis on a snowy morning in 1984. The Blue and White eventually replaced the Chicago Bears as his #1 team, and Super Bowl XLI was a dream come true.

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Will this finally be the week the Indianapolis Colts can win their first game of the 2011 season? They face no easy task as they travel on the road again to face the Tennessee Titans in week eight. The Titans are currently at 3-3 and have been a relative surprise with their strong play so far. The Colts have been possibly the most disappointing team in the NFL and are off to an 0-7 start.

The Colts are coming off an embarrassing 62-7 loss to the New Orleans Saints are will likely look to come out strong and prove that they are not as bad as that loss indicated. The Colts have several veterans still on the roster that have a lot of pride and will look to rebound from the embarrassment.

As if the season could not get any worse without Peyton Manning(notes) the Colts injury list is growing every week. The Colts listed 17 players on their week eight injury report. Most concerning for fans is that the offensive line simply can’t stay healthy. The Colts appear to be without starters Anthony Castonzo(notes), Ryan Diem(notes), Mike Pollak(notes), and Joe Reitz(notes). This will leave the Colts without much experience on the offensive line who will be expected to run the ball well and protect young quarterback Curtis Painter(notes) against a solid Titans defense.

The Titans are sure to try and get star running back Chris Johnson going against an awful Colts defense this week. Chris Johnson has been one of the most disappointing players in the NFL through the first seven weeks of the season. The Colts defense as struggled stopping opponents against both the run and pass the last several weeks. The Titans are coming off of a blowout loss as well to the Houston Texans in week seven. If the Titans are smart they will take advantage of the Colts weak secondary and allow quarterback Matt Hasselbeck(notes) to air it out. If Hasselbeck plays well the Titans are very likely to win this game.

Colts fans are now at a point where they have no idea what to expect out of their team. This is a game where the Colts are capable of competing and having a chance to win the game. If there was ever a week for Jim Caldwell to turn in his finest job and get his team ready to compete, this is the week. Caldwell is certainly on the hot seat and every loss will further push fans and media for a change at head coach. While this is a game the Colts are capable of winning, I think they will compete but come up short once again.

Prediction: Titans 24, Colts 21

Kyle Rapoza is a Featured Contributor for the Yahoo! Contributor Network and has been a lifelong fan of the Indianapolis Colts. He attended Super Bowl XLIV in Miami and follows the team closely. Follow him on Twitter @kyler11.

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