NASHVILLE — Joe Flacco has been around the NFL long enough to know the backup quarterback should always be ready to start.
The 39-year-old also understands to ignore reports about a teammate possibly going on injured reserve and look for wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. when it matters most.
Flacco backpedaled to buy time, then hit Pittman in the end zone with Tennessee Titans cornerback L’Jarius Sneed draped over him for a 10-yard touchdown pass with 7:27 left, lifting the Indianapolis Colts to a 20-17 win in Sunday’s AFC South Division matchup at Nissan Stadium.
“He’s got to be one of the toughest players I’ve played with,” Flacco said of Pittman, who practiced only Friday this past week while dealing with a back injury that had his availability questionable. “I think part of him was probably trying to prove a point.”
Flacco is 1-1 after his second straight start for the Colts (3-3), who got a much-needed split of back-to-back road games inside the division with second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson scratched again with an injured right hip.