NASHVILLE – Joe Flacco's played with some tough dudes over his 17-year NFL career.
Anquan Boldin. Steve Smith Jr. Frank Gore. Ray Lewis, Terrell Suggs, Ed Reed – you get the idea.
But after watching Michael Pittman Jr. grit his way through a back injury to not just play on Sunday, but make the Colts' two biggest plays on offense in a 20-17 win over the Tennessee Titans, the 39-year old Flacco put the 27-year-old wide receiver in some prestigious company.
"He's got to be one of the toughest players I've played with," Flacco said.
Flacco, like plenty of folks reading this article, saw an ESPN alert flash across his phone on Wednesday evening with some unwelcome news about Pittman's status going forward. But on Thursday, his second consecutive day missing practice, Pittman decided he would make a push to play this weekend in Nashville. He fully participated in Friday's practice, was listed as questionable and made it on the field Sunday.
Pittman played 53 of the Colts' 66 offensive snaps (80 percent), not too far off from his usual workload (he entered Week 6 playing 87 percent of the Colts' snaps on offense). And then he made some absolutely critical plays late in the game.
With the Colts down by four and facing a third-and-nine at the Tennessee 10-yard line midway through the fourth quarter, the Titans sent an all-out cover-zero blitz. Eight Titans players fired off the ball toward Flacco in the pocket; Flacco backpedaled as safety Quandre Diggs and outside linebacker Harold Landry III dashed toward him. He knew he would have Pittman over the middle in single coverage if he could just get the ball out.
Flacco floated a pass toward the end zone. Pittman out-jumped cornerback L'Jarius Sneed – who the Titans acquired from the Kansas City Chiefs in a blockbuster offseason trade – and then physically held on to the ball as he tumbled to the ground for a touchdown.
"(He's) the toughest guy I've ever been around," head coach Shane Steichen said.
"I wouldn't give myself that much credit," Pittman said when told of Steichen's comment. "I'm just gonna keep showing up and whatever opportunities come, try to make the most of them, just go out there and try to help us win."
Pittman's impact on Sunday didn't stop with his touchdown. He didn't celebrate it too hard, knowing there was still plenty of time left in the game – and there'd be another opportunity to get the Colts across the finish line.
That opportunity came just before the two-minute warning. The Colts had just got the ball back after their defense forced a three-and-out, but Tennessee had a shot if they could force a three-and-out.
On second and 10, Steichen opted to throw the ball – the Colts hadn't generated much on the ground on their previous possessions – with Flacco rolling to his right after a play-fake to running back Tyler Goodson. Pittman created a sliver of separation from Sneed, and Flacco ripped a throw with precision accuracy. Pittman caught it, then out-muscled Sneed – who tried to rip the ball out of his hands as they fell to the ground – for a 16-yard catch.
That reception meant the Titans, even after forcing a punt, only had 12 seconds and no timeouts left when they took over possession. A desperation play went nowhere, and the Colts sealed a three-point victory – a win they couldn't have locked down without Pittman.
"Pitt's my favorite receiver in the league, and I tell him that all the time," linebacker Zaire Franklin said. "It's not because of highlight plays that he's made, even though he's got a few, it's because he plays the game how it's supposed to be played. He takes pride in being there for his teammates. He takes pride in being a leader, and he takes pride in being the toughest (person) out there."
Pittman finished with three catches for 35 yards with a touchdown, but don't let the box score fool you – his impact was immense. It wasn't just that Pittman delivered in the clutch. It was that he delivered in the clutch a few days after it wasn't clear if he'd play in Week 6, let alone any time soon.
With that context, what Pittman did on Sunday resonated across the Colts' locker room. And it's why Flacco, who's seen his share of incredibly tough players over nearly two decades in the NFL, holds Pittman in such high regard.
"When you have guys like that, you can go a long way," Flacco said. "That's the kind of guys you need to play winning football. And he's unbelievable for that."
