AFC Game Of The Week
Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans
Colts: I had such high hopes for them in the off-season. I know this is their sixth Quarterback to start for them since Andrew Luck retired. Talk about no stability at the position. When they acquired Matt Ryan, I was excited for the move because Matt gets his fair share of criticisms over the years. I liked the move because he was going to have an Offensive Line to protect him, an elite Running Back and a defense that could get him the ball back given the opportunity. Fast forward to now. The Offensive Line has struggled, Jonathan Taylor (the Running Back) has been in and out of the lineup with injuries and the defense has struggled, especially without Shaquille Leonard on the field. One thing I’ve consistently said about the Colts throughout the radio waves this year is how I don’t care for their use of Matt Ryan. They’re expecting him to bail them out each time and at this point in his career, he’s just not that guy to take a game over with his arm. I understand they beat the Jacksonville Jaguars last weekend, but Matt threw the football a total of 58 times. That’s way too many pass attempts for my liking. The Colts identity is running the football, plain and simple. This defense will get such a strong boost from Leonard’s presence. He’s the key to the engine that is the Indy defense. On Sunday, they will battle in another divisional showdown.
Titans: They’ve seemed to turn the page after the 0-2 start. Sometimes, they get a bit too complacent at times and I say that after watching them against the Washington Commanders. They should’ve blown them out if I’m being honest and there was no way they should’ve let them back in the game. They were lucky that Carson Wentz gift wrapped them that contest with the interception he threw. What’s stood out about the Titans has been the efficiency of Ryan Tannehill. I know what you’re about to say, “Christian, you’ve been on record saying you don’t trust him”. You’re absolutely right, I don’t one bit because he’s not the guy that can take a game into his own hands. However, he’s been very sharp by completing 65 percent of his passes. You shouldn’t expect his numbers to stand out due to the simple fact this is a team that prides themselves on running that football. Speaking of the running game, Derrick Henry is starting to wake up. He’s ran for over 100 yards in the last two games. When he gets things going, the entire team feeds off that. The Titans defense has been solid for most of the year. Against the run, they can clamp down and make it difficult to start anything on the ground. The one area that must improve is the pass defense which is ranked 32nd in the league. If they want to advance in the playoffs, they must be sharp in all phases of the football game. The bye week is over, and they’ll welcome a team they just saw three weeks ago to town.
Colts X-Factor: DeForest Buckner– He’s the most important piece of this entire Indy defense. DeForest is a 6’7 defensive end that creates havoc every time he’s on the field. If you watch him, he doesn’t move like your typical defender. One thing DeForest uses to his advantage is his height. He’s got the long arms to shield himself and swim to get to the passer. Also, he plays with violent hands and tosses people left and right.
Titans X-Factor: Denico Autry– He’s a menace when he has it going. Denico is so elusive playing from the interior of the Defensive Line and he plays as if he were an edge rusher. Denico can also play the run exceptionally well and pursues the ball with great speed and power. He’s one of the key pieces on this Tennessee front that makes a difference. I look for him to attach a Colts offensive line that’s been fairly inconsistent this year.
Final Thoughts: It’s another divisional showdown. Both these teams are more similar than people realize. They each have an elite Running Back and pride themselves on a consistent ground game. Look for the Colts to attack the Titans secondary early on. The Titans have struggled this year against the pass. Speaking of Tennessee, they’ve been terrible in the second half of games this year. They just can’t seem to do much of anything to close out football games. This is something to watch for. The Colts Offensive Line will need to repeat its performance from their win against Jacksonville. They will be facing a Titans team who can apply pressure on the Quarterback. If Indy can keep this front seven of the Titans in check, Matt should have no problem attacking this secondary.
Prediction: Colts 26, Titans 21
