Colts seek bounce-back performance in Tennessee
Published 1:00 pm Saturday, October 12, 2024
- Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce makes a first-down catch past Tennessee Titans cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting during overtime Dec. 3, 2023, at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee.
INDIANAPOLIS — There’s been a sense of urgency around the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center this week.
The Indianapolis Colts have yet to win a game against a division rival this season, and a loss Sunday on the road against the Tennessee Titans would give their AFC South opponents a clean sweep of the first leg of the annual round-robin.
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So, while it’s still too early to seriously consider playoff implications, the 1 p.m. kickoff in Nashville, Tennessee, certainly feels like an inflection point.
“The division games are a little bigger, right?” Colts head coach Shane Steichen said. “It’s just what it is. It’s the NFL. You want to win championships, you’ve got to win division games. And going on the road, having another division opponent — the urgency is there. You can feel it from the guys.”
Indianapolis (2-3) is 0-2 on the road and 0-2 in the division after a 37-34 loss last week against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The roster also is severely banged up. Quarterback Anthony Richardson (oblique), wide receivers Michael Pittman Jr. (back) and Josh Downs (toe), center Ryan Kelly (neck) and right tackle Braden Smith (knee/ankle) are among the players who have been limited or missed practice all together this week.
And that’s just on offense.
Defensive end Kwity Paye (quadricep) and cornerback Kenny Moore II (hip) were limited for the defense.
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Running back Jonathan Taylor will miss his second straight game with an ankle injury, and defensive tackle DeForest Buckner (ankle), defensive end Samson Ebukam (Achilles), cornerback JuJu Brents (knee), defensive end Tyquan Lewis (elbow) and right guard Will Fries (tibia) remain on injured reserve.
But there are no excuses in the NFL, and the Colts would love to remove the bad taste of their last performance.
Quarterback Trevor Lawrence threw for a career-high 371 yards, and the Jaguars had three gains of 60 yards or more as Indianapolis lost for the 10th consecutive season away from home against Jacksonville.
That’s caused a lot of difficult questions to be asked about the defense this week. And the Colts say they’re ready to provide positive answers.
“I mean, anytime you feel like you didn’t play the way you want to, the quick cure is to get out there again,” linebacker Zaire Franklin said. “So, honestly, I just can’t wait to get out there to prove ourselves again against the Titans, knowing it’s a big one, man. We’re down two in the division, so it’s important that we get this one on the road.”
Tennessee (1-3) ranks 30th in total yards, 30th in yards per passing attempt and 19th in yards per rushing attempt through the first month of the season.
Quarterback Will Levis is tied with Richardson for the most interceptions thrown this year with six, and the Titans are 20th in scoring with an average of 19.8 points.
But there are proven weapons in Tennessee’s attack.
Calvin Ridley (nine catches, 141 yards, one touchdown), DeAndre Hopkins (10, 121, 1) and Tyler Boyd (10, 108, 0) are proven wide receivers, and Tony Pollard (61 carries, 246 yards, two touchdowns) is a reliable running back.
First-year head coach Brian Callahan was an architect of the Cincinnati Bengals’ offense the past five seasons and a finalist for Indianapolis’ head coaching job last year.
But the real obstacle the Titans present comes from their defense.
Tennessee has surrendered the fewest total yards and first downs in the league, and it ranks third in average yards per pass attempt (4.6) and 10th in average yards per rushing attempt (4.2).
The Titans should be rested and relatively healthy coming off the bye week.
So whichever quarterback gets the start for Indianapolis — Richardson or veteran Joe Flacco, who started at Jacksonville — will have to be efficient in all areas of the game Sunday.
“(Defensive coordinator) Dennard Wilson is doing a heck of a job down there,” Colts offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter said. “I’ve worked with several of their defensive coaches over the years, and I know how well those guys do their job and how well those guys prepare their players each week. It’s a well-coached defense.
“They’re playing aggressive. They’re playing tough. They’re playing physical. They’re getting after opposing offenses and having a lot of success doing it. You can sort their stats up and put them up there with just about anybody in the league. They’re playing really, really good football down there in Nashville, Tennessee. The challenge is real for us.”