Tennessee Titans: Upcoming Game vs. Colts Will Be Crucial for AFC South Positioning
NASHVILLE, Tenn. ⏤ Heading into Week Seven, the Tennessee Titans are fresh off of two exciting wins against highly talented opponents in games that were highly anticipated by fans. Could the adrenaline highs the Titans undoubtedly felt before, during and after their wins over the Bills and Chiefs lead to a crash heading into a […]
NASHVILLE, Tenn. ⏤ Heading into Week Seven, the Tennessee Titans are fresh off of two exciting wins against highly talented opponents in games that were highly anticipated by fans.
Could the adrenaline highs the Titans undoubtedly felt before, during and after their wins over the Bills and Chiefs lead to a crash heading into a much less exciting matchup against the middling, 3-4 Indianapolis Colts? They'd better hope not.
That's because the Titans' game against the Colts on Sunday is their most important matchup of the season, even more so than their last two.
"I think this game is bigger than the two games we just played because, if we beat this team, we obviously get moire ahead in the divison, though it’s a little far back," safety Kevin Byard said. "This a huge game for us—in my opinion, a must-win."
It may still be early in the season, as Byard pointed out, but a win over the Colts on Sunday would go a long way toward locking up the AFC South for the Titans.
A win for the Titans on Sunday would put them at 6-2 and knock the Colts down to 3-5, giving Tennessee a three-game division lead entering Week Nine.
That would be a massive advantage, even with nine games remaining.
How massive would the advantage be? The Titans would have a 98% chance at making the playoffs in that scenario, according to the New York Times' playoff calculator tool.
On the other hand, a loss would put the Colts right back in the thick of the race.
Making sure that doesn't happen, however, could prove to be a difficult task for the Titans.
While the Colts' 2021 season has certainly been disappointing thus far, playing them won't be an easy win.
QB Carson Wentz has played very well, as of late. Since the Colts lost to the Titans in Week Three, a game in which Wentz barely managed to play because of two ankle injuries, his TD-INT ratio is an impressive 8-0.
"He is doing a really nice job," Titans head coach Mike Vrabel said. "I think his health probably has a big reason to do with that."
RB Jonathan Taylor also will present a problem for the Titans, as he continues to be an explosive threat for the Colts on offense. His combination of speed, elusiveness and balance makes him one of the NFL's most dangerous running backs.
The Colts also do some nice things defensively.
They aren't a juggernaut, but they're certainly not a pushover either.
The Titans need to take care of business against the Colts just like they did against Buffalo and Kansas City. Doing so would put them in prime position to host a playoff game for the second year in a row and, even, fight for a first-round bye.
"It's a big game for us, a divisional game," RB Derrick Henry said. "They're playing really good football, and it's always tough playing those guys. This is a very important game."
- Wentz image: Robert Scheer/Indy Star
- Byard image: Christopher Hanewinckel/USA Today
