Tennessee Titans vs. Indianapolis Colts: Complete Week 4 Preview for Tennessee
The Colts and the Titans have been playing each other twice a season for a long time now. Unfortunately, at the hands of Peyton Manning and now Andrew Luck, the Colts have come out on top more often than not.
For this matchup, both teams come into the game 1-2. In a closely contested AFC South, every win counts, especially against division rivals, so both teams are really going to want this one.
Of course, the Colts will be favored. They have home-field advantage and are coming off of a 44-14 stomping of the Jaguars, while the Titans are on the road and just lost 33-7 to the Bengals.
Still, if the Titans are not as bad a team as they looked to be against the Cowboys and Bengals, and the Colts aren't nearly as dominant as they usually are either, this contest could still go either way.
Here's a preview for Tennessee.
Week 3 Recap
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The short version is that the Bengals had their way with the Titans. That said, when arguably the best team in the NFL whips someone, it doesn't actually tell you that much about their opponent.
With the many mistakes that the Titans made (missing two field goals, red-zone turnovers, etc.), I have to wonder if the death of former teammate Rob Bironas distracted them to some degree. Most of the team played with Bironas, and he was with the team for nine seasons.
The Titans had no answer for the Bengals' all out blitz, and even though Jake Locker only took two sacks, he was under constant pressure.
The Titans also had trouble limiting the run, and A.J. Green was nearly impossible to stop.
Although the Titans played with the Bengals pretty closely in the first quarter, the Bengals' lead only increased as the game went on until they let off the gas in the fourth quarter.
News and Notes
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The biggest piece of news from the Titans in the last week has been the death of former kicker Rob Bironas and the circumstances that led to his death.
Details are still coming out, and the full story is not known at the time, but there was a 911 call placed the night of Bironas' death by a woman who claimed that he was attempting to run her off the road before his fatal crash, per Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean.
A later report from Jim Wyatt stated that two Belmont students called 911 as well, claiming that Bironas had threatened to kill them and had tried to sideswipe their vehicle before his fatal crash.
The timeline of events is still unclear, and the investigation is ongoing, so it's still tough to piece together exactly what happened that night, much less why.
Hopefully, the Titans will be able to put the events out of their minds for the game against the Colts, but such a strange and unfortunate series of events involving their former teammate could prove to be a big distraction for the team in the coming weeks.
Injury Report
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| Player | Position | Status |
| Jake Locker | QB | Questionable |
| Delanie Walker | TE | Questionable |
There are only two injured Titans at this time, but both injuries would be big losses.
Obviously, an injury to the starting quarterback is about as impactful an injury as a team can have. However, with Locker not looking great the last few weeks and the ground game working out well, it may not be a terrible thing to bench Locker for a week so that he can heal.
With his injury history, it may be better to not take chances.
Delanie Walker is another bad player to lose. Walker has been the Titans' most productive receiver for the last two weeks and is another tight end that can cause matchup problems in opposing defenses.
Even with the run game doing well, it's always good to have the big, reliable target that Walker brings to the table, especially in the end zone.
All injuries taken from ESPN's injury report page for the Tennessee Titans.
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X-factors and Matchups to Watch
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Trent Richardson and Ahmad Bradshaw vs. Titans Linebackers
The main focus for the defense will almost certainly be quarterback Andrew Luck, but with the problems that the team has had against the run, they can't lose focus on that either.
Against the Eagles, the Colts rushed for 169 yards. Against the Jaguars, they ran 144 yards. They aren't a team that's afraid to run the ball, and if the Titans are weak on that front, you can bet that the Colts will take advantage.
If the Titans linebackers can keep the run in check, then the pressure that the defensive line can generate by itself ought to be enough to cause problems for Luck.
Jason McCourty vs. Reggie Wayne
T.Y. Hilton has been Luck's most frequent target for the last two weeks, but the Titans can't forget about Wayne. It's likely that McCourty will be on Wayne most of the game. Wayne will be easier to limit than Dez Bryant or A.J. Green, but what's important is taking away Luck's quick target.
X-factor: Bishop Sankey
Sankey looked impressive against the Bengals, so I wouldn't be surprised if he got a much bigger workload against the Colts. With Locker and Walker both questionable, the Titans may have to lean more heavily on the run than they have up until this point.
If that's the case, and Sankey ends up being the lead back, then he'll be critical to winning the game.
Prediction
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Although both teams are 1-2, and although I think the Titans' strengths could matchup well against the Colts' weaknesses, I can't pick Tennessee to win with the way they've played the last two weeks.
The Colts haven't looked that impressive either, but their losses are to the undefeated Eagles and the defending AFC Champion Broncos. Plus, they have a franchise quarterback in Andrew Luck.
Furthermore, things will be pretty tough for the Titans going in, with the two biggest cogs in the Titans passing game listed as questionable, the off-the-field distractions and a second road game in a row.
The Titans defensive line will probably give Luck a lot of problems, but I don't know if the offense will be able to score many points. Vontae Davis is one of the NFL's better corners, and with Locker's recent string of bad throws, there could be some turnovers, and the Titans defense can't hold forever.
Prediction: Colts 27, Titans 17
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