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NFL.com previews the Week 13 matchup between the Colts and Titans.
The Indianapolis Colts (6-5) and Tennessee Titans (4-7) will be concluding the season series Sunday with a Week 13 matchup at Nissan Stadium.
Here’s a video preview of the matchup from NFL.com:
The Colts are 4-1 on the road this season while the Titans are 4-1 at home. The last time these two teams met in Week 5, the Colts came out victorious with a 23-16 win at home.
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Michael Pittman Jr. is our Player of the Game in the Week 8 loss to the Titans.
In a frustrating overtime loss against the Tennessee Titans (6-2), the Indianapolis Colts (3-5) fall three games back of their division rivals in the race for the AFC South. In this loss, Michael Pittman Jr. was able to continue his impressive sophomore season with an impressive afternoon.
He finished the game with 10 catches for 86 yards and two first-quarter touchdowns. The Titans did not seem to have an answer for Pittman early on but definitely recovered as the game went on.
PITT FOR SIX. 🙌
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— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) October 31, 2021
Second drive.
Second @MikePitt_Jr TD.
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— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) October 31, 2021
Wentz and Pittman are developing a relationship that is slowly becoming one of the best quarterback-receiver combos in the league. Sadly, the Colts could not come away with a win to emphasize this dominant performance.
While this loss was heartbreaking, the Colts will have to put it in the rearview mirror as they host the Jets this Thursday night.
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S Julian Blackmon is our player of the game for the Colts in Week 3.
In another game where the offensive and defensive struggles continued, the Indianapolis Colts fell to 0-3 on Sunday against the Tennessee Titans in a 25-16 loss.
One bright spot was safety Julian Blackmon, who led the team in tackles and excelled in pass coverage.
He finished with 11 tackles in a game where the Titans controlled much of this game and ran the ball exceptionally well with Derrick Henry and Ryan Tannehill. Even without A.J. Brown, Tennessee still has a solid passing game that Blackmon was able to handle well.
The second-year safety has really come into his own and is growing into the role the Colts want him to have. We will see if he can keep this success going as the Colts head to Miami next week.
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Darius Leonard is our player of the game.
In possibly the most important game of the year for the Indianapolis Colts, they struggled on defense out of the gate and never quite recovered. The 45-26 loss put the Tennessee Titans atop the AFC South and put the Colts in a fight for the wild card.
Despite the loss and lackluster performance on defense, linebacker Darius Leonard had a huge day on defense. With 14 total tackles, one tackle for a loss, one sack, and a pass defended, Leonard showed that he is the leader of this defense even when things don’t go their way.
Without Bobby Okereke, who was inactive with an ankle injury, the Colts linebackers seemed to struggle to stop the run as Derrick Henry ran for 178 yards and three touchdowns. Hopefully, the Colts as a team can get healthy and fix some issues that the Titans exposed.
With favorable matchups down the stretch, the Colts can right the ship and possibly still win the division. Leonard will need to keep showing his leadership on the defensive side of the ball and keep being the tackle machine he has been his entire career.
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Nyheim Hines has a big day.
In a big-time statement win, the Indianapolis Colts (6-3) showed everyone in prime time what they are capable of with a 34-17 win over the Tennessee Titans (6-3).
This contest had tremendous playoff implications and now puts the Colts atop the AFC South. This win could not have been possible without the spectacular performance from the birthday boy, Nyheim Hines.
The Colts’ revolving door in the backfield has led to a new No. 1 back each week, and against Tennessee it was all about Hines. He totaled 70 yards on the ground with a rushing touchdown that came after a shanked punt in the third quarter.
He also added five catches for 45 yards and a receiving touchdown as well. Hines’ ability to skate by defenders and get to the second level made him the go-to guy in this game. He and Philip Rivers have connected a lot in recent weeks, which is a connection that could be deadly going forward.
The Colts showed tonight that their depth and durability can allow they to beat a team a number of ways. With the Packers coming to Indy in week 11, the Colts will need Hines and others to step up and continue this success.
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Zach Pascal is the player of the game in Week 13.
With T.Y Hilton suffering a setback on his injured calf this week and Chester Rodgers exiting the game in the first quarter, the Indianapolis Colts receiving corps was thin. However, Zach Pascal stepped up in a huge capacity as the Colts fell to the Tennessee Titans, 31-17.
He finished the day with seven receptions for 109 yards, averaging 15.6 yards per catch. Pascal was the main target in the Colts passing game that had to get going quickly.
Having lacked explosive plays over the last month, Pascal had a huge hand in changing that. Of the eight passing plays going 16 yards or more, Pascal had four of them on the day.
Pascal needed a solid performance after struggling the past few weeks to get things going as he had earlier in the season. He gave all he could Sunday as the Colts’ fourth-quarter meltdown cost them the win.
Hopefully, the Colts receivers can get healthy as the team travels to Tampa Bay next week to try and salvage the season. Pascal epitomizes the hard work and “next man up” mentality that the Colts have had all year.
These Titans must be in the game plan in Week 13.
The Tennessee Titans and Indianapolis Colts both sit at 6-5 ahead of a highly-anticipated AFC South matchup Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium. This a must-win for both teams as they try to keep pace with Houston for the division and the tight race for the AFC wild card as well.
If the Colts want to get back on track after a long week, here are six Titans the Colts must game plan for in the Week 13 divisional matchup.
QB Ryan Tannehill
After winning four of their last five, Tannehill seems to be the short-term solution in Tennessee. Getting after him and forcing him to make rushed throws will be key for the Colts in this one. With the ability to spread the ball to a variety of receivers, shutting down Tannehill will be vital to a victory.
The Colts must also be aware of Tannehill’s ability as a runner, which is an underrated aspect of his game.
RB Derrick Henry
November-Henry is a real thing. The fourth-year back has been criticized throughout his career for being inconsistent on a week to week basis but in the month of November, Henry has been very productive during his time in Tennessee.
The Colts will have to shut down Henry in order to throw the entire offense off track in this one. When the Titans get the run game going, their offense becomes a lot more threatening.
WR A.J. Brown
The rookie receiver has been a great addition to this offense. With the size to go over the top of defenders and the speed to create separation, Brown has emerged as one of the best young receivers in the game.
Look for Pierre Desir to matchup against Brown on Sunday, mostly because of a size comparison. Don’t be surprised if Malik Hooker or Marvel Tell matchup against Brown as well.
LB Rashaan Evans
Leading the team in tackles with 85 on the year, Evans is one of the better linebackers in all of football. His run stopping ability is incredible and his speed makes it easy for him to cover tight ends as well. With Eric Ebron being placed on IR on Monday, Jack Doyle and others will have to find success after a lackluster performance in Houston.
CB Logan Ryan
Ryan has been dominant throughout his entire career, filling up a stat sheet week to week. His line on the year is 78 total tackles, three interceptions, three forced fumbles, 16 passes defended and 3.5 sacks. Ryan will most likely be on T.Y. Hilton all game as Hilton tries to bounce back after a pitiful performance against Houston.
LB Harold Landry III
The other linebacker in the Titans talented duo is Landry. Where Evans is more utilized in the passing game, Landry is moved all around the field and is a talented pass rusher. With eight sacks on the season, it will be crucial for the Colts to stop Landry blitzing up the middle in order to give Brissett time in the pocket.
