The NFL season is in Week 7, and the Indianapolis Colts enter Sunday's road meeting with the Tennessee Titans facing the prospect that they could have a loss to all three AFC South opponents by day's end. The struggling Colts enter the game battling injuries, having trouble blocking for Andrew Luck and seeking to play solid defense for all four quarters.
So in other words, same problems, just a different week for Indianapolis.
Here are three key areas for the Colts on Sunday:
Protect 12: Will this ever stop becoming a weekly topic? Not at this rate.
Left guard Jack Mewhort's triceps injury has the Colts preparing to start their fifth different offensive-line grouping in seven games. And if you’ve lost count, the Colts have given up an NFL-high 23 sacks this season. Rookie Joe Haeg will start at left guard and join Anthony Castonzo, Ryan Kelly, Denzelle Good and likely Joe Reitz on the offensive line.
The Titans will present a challenge for the Colts because they’re 12th in the league in total defense and have 18 sacks.
“Dick LeBeau is one of the best ever to call plays in this league, he is a Hall of Famer,” Colts coach Chuck Pagano said of Tennessee's defensive coordinator. “The defense is playing really, really well. They have really good talent, they have a front seven that is second to none. Then they get after you and force you into third-and-long and get after you on third down. It’s going to be a huge challenge for us.”
Stop the run: Nothing has come easy for the Colts on defense, where they have the NFL's 31st-ranked unit. Tennessee's strong ground attack will be offer no respite.
The Titans have two dynamic running backs in DeMarco Murray and rookie Derrick Henry, and quarterback Marcus Mariota is also a capable runner, particularly out of the read-option. Tennessee is third in the NFL in rushing at 146.7 yards a game.
The key, according to the Colts, is to be disciplined in their defensive assignments because the Titans will exploit their mistakes.
“Any one of those guys can kind of carry the load by themselves, but when you have all three of them, that’s kind of a triple threat, three-headed monster,” linebacker Robert Mathis said. “Everybody just has to do their job, be disciplined and just do what your job tells you to do.”
The Colts gave up 158 yards rushing against Houston in Week 6.
Somebody has to step up: The Colts, as they’ve done all season, will go into the game with receiver T.Y. Hilton as Luck’s primary target.
The Titans know that, so they’ll do everything they can to ensure that Hilton doesn’t beat them. Luck won’t be able to turn to Phillip Dorsett (hamstring), Donte Moncrief (shoulder) or Dwayne Allen (ankle) to help out because all three of those players are out with injuries.
That means somebody else will have to step up to lend a helping hand to Luck and running back Frank Gore.
Chester Rogers, Tevaun Smith and Devin Street will be the Colts’ second, third and fourth receivers against the Titans.
Luck will have to make do with what he has at his disposal Sunday.
“We are in great shape at receiver,” Pagano said. “I think all those guys are going to play really, really well. When you practice good you play good.”
