Colts (5-3) at Titans (6-2)
Thursday, 8:20 ET, Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tenn.
TV: Fox, NFL Network, Amazon Danny Sheridan’s line: Titans by 1 1⁄
2
Titans’ keys to victory: Their offensive success will start with getting the passing game going, which has been a struggle in recent weeks. Once QB Ryan Tannehill can force Indy to drop extra defenders into coverage, that will open things up for RB Derrick Henry. On defense, Tennessee needs to get pressure on Indianapolis QB Philip Rivers, who is prone to mistakes. The Titans can’t afford to let the Colts move the ball on the ground.
Colts’ keys to victory: The best way to attack Tennessee’s defense is through the air. Rivers should be able to take advantage of a suspect secondary but must avoid mistakes against an opportunistic defense that is among the league leaders in takeaways. On defense, stopping Henry and forcing a struggling Tannehill to make plays will be paramount. A failure to do so will let the Titans successfully use play-action, which is where Tannehill thrives.
Matchup to watch: WR A.J. Brown vs. Colts cornerbacks. The Titans are going to be slinging it if they fail to establish the run against the stout Indianapolis defense, which means there will be plenty of opportunities for Brown, who is a proven game-breaker. Tennessee is going to move Brown all over the formation, so it’s going to take a group effort from the Colts’ cornerbacks to keep him in check.
Who wins? The opportunistic Titans’ defense is going to take advantage of a few Rivers turnovers, and that will be the difference in a tightly contested game between division rivals.
Titans 24-20