The Tennessee Titans are set to host consecutive games at Nissan Stadium for the first time all year long when the Indianapolis Colts come to town in Week 13. This is a massive AFC South matchup for both teams.
If the Titans want any chance at keeping their minuscule playoff hopes alive, they need to start stacking some victories. A win would put them back in the “in the hunt” section of the playoff picture, as they’ll only be about one or two games back, depending on how the rest of the week plays out.
As for the Colts, they currently own the No. 7 seed in the AFC playoff race. Another win would not only further solidify their legitimacy, but it would also give them their first season sweep of the Titans since 2018.
There are a handful of intriguing matchups in this game that are going to play a huge role in deciding tomorrow’s contest. I went ahead and picked the three that I’ll be keeping my eye on the most, including one that became very personal after the previous matchup.
Without further adieu, let’s find out what those three matchups are ahead of the Titans’ AFC South battle with the Colts.
Titans' defensive line vs. Colts’ offensive line
This is going to be an uphill battle for the Titans’ defensive front. After having a favorable matchup a week ago, Tennessee is now set to face arguably the best offensive line in the NFL.
According to Pro Football Focus, every player on the Colts’ offensive line has an overall grade of at least 64.0, and three of them have grades higher than 81.0: center Ryan Kelly (81.2), left tackle Bernhard Raimann (81.3), and right tackle Braden Smith (81.4).
That group is a large reason why Indianapolis had so much success with running the football during its first meeting with Tennessee. Back in Week 5, the Titans’ defense allowed 193 yards that day en route to a 23-16 loss.
165 of those yards came from Colts running back Zack Moss, who will be seeing the bulk of the carries once again with Jonathan Taylor out.
The Colts’ offensive line also does a good job of protecting Gardner Minshew, which allows him to simply manage the game without the fear of getting lit up by an opposing pass-rush.
As for the Titans, they don’t have a single defender on the defensive line who has a grade higher than 69.3. Furthermore, the average grade between Jeffery Simmons, Denico Autry, Arden Key and Harold Landry is just 64.3.
It’s hard to imagine that group replicating the 13 tackles, six tackles for loss, six quarterback hits, four sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery performance from a week ago.
However, Tennessee’s defensive line must find a way to make its presence felt in this one, both in the pass-rush and in run defense, if it wants any chance at ending the weekend with a 5-7 record.
WR DeAndre Hopkins vs. Colts cornerbacks
During the first meeting, DeAndre Hopkins had one of the best performances of his Titans tenure. DHop recorded 140 yards on eight catches, often looking like a man amongst boys against the Colts’ secondary.
DeAndre Hopkins has been a tremendous addition to the #Titans – what a catch down the sidelines pic.twitter.com/ybimMnm0Sahttps://t.co/OG2mRpaYbx
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) October 8, 2023
Rookie cornerback Juju Brents is going to miss Sunday’s game, so Hopkins could once again have favorable matchups when he’s lined up on the outside.
Hop will also likely see some time in the slot, but considering that’s where Indianapolis’ best defensive back, Kenny Moore II, spends the majority of his time, it would probably be wise to keep Nuk along the boundary more often than not.
RB Derrick Henry vs. LB Zaire Franklin
During a recent press conference, Derrick Henry said the fact that he was held to just 43 rushing yards the last time he played the Colts makes him cringe.
To make matters worse, that’s also the day that Zaire Franklin emphatically stuffed Derrick Henry on a crucial fourth-and-1 near the goal line.
Zaire Franklin, aka the NFL’s tackle leader, shuts Derrick Henry down on 4th down 🔥 pic.twitter.com/22qc4oXUc4
— The Blue Stable (@TheBlue_Stable) October 8, 2023
That play resulted in Franklin self-proclaiming himself as the “King Slayer” which, needless to say, has made this one personal.
Both players are having strong seasons at their respective positions. Henry is fifth in the NFL in rushing yards, recording 739 yards and six touchdowns while owning the second-highest overall grade (90.3), per PFF.
Meanwhile, Franklin has the third-most tackles in the NFL (124) and has added 1.5 sacks and two forced fumbles, as well.
With that said, if you’re going to label yourself as the “King Slayer”, you better be ready to defend that name every single time you’re on the same field with The King.
It’s going to be an interesting individual battle whenever these two are on the field together, and it’s safe to assume that they’ll each have their moments.
But knowing King Henry, he’s going to have an extra chip on his shoulder ahead of this contest.
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