The Tennessee Titans and Indianapolis Colts face off at Nissan Stadium this Sunday. The Titans return to the field after an early bye and Will Levis is set to return after injuring his shoulder against the Miami Dolphins in Week 4. It was their first win of the season, and the Titans look to get their second win this week.
The Colts have struggled to start the season and it’s not yet known if Anthony Richardson or Joe Flacco will start this week. One thing is certain, though, the Colts are banged up and will be without their greatest offensive weapon: Jonathan Taylor.
Coach Shane Steichen says Jonathan Taylor is the only player ruled out.
Acknowledges Michael Pittman's injury but he is not ruled out and says "he's one of the toughest guys." No insight on his official status just yet.
— Stephen Holder (@HolderStephen) October 11, 2024
Of the Colts’ 626 rushing yards, 349 belong to Taylor, and he has four of their seven rushing touchdowns. In his absence, Trey Sermon will take over. In five games this season, Sermon has 19 carries for 62 yards and two touchdowns, and seven receptions for 32 yards.
Sermon is nowhere near the running back Taylor is, which means that if Richardson ends up playing, you can expect him to run the ball a lot. If Flacco plays, passing is the more likely scenario.
Either way, the Titans’ defense benefits from Taylor’s absence a great deal, and given that they have the top passing defense in the league, the Titans are poised to have a good day on Sunday.