Coming off of a devastating loss last Sunday to Denver, the Indianapolis Colts are back home in Week 16 to take on the Tennessee Titans.
While unlikely, the Colts do still have a path to the playoffs, although those chances took another hit on Thursday night with the Chargers win over Denver.
But before the Colts can worry about getting the massive amount of help they need, priority No. 1 is taking care of their own business. The defense would hang on as long as it could against Denver in what was one of their best performances of the season, but the offense put together a mistake-filled second half, resulting in a massive collapse.
Eluding the Colts all season long has been consistency and complementary football. When one unit is finding success, the other has often struggled.
The last time these two teams met in October, the Colts escaped Tennessee with a 20-17 win. Now, let’s preview the upcoming matchup as we take a closer look at the current version of the 2024 Titans.
Last week: Titans lose to Bengals 27-37
The Titans would lose 27-37 to the Bengals in a game where Tennessee turned the ball over six times. Will Levis was benched for Mason Rudolph, who would come in and complete 21-of-26 passes for 209 yards with two scores and one interception.
Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow would throw for 271 yards with three touchdowns to two interceptions against the Titans’ defense. Ja’Marr Chase had 94 of those receiving yards and Tee Higgins 88.
Quarterback play
After benching Levis in last week’s game for Rudolph, it looks like the Titans are going to stick with that move here in Week 16 and give Rudolph the start.
On the season, Levis has completed 63.7 percent of his throws at 6.7 yards per attempt with 12 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Those 12 interceptions are the fourth-most in football and he ranks 26th in yards per pass attempt.
Rudolph, meanwhile, has appeared in five games this season, completing 63 percent of his 154 attempts at 6.6 yards per attempt with six touchdowns and five interceptions.
Overall, the Tennessee offense ranks 27th in points per game with 18.1 and is 26th in yards per play at 5.0.
Line of scrimmage
It’s tough to win games if you can’t win the line of scrimmage. The Titans offensive line will enter this game ranked 25th in pressure rate allowed and a modest 17th in yards per rush–although because they are often trailing, they don’t frequently get to lean into that run game and become pass heavy, which puts the offensive line in difficult spots.
On the other side of the ball, the run defense for Tennessee has held up well, with this unit ranking seventh in yards per rush surrendered. Success for the Colts offense begins with their ability to get the run game going. The Titans pass rush, however, ranks 30th in pressure rate, but the Colts’ offensive line unit has struggled in that regard since Richardson’s return.
The offensive line unit that can hold up the best on Sunday may give their team the best chance to win.
Turnovers
The Titans are minus-13 in turnover differential, which ranks 29th this season. As mentioned, Levis is among the league leaders in interceptions and the defense hasn’t been able to cancel those giveaways out with turnovers of their own at a high enough rate–ranking in the bottom third of the NFL in takeaways.
Injury Updates
Here is a look at the Titans’ Week 16 injury report following Thursday’s practice:
#Titans injury report for Thursday ahead of Sunday vs Colts. pic.twitter.com/jUL1OBi7gb
— TURRON DAVENPORT (@TDavenport_NFL) December 19, 2024
Stats to know
I recently put together a stats comparison between these two teams, taking a closer look at how the Colts and Titans stack up in several key metrics. For more on that, click here.
Players to know
WR Calvin Ridley: Since the Colts last played the Titans, Ridley has been picking up steam and even with the inconsistent play at quarterback, has totaled 779 yards at 14.7 yards per catch this season.
RB Tony Pollard: Pollard is nearing the 1,000 yard rushing mark this season, averaging 4.3 yards per rush with five touchdowns.
IDL Jeffery Simmons: In the middle of the Tennessee defense is Simmons, who commands the attention of every offensive line. He has a team high 38 pressures and has graded out well against the run by PFF’s metrics.
S Amani Hooker: The Titans’ safety has come away with four interceptions this season and has a passer rating when targeted of just 56.6, limiting pass catchers to only 8.4 yards per catch.
