5 Keys to a Crucial Colts Victory Over Titans

The Indianapolis Colts are looking for a vital victory over the Tennessee Titans to avoid an 0-3 divisional record.

Oct 6, 2024; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce (14) runs with the ball against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fourth quarter at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The Indianapolis Colts are a mediocre 2-3, but 0-2 divisionally. Next up is a road tilt with the AFC South rival Tennessee Titans who are looking for their second straight victory in their first divisional match of 2024. With two teams desperately needing a victory something has to give. Here are five keys for Indianapolis to avoid 0-3 in the AFC South.

Run the Ball More Effectively and Often

Oct 6, 2024; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Indianapolis Colts running back Trey Sermon (27) celebrates with running back Tyler Goodson (31) after scoring a touchdown against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fourth quarter at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

With Jonathan Taylor unlikely to suit up (ankle), expect another tandem of Trey Sermon and Tyler Goodson out of the backfield. Against the Jacksonville Jaguars, the duo posted 15 carries for 64 yards and a short touchdown from Sermon. Most of the carries (10) came from Sermon as well, but it was Goodson who was more explosive.

The Titans are very strong against the pass, but not against the run (119.8 yards allowed per game - 15th in the NFL). This means that a healthy dose of the ground game should be in order. Tack on that quarterback Anthony Richardson is getting closer to seeing the field again and the rushing attack might be more potent than it looks without Taylor.

Force Will Levis to Target Downfield

Sep 30, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis (8) throws the football against the Miami Dolphins during the first quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

There is a three-way tie for the league lead in interceptions with 6. Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City Chiefs), Richardson, and Titans QB Will Levis. The former Kentucky Wildcat is athletic and strong-armed but has made baffling decisions with the football. So far through four games, Levis has passed 67/84 completions (68.4%) for 604 yards and 4 touchdowns. Levis has also tossed in 91 rushing yards on 13 attempts.

The issue with Levis isn't accuracy or athleticism, but decision-making and holding onto the football (15 sacks taken). Currently, running backs Tony Pollard (13) and Tyjae Spears (12) lead Tennessee in catches, indicating that Levis is far more comfortable with safe throws. Indianapolis linebackers must step up with the defensive front and force Levis to throw farther downfield into tighter windows and man coverage. While the Titans have veterans Calvin Ridley and DeAndre Hopkins, neither has made much of an impact at all. This gives the Colts an edge despite numerous key injuries on defense.

What happens next for the Colts? Don't miss out on any news and analysis! Take a second and sign up for our free newsletter and get breaking Colts news delivered to your inbox daily!

Contain Tony Pollard

Sep 30, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Tennessee Titans running back Tony Pollard (20) runs with the football against the Miami Dolphins during the third quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Back to Pollard, who has been essentially the workhorse for the Titans' anemic offense in 2024. Pollard has 61 carries for 246 rushing yards (4.0 average) and 2 rushing scores. He's also a big piece of the receiving game with 13 catches on 16 targets for 87 receiving yards and a long of 22. In total, Pollard is responsible for 333 scrimmage yards through four games for the Titans (83.2). This gives Indianapolis a clear target to neutralize defensively.

Defensive tackles Grover Stewart and Raekwon Davis must lock down the A gaps while the defensive ends seal the edges. Pollard is an incredibly elusive runner who makes would-be tacklers out of NFL defenders consistently. After an awful tackling performance by the Colts last week, look for fundamentals to be a high priority if Indianapolis wants to limit a playmaker like Pollard. Arguably the biggest position to lock down the dynamic runner will be linebacker, which brings us to the next entry.

Better Production from Linebackers

Sep 29, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indianapolis Colts linebacker Zaire Franklin (44) celebrates after making a stop Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, during a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Mandatory Credit: Christine Tannous-USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images / Christine Tannous/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

The Colts have one of the better duos at linebacker with E.J. Speed and Zaire Franklin, but this wasn't the case in week five against the Jaguars. While both players led the dance with tackles (Franklin 10, Speed 7), multiple miscues allowed offensive ball carriers extra space to gather yardage. In a scheme like Gus Bradley's which is predicated on making tackles for short gains, missing too many can result in a lot of yards allowed through the air and the ground.

Even Franklin felt that Indy's performance was awful, blaming the abysmal tackling for the 37-34 loss.

“The tackling was atrocious today”

Zaire Franklin didn’t hold back when talking about the Colts defensive performance today. 👀

The Jaguars finished with 497 total yards of offense. ‼️@WISHNews8 | #ForTheShoe pic.twitter.com/PCQGypgt5w

— Andrew Chernoff - WISH-TV (@ADChernoff) October 6, 2024

The Colts are playing an offense struggling worse than Jacksonville with the Titans. However, going back to Pollard's skills, the Colts must tackle or risk a massive game allowed by the running backs of Tennessee. While Spears can make some plays, Pollard is the true threat that both Franklin and Speed must be ready for in space. Look for both of these defenders to be completely locked in at Nissan Stadium Sunday.

Target Alec Pierce More

Oct 6, 2024; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce (14) scores a touchdown against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fourth quarter at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

With the news that Michael Pittman Jr. will likely miss multiple games due to a back injury, this means that players like Josh Downs, AD Mitchell, and Alec Pierce will be asked to do more in the receiving game. While Downs is a target hog and will set the pace, Pierce is a revelation for Indianapolis' inconsistent passing game in 2024. In five contests, Pierce has 13 catches for 368 receiving yards, 3 touchdowns, and a league-best 28.3 yards per reception. These numbers are eye-popping, but the targets are underwhelming.

Given that the Titans are the NFL's best passing defense in yards allowed per game (124.0), there will undoubtedly be an emphasis on running the ball and taking care of possessions. But Pierce must be considered in Shane Steichen's attack to keep the Titans' defense honest and guessing. A recent game that makes sense is the Green Bay Packers, where the Colts lost 16-10, but Pierce caught 5/7 passes for 56 receiving yards and a score. Tennessee has to be challenged down the field, and there's no better way to do that than with Pierce's freakish abilities.

---

Want more Colts content? Check out the latest episode of the Horseshoe Huddle Podcast!

Follow Horseshoe Huddle on Facebook and X; subscribe on YouTube for multiple Colts live-stream podcasts per week.