The Indianapolis Colts may be in the postseason already, but they didn’t inspire much confidence with a blowout loss to Dallas on Sunday. They have a chance to end their season on a high note when they face the 2-13 Tennessee Titans in Week 17.
Will the Colts blowout their opposition? Or will they stumble while looking ahead to the playoffs? For some more on the intriguing AFC playoff race, check out our previews for the Browns vs. Ravens and Chargers vs. Chiefs.
The Indianapolis Colts suffered a 42-7 beatdown at the hands of the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. Andrew Luck had the worst game of his career going 15-for-22 for 109 yards and two interceptions for a career-low passer rating of 41.7. Luck now has 22 turnovers this season (16 interceptions and six fumbles lost).
[sc:NFL240banner ]Indianapolis closes its season with a divisional matchup against the lowly Tennessee Titans. The Colts have won 12 straight games against fellow AFC South opponents. Expect Luck to be back to his dominant self against Tennessee, a team he already burnt for 393 yards and four touchdowns in Week 4.
With the playoffs approaching, the Colts may continue to rest leading receiver T.Y. Hilton (hamstring). With Hilton possibly sitting out, tight end Coby Fleener may carry the bulk of the receiving game. Fleener is second in the team in receiving yards (682) and touchdowns (six).
On the ground, either Trent Richardson or Daniel Herron may exploit a Titans rushing defense that ranks 31st in the league. However, they may be in for quite a challenge after the Titans limited Indianapolis to 2.6 yards per carry in Week 4 to force a more pass-oriented approach.
On the other side of the ball, the Colts limited Tennessee to 261 yards of total offense in the first matchup. The Colts had three sacks against Titans starting quarterback Charlie Whitehurst as well as one interception. Considering the Titans’ inability to protect their quarterback (they’ve allowed 13 sacks in the past three games), expect the Colts to have a big day on the blitz.
Leading the way would be linebacker Erik Walden who has a team-high six sacks, including three in his last four games.
Charlie Whitehurst had his biggest game of the season, passing for 287 yards and a touchdown in a 21-13 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Thursday. Meanwhile, running back Leon Washington stepped up in the receiving department catching seven passes for 62 yards and the Titans’ lone touchdown of the game.
However, Whitehurst and Washington’s efforts weren’t enough as the Titans suffered a 21-13 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars (their ninth straight loss) Thursday night.
The Titans came into Thursday night’s game with the worst third-down offense in the league. But they converted seven of 15 chances thanks in large part to Whitehurst’s play. Doing so against the Colts may be more challenging. Indianapolis has the second-best third-down defense in the league.
Still, if Whitehurst and Washington can continue to connect, then they may be able to exploit a Colts passing defense which is middling in the league with 241.3 yards allowed per game this season.
While the Titans need to open up on their passing offense, they’ll also need to close off the Colts’ aerial route on the other side of the ball. The Titans are ranked 10th in the league with 230.6 passing yards allowed per game. They have a capable secondary which could cause headaches for the Colts’ passing game.
Indianapolis quarterback Luck has slumped in the past three weeks throwing four touchdowns and five interceptions along with a 52.3 percent completion rate. The Titans have cornerbacks Blidi Wreh-Wilson and Jason McCourty capable of forcing incompletions or even key turnovers when covering the Colts’ receivers. Wreh-Wilson has an interception and 10 passes defended in the season, while McCourty has three picks and 11 passes defended.
Writer’s Prediction
The Colts end their season with a blowout win over the Titans. Take Indianapolis to win and cover.
