Indianapolis Colts vs. Tennessee Titans, 1:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, CBS
The Colts win if…
They play the way they did in the first quarter on Sunday Night Football last weekend.
It’s disappointing to see Andrew Luck’s talent being squandered by sub-par team efforts on a weekly basis. Chuck Pagano is still a phenomenal football mind and Luck is still very much a Pro Bowl-caliber QB. Unfortunately, the guys around the top threats on Indy’s roster don’t offer much of a legitimate threat to win games, especially late. You saw flashes of hope last weekend in primetime – this week, dominance across the board will need to happen over the course of all four quarters.
The Titans win if…
The offense continues to make strides.
Marcus Mariota is steadily improving week to week in the NFL, blossoming into a very real pro threat under center. The Tennessee offense is just outside the NFL’s top-10 in total yards, and sit second in the AFC in third-down conversion percentage behind just Pittsburgh. At 3-3, this team is quietly playing some fun football. Should the defense knock Indy’s offense around just enough, we might just see the Titans jump to 4-3 after week 7 is over, setting up a Thursday Night Football game against the Jaguars on the 27th that sees an opportunity to start the year 5-3. Playoff sleeper of the year, anyone?
Titans get the job done at home against Colts, win 28-24.