After a 43-13 victory over the Cleveland Browns, the Tennessee Titans (1-0) return home to take on the Indianapolis Colts (0-1).
The Titans will face Jacoby Brissett at quarterback instead of Andrew Luck this time. The Titans never defeated the Colts with Luck at the helm, but are are 2-0 against Brissett.
This is an entirely different Colts team than when Luck was out all of 2017. They boast one of the better offensive lines in the NFL and a young, rising defense.
The Titans have this game circled as a special one.
Before the game, there will be a ceremony to retire the jerseys of Eddie George and Steve McNair, which should draw a large crowd.
Here are three offensive keys for the Titans to defeat the Colts.
Feed Derrick Henry early and often.
Titans offensive coordinator Arthur Smith says he’s learned different things from all of the coaches he’s worked under over the years. Last Sunday, that was on display, and it paid off.
The Titans showed the ability to pound the defense in the run game, keep them honest with deep shots, and put them in a bind with play actions.
The Titans have always been known as a team who will punch the other team in the mouth. That doesn’t need to change on Sunday. The Colts have a stout front seven, and rushing yards could be hard to find early on.
However, Derrick Henry gets better the more carries he receives. Having to tackle a 250-pound running back for four quarters will wear any defense down.
Earlier this week, Eddie George compared Henry to a bigger Chris Johnson, and said that when he’s hot — nobody can stop him.
Protect Marcus Mariota.
Taking a few deep shots will help open things up for Henry and the run game.
When this happens, the offensive line needs to protect Mariota. The quarterback also doesn’t need to take and unnecessary hits, or get put behind the chains with a sack.
On play action, Mariota will have his back turned to the line of scrimmage, and he needs to be able to trust his protection when he can’t see them.
Play the matchups.
Last week, rookie wide receiver A.J. Brown put on a clinic, catching three passes for 100 yards. Tight end Delanie Walker also showed he’s not a player to be forgotten about, catching two touchdowns in his first game back since being sidelined in the first week of last season.
Mariota needs to find the matchup he likes and attack it. That could be Brown or Walker, but could also be Adam Humphries or Corey Davis — both of which had pretty quiet performances last week.
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