The Tennessee Titans are coming off of one of the most impressive wins around the NFL in week one, after they upset the Cleveland Browns 43-13.
Sunday, the Indianapolis Colts come to Nashville to face the Titans in their first divisional game of the season.
Since 2010, the Titans are a combined 3-15 against the Colts, an overall record they will look to improve upon Sunday. This will be a different Colts team than the Titans are used to seeing, with quarterback Andrew Luck’s retirement announcement ahead of the 2019 season.
Here are five storylines to watch in this matchup.
1. Which quarterback will make the least amount of mistakes?
In week one, neither Marcus Mariota nor Jacoby Brissett threw an interception. Both quarterbacks started the season facing a lot of pressure, and they both posted above-average performances last week.
Mariota went 14-for-24, throwing for 248 yards and three touchdowns. After much scrutiny during the offseason, Mariota stepped up and had an error-free game against the Browns.
Brissett was also free of interceptions against the Chargers, going 21-for-27, and throwing for 190 yards and two touchdowns.
As cliche as it sounds, turnovers will play a big factor in who wins this game. The Titans defense had a great week last week, picking off Baker Mayfield three times. The Colts intercepted Philip Rivers once against the Chargers.
This game will come down to whoever can manage the game better between Mariota and Brissett. They both had a solid start to the season, must continue playing careful football in order to come out on top in this showdown.
2. Which rushing attack will come out on top?
Both teams have shown that they want to establish the run in order to make things easier on their quarterbacks. Colts running back Marlon Mack had the best day rushing-wise in the NFL last week. He carried the ball 25 times, rushing for 174 yards and a touchdown.
Derrick Henry also turned in a solid performance last week, carrying the ball 19 times for 84 yards and a touchdown. He also caught a screen pass that went for a 75-yard touchdown.
Getting the run established early will be an important aspect for limiting the quarterback’s mistakes on both sides. If the run game gets going for either team, it will take some of the pressure off the quarterbacks, potentially creating more single coverage looks downfield.
3. Can rookie wide receiver A.J. Brown continue to find success?
Brown is coming off a historic performance, as he became the first Titans wide receiver since 1964 to have 100 or more receiving yards in his debut for the team.
It’s clear that Mariota trusts Brown already, and it will be important for the Titans offense moving forward. It is likely that Corey Davis will continue to get covered by opposing teams’ number one cornerback, so it will be crucial for other receivers to step up to continue moving the chains on offense.
4. Which team’s pass rush will produce more sacks?
A huge reason the Titans were able to pick off Mayfield three times was due to the amount of pressure they produced all game long. The Titans were able to sack Mayfield a total of five times in Cleveland.
Titans pass rusher Cameron Wake was named AFC Player of the Week after recording 2.5 sacks on Mayfield, and hitting him four times total.
The Colts brought down Rivers a total of four times, but it wasn’t enough to get him off his game. The quarterback still threw for three touchdowns and ended up with the win.
If the Titans want to come out on top and start their season off 2-0, it will be important to get pressure on Brissett. Another cliche saying in football is that everything is won and lost in the trenches, and that is another critical aspect to getting the victory in this contest.
5. Will the Titans jump out to an early lead in the AFC South?
If the Titans win at home on Sunday afternoon, they will be in sole possession of first place in the AFC South. It is very early in the season, but getting off to a 2-0 start would be a surprising wake up call for this division.
Many analysts would have predicted the season to start in the opposite direction, especially with all of the hype around the Browns, and the Colts having Andrew Luck just a month ago.
The Titans are a combined 16-33 against the Colts in their franchises history. It will be interesting to see if the Titans are able to beat a team that has continuously had their number over the years.
