Indianapolis Colts @ Tennessee Titans Preview

by Jimmy on Oct 10, 2009 9:51 PM CDT in Previews Comment 6 comments

The keys to this game are pretty simple. The Titans secondary has been bad at full strength, and now they are decimated by injuries. Cortland Finnegan says he is ready to go, but I have serious doubts that he will be out there. Can you imagine how excited Peyton Manning is at the prospects of facing an 87-year old Nick Harper on one side and a 6th round rookie on the other? I am scared that this could get ugly.

The Colts offense has struggled on the ground so far this season (84 yards per game 29th), which makes the numbers that Peyton has put up all the more impressive. The Indy offense used to be so dangerous because of the play action fake, but that threat has been pretty much nullified with the rushing struggles. Hopefully Chris Hope and Michael Griffin will keep that in mind and play their assignments.

So the key for the Titans will be to keep Peyton and company on the sidelines. This would be another great game to get back to the smash mouth mentality that Jeff Fisher football teams usually show. But, as the Dolphins showed earlier this season, even if you do that you still have to score touchdowns when you get the chance. If I were Jeff Fisher, I would not even attempt a field goal in this game unless it was a potential game winner with time expiring.

The Colts will likely load the box in order to shut down such an attack, so this game may well wind up in the hands of Kerry Collins. No matter which side you come down on in the KC vs. VY debate, you have to admit that Collins has struggled mightily this season. Hopefully he will have his full compliment of tight ends available in this game for the first time this season. No better time than a nationally televised game for Jared Cook to have his coming out party.

I will be at the game screaming my head off with The Hater. I am hopeful that this can be the game that turns the season around, but I have serious doubts that it will happen. Between now and then we need everyone to pray that Finny is ready to go.

There will be an open thread up Sunday morning to discuss the games that take place during the day.

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Thanks Titans

I just woke up…..messing around on the net…..and I realize I’m already in a zombie-like depression state thinking about how embarrassed and pissed I’m probably getting ready to feel tonight…….the Titans have zapped all my sunday energy away……thanks…..

i remember how excited I was all day before last years big primetime game against the colts….that was one of the best days of the year last year……excited all day….just knew we were going to win…..and the game didn’t let us down….31-21 win in what was suppose to be the passing of the torch in who controlled the division…..

that couldn’t be any further from the truth today….the colts are on top of the division, with a huge lead….the titans are looking more old and lost by the game…..ugh……

I wonder if not watching any nfl games this afternoon will pick me up from this titans-induced depression……

by zackmann on Oct 11, 2009 8:47 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Nice post, that sums my feelings up pretty well too. When I got the tickets for tonight’s game this summer, I was so looking forward to it. Now….well I’ll go in with my head held high, wearing Titans blue and hoping that last year’s defense shows up, but secretly fearing that the Colts are going to hang a bunch of points on the Titans.

What a difference a year makes.

by ky_titans on Oct 11, 2009 9:21 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Colts Injury News:

Bob Sanders and LT Charlie Johnson made the flight down to the game. CB Marlin Jackson did not so is out along with CB Kelvin Hayden and Anthony Gonzalez.

The Colts have only 3 CBs (one of which is primarily a returner) in town today. They have 5 safeties counting Bob. I’d expect some interesting looks from the secondary to cover for that.

Luck is probability taken personally, clutch is probability attributed to individuals.

by shake n bake on Oct 11, 2009 10:40 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Should make for a high scoring game

with both secondaries in weakened conditions. It’s hard to imagine Kerry out-dueling Manning in a passing battle, so I agree that the odds look long. But, I’m still watching the game in a hopeful way. If we do find a way to pull it out, that would have to be one of the greatest morale boosters in years. Disaster or miracle, either way, this could be one of those games we talk about for years. It could either kill the season or turn it around. But, hey, no pressure.

by JimR on Oct 11, 2009 11:04 AM CDT via mobile up reply actions 0 recs