The NFL’s Week 10 Thursday night matchup will be between the Indianapolis Colts and the Tennessee Titans. Kickoff is set for 8:20 pm ET at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn.
These two teams are going to get familiar with each other, as they are set to play again just two weeks after this one. Those two games will have a big impact on who wins the AFC South.
It seems to be a two-team race, as Tennessee currently has a one-game lead over the Colts. Tennessee is 6-2 on the year, and Indianapolis is 5-3.
Jacksonville (1-7) and Houston (2-6) are the other two teams in the division. Both seem to have no hopes of reaching the postseason.
Key for the Colts: Quarterback Play
It is evident that the Colts have a good enough defense to compete for a Super Bowl. However, Philip Rivers is struggling this season.
The Colts brought him in a season after losing Andrew Luck, hoping to compete with the team they built for the Stanford quarterback. Rivers has thrown for 10 touchdowns on the year but has added seven interceptions.
The Colts’ last game against the Ravens went poorly for Rivers. He struggled with his accuracy for the entire game, throwing one costly interception.
To help him out for this game, they need a good running game. Rookie Jonathan Taylor is the lead back as he has 416 yards and four rushing touchdowns.
The Colts’ defense is there, but their offense will decide whether or not they can compete with the Titans.
King Henry
It’s hard to discuss the Titans and not talk about Derrick Henry. The former Alabama running back has been a beast for this team. This season, he has 843 yards and eight touchdowns rushing.
However, he is coming off a game against Chicago, where he struggled more than usual. In games where the run game is lacking, the Titans have been relying on AJ Brown, who is having a terrific season.
Brown has become Ryan Tannehill’s favorite target, with six receiving touchdowns on the year. He had one against Chicago and went for over 100 yards receiving.
The Colts will have to stop him from being effective to stay in this one.
Prediction
This game will largely come down to whether or not the Colts can slow down Henry and Brown. Their offense can’t seem to put up too many points, but if they hold the Titans to only a few scores, they have a chance.
Rivers will have to limit his turnovers. It won’t be much of a game if Henry and the Tennessee offense can take advantage of great field position off the offense’s mistakes for the Colts.
The Titans are the slight favorite at -2. I don’t think the Colts offense will be able to match what Tennessee brings. Rivers doesn’t seem to be what the Colts need under center to compete for a Super Bowl.
I’m taking the Titans to cover the spread.