Colts Dance into Music City

Last week the Indianapolis Colts looked like a machine on both sides of the ball as they romped the New Orleans Saints.  Everyone expects that from the offense.  Will the defense be able to sustain last week’s play as they go to Nashville to battle the Tennessee Titans?

The Colts offense is the Colts offense.  There is no doubt the Colts offense is as potent and explosive as ever, with Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne and the ringmaster, Peyton Manning.  The Colts running game was complete, as well, as Joseph Addai racked up 118 yards on 23 carries and a score.

Against the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Titans looked impressive on defense, allowing only thirteen first downs, seventy-five yards rushing, and one hundred ninety yards passing.  Factor in three sacks and a recovered fumble, and the defense played as well as any in week one.  Of course, Jacksonville isn’t very strong on offense with David Garrard looking so-so in his debut as permanent starter and the Jaguars possessing a rather mediocre receiving corps.  Fred Taylor was rendered a non-factor by the Titans, but age is catching up with Taylor, and he is not the premier back most considered him to be at one time in his career.

The Titans are a very unbalanced unit offensively, as they blistered an average-at-best Jacksonville defense for two hundred and eighty-two rushing yards, including one hundred seventy-five from a slightly above average Chris Brown.  He won’t torch the Colts defense that way Sunday, as the Colts demonstrated an effective amount of speed and power in shutting down Reggie Bush and Deuce McAllister.

Vince Young is not breaking out as the outstanding NFL quarterback many expect.  In week one, he threw only eighteen times, completing eleven passes for a mere seventy-eight yards.  One could argue Young’s lack of a passing threat was due to the success of the running game, as it makes sense to keep the ball on the ground to reduce the risk of turnovers when the ground attack is so potent.  One could also argue Norm Chow doesn’t trust Young enough as a passer, thus causing the team to rely on the running game while maintaining a rather low expectation that Young merely ‘doesn’t mess up’.

The last time these two teams met last year, the Titans defeated the Colts 20-17.  Tennessee may have the home-field advantage, but the Colts offense is too strong and their defense has the potential to easily shut down a middle tier offense like that of the Titans.  This week will not see a repeat of last season’s upset, as the Colts win this South Division battle, 31-17.
Greg Stephens is an analyst for ProFootballNet.Com