The Indianapolis Colts head into a division matchup against the Tennessee Titans riding a three-game winning streak. However, the last time the Colts won in Tennessee was in 2020 when Jacoby Brissett was the QB in Indianapolis. This week Gardner Minshew looks to keep the winning going.
Even though Tennessee enters the game with a 4-7 record, they are coming off a victory against the Carolina Panthers. Even though they made the switch from Ryan Tannehill to rookie Will Levis, there hasn’t been much of a change. The starting quarterback’s production is just about identical.
| Ryan Tannehill | Will Levis | |
| Record | 2-4 | 2-3 |
| Points Scored | 17.3 | 16.2 |
| First Downs | 17.2 | 16.2 |
| Passing Offense | 173 | 191 |
| Rushing Offense | 110 | 93.6 |
Something else to watch in this game is the play by Levis. Before the draft, many wanted the Colts to select him. Even he wasn’t sure if the Colts were going to select him or Anthony Richardson. Regardless, Indianapolis needs to win this game if it wants to stay in the playoff race.
Here are four bold predictions for the Indianapolis Colts vs. Tennessee.
Will Levis passes for 250 yards, two TDs, and an interception
Levis will showcase his skills and the exact reason why fans were excited and wanted him in Indianapolis. He entered the draft with a reputation for having a big strong arm and being a leader. He also came with a lack of pocket awareness. So far, these traits have been on display. As previously mentioned, it hasn’t come with the best results.
This game will be mixed results for him and the Titans. There will be many plays where his lack of pocket awareness results in a sack. Even some plays that result in a strip sack. Then there will be others where he’s willing to take a hit while delivering a strike. In the end, this won’t be a week where Levis is turnover-free. He will, however, exceed 250 passing yards for the second time in his career.
Zack Moss rushes for 100 yards, catches four passes
Just when things were looking like the Colts offense was going to be operating at almost full strength, Jonathan Taylor had thumb surgery and is out for the next 2-3 weeks. Usually, when a star player goes down the team suffers some kind of drop-off in production. This hasn’t entirely been the case.
At the beginning of the season, Taylor was on the PUP list recovering from his ankle injury, allowing Zack Moss the opportunity to be the feature back. He crushed this chance as the offense had little drop-off from Taylor to Moss. However, Taylor eventually returned and supplanted Moss as the team’s starter. But now Moss will get another shot as he faces the 13th-ranked rushing defense.
Jaylon Jones holds DeAndre Hopkins to under 30 receiving yards
The last time DeAndre Hopkins faced off against the Colts he turned 11 targets into eight catches for 140 yards. His ability to run great routes and find the soft spot in the defense has been a problem against opposing defenses. This week he’ll find success to be more elusive.
Over the last four weeks, the Colts pass defense has allowed an average of 208 passing yards and generated at least two turnovers a game. There’s no doubt that Kenny Moore has stepped up his level of play. But rookie seventh-round pick Jaylon Jones has been a huge bright spot for the team as well.
He’s played in 11 games, starting five of them, and in that time he’s compiled 22 total tackles 17 solo, and two pass deflections. He’s also allowing a 55% completion rate, an average of 8.9 yards per completion, and two touchdowns. This week he has his best game and holds Hopkins to under 30 yards receiving for the third time this season.
Tyjae Spears rushes for 30 yards and catches six passes
Derrick Henry is still Tennessee’s lead back. However, his production has been waning this season. But Tennessee has a capable running back behind Henry in Tyjae Spears.
The third-round pick out of Tulane has been in 11 games, totaling 50 rushes for 254 yards, 5.4 yards per carry, and a touchdown. While also catching 29 passes for 179 yards, 6.2 yards per catch. This dual threat out of the Tennessee backfield is something that hasn’t been seen as long as Henry has been the starter.
This week will be no different with Henry starting again. However, there will be something that evokes painful memories of the past for the Colts. Small-in-stature running backs with the ability to catch passes have long been a thorn in their side. Spears is listed at 5-foot-10 and 200 pounds. So while he’s not a Darren Sproles or Austin Ekeler in size, Spears is still smaller than the 6-foot-3 247-pound Henry.
The Colts’ much-improved pass defense will impact Levis, Hopkins, and the ability to pass deep. It will force Tennessee to check it down with much more frequency and this will result in Spears taking full advantage. As he catches six passes for 70 yards and a touchdown, while routinely having Colts fans screaming for someone to stop him.