Week 11 of the NFL season kicks off tonight as the Tennessee Titans host the Indianapolis Colts. Ian Eagle, Trent Green and sideline reporter Rocky Boiman will have all the action from Nashville beginning at 8 PM Eastern. For a preview of the game, Trent Green filed this report:
Colt-cocked:
It’s pretty hard to fathom how a division-leading team got beat at home 38-8 as the Colts did on Sunday against St. Louis. So what happened? I would guess they just got a little relaxed. They were coming off two big wins: the huge win at home against Denver in the big game everyone was talking about and then the following week the come-from-behind win against Houston on the road. After those big, high-profile triumphs there must’ve been a bit of a letdown. St. Louis has been playing really good defense and forced four Indianapolis turnovers, when the Colts only had seven all season coming into the game. When you combine turnovers with a little bit of a relaxed attitude, things can go badly very fast.
From Harvard to Nashville:
With Jake Locker out for the season, Ryan Fitzpatrick is back in at quarterback for the Titans – but I’m not sure you’ll see a big difference from Tennessee. Ryan isn’t as mobile as Jake, so you’ll see more throws down the field as Ryan feels more comfortable staying in the pocket. Look for the Titans to stretch the field more, but they still need to get better balance with the running game. This is a must-win game for the Titans. You don’t want to fall a couple games behind Indianapolis ahead of a stretch of three straight road games at Oakland, at the Colts and at Denver, so they can’t lose this one at home.
Indy’s X-Factor:
Andrew Luck is the face of this Colts franchise on offense, and on the defensive side of the ball it’s Robert Mathis. With 13.5 sacks, he’s leading the league and he’s put his stamp on that side of the ball. One other guy that could play a huge part in any success the Colts have down the stretch and potentially into the postseason is going to be T.Y. Hilton. Since Reggie Wayne tore his ACL, it’s been nice to see Hilton step up. He really stretches the field and is averaging more than 16 yards a catch. His speed and ability to get in and out of routes definitely makes him the go-to guy. The Colts still need to get Trent Richardson and the running game going, but as far as an impact player not named Luck or Mathis, Hilton is your guy.
– Trent Green
Former NFL quarterback Trent Green is the analyst for Thursday Night Football on WestwoodOne. Tonight, he’ll be alongside Ian Eagle for the call as the Indianapolis Colts visit the Tennessee Titans. Coverage begins at 8 PM Eastern on WestwoodOne.
