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    Tennessee Titans 3 Keys to Victory Against Indianapolis Colts in Week 13

    The Tennessee Titans' playoff dreams are hanging by a thread and any paths for those dreams to move forward rest on a victory against the surging Indianapolis Colts in Week 13. The Titans will need to hit these three keys to victory if they hope to keep their home winning streak alive.

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    Tennessee Titans
    Tennessee Titans

    The Tennessee Titans sit at 4-7 on the season and while most consider their playoff chances dead, their five home games and four remaining division games continue to give those inside the building hope they can get into the tournament still.

    Those hopes truly die if the Titans lose to the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. A division loss, a Colts' sweep and eight losses total while snapping their home perfection on the season would be a devastating blow.

    If the Titans want to keep their playoff chances alive, this Week 13 matchup is a must-win. To get victory, the Titans must hit these three keys to victory.

    Stop the Run

    The last time the Titans played the Colts in Week 5, the Colts went for 193 rushing yards. Backup running back turned starter at the time, Zach Moss, went for 165 yards on his own along with two rushing touchdowns. With another injury to starter Jonathan Taylor, Moss is expected to get a heavy workload once again.

    The Titans were without run-stuffing nose tackle Teair Tart in that game, which clearly hurt the run defense, but the Titans aren't out of the woods just because Tart will be on the field. The Colts have an excellent offensive line that is capable of pushing people around.

    If the Titans don't swallow up the Colts run game, Colts' quarterback Gardner Minshew will have easy third downs and the Colts will get in position to get points far more often than the Titans. Something the Titans can't afford.

    Run the Ball

    The Titans ran for four yards per carry on 22 attempts against the Colts in Week 5, but Ryan Tannehill scrambled for 13 yards on one play and Tyjae Spears scored the Titans only touchdown on a 19-yard trick play. Outside of those two attempts, the Titans ran for 58 yards on 20 carries. That is less than three yards per carry.

    Most of that came from Derrick Henry who had 13 carries for only 43 yards. Henry said this week the performance made him cringe and it should have, not just because of the stat line, but what it means for the Titans offense. 

    If the Titans can't get Henry going with some efficiency in the run game, it will be hard for them to have those third and short situations they need to avoid on defense. Henry having a good game here will free up Will Levis in the passing game as well.

    Play a Clean Game

    The Tennessee Titans have found themselves in a nasty pattern of hurting themselves with penalties and turnovers for most of the season. Whether it be drive-extending pass interference calls on defense or mind-numbing pre-snap penalties on offense, the Titans have suffered from self-inflicted wounds too often. 

    The Titans have lost the turnover battle in five games this year. They are 0-5 in those games. If the Titans don't play the cleaner game with penalties and turnovers, they won't beat a Colts team that is better on paper and in the standings.

    • THURSDAY INJURY REPORT: The Tennessee Titans were back out on the practice field on Thursday as they continue their preparation for a Week 13 tilt with the Indianapolis Colts and luckily it came with an upgraded status for their starting quarterback, Will Levis. CLICK HERE
    • 2024 MOCK DRAFT ROUNDUP: The Tennessee Titans are primed for a top-10 pick in the upcoming NFL draft and it is the time of year where we start to see mock drafts really pick up. So, let's take a look at what a few recent mocks have the Titans doing with their first pick. CLICK HERE
    • TAYLOR OUT FOR COLTS: The Tennessee Titans face the Indianapolis Colts this week and it looks like the visitors could be without one of their best players as running back Jonathan Taylor appears to have a serious hand injury. CLICK HERE
    • PETER SKORONSKI RECOGNIZED: The Tennessee Titans' offensive line has struggled this season, but one standout has been rookie left guard Peter Skoronski. Despite adversity, Skoronski has shown flashes and landed on ESPN's "All-Youngster" team. CLICK HERE
    • KEY CREDITS LEVIS' LEADERSHIP: The Tennessee Titans got a much-needed victory over the Carolina Panthers in Week 12 and according to edge rusher Arden Key, the team was rallied by rookie quarterback Will Levis, who gave a speech to the team prior to the game. CLICK HERE
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