Last Updated on December 8, 2010 3:08 pm by Anthony Rome
Colts vs. Titans Preview
Nashville, TN (AP) – As bad as Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts have looked over the past few weeks, the team is still in control of its playoff destiny.
The same is no longer true for the struggling Tennessee Titans.
Hoping to put another awful performance behind him, Manning looks to help the Colts avoid their first four-game losing streak in nine years Thursday night in their first meeting of the season with the Titans, another AFC South team that is slumping following a fast start.
According to latest NFL odds, oddsmakers from online sports book SBGGLOBAL.com have made the Colts 3-point spread favorites for Thursday’s game against Titans. Current NFL Public Betting Information shows that 91% of more than 20,268 bets for this game have been placed on Colts -3.
After leading the division with a 6-3 record through Week 10, Indianapolis (6-6) has lost three straight to drop one-game back of first-place Jacksonville. While a wild-card berth seems unlikely, the Colts still have a chance to win the South with two games remaining against Tennessee and a home game left against the Jaguars. If Indianapolis and Jacksonville finish with the same record, the Colts would win the tiebreaker and earn a ninth straight playoff berth because they have a better record against common opponents.
“It’s pretty simple. All we have to do is look at what we do at this time of year,” Indianapolis coach Jim Caldwell said. “We have to be able to string four together in order to get that done. I don’t think there’s anything more plain than that.”
The Titans (5-7) also could make the playoffs by winning their final four games, but also need outside help.
Tennessee opened the season 5-2 for an early division lead, but a five-game losing streak has the team reeling.
“We can’t lick our wounds for too long,” defensive tackle Jovan Haye said after Sunday’s 17-6 loss to Jacksonville. “We’ve got the Colts on Thursday. Five-game losing streak. The only way to stop the bleeding is to win the game.”
The Titans have lost their last three games against the Colts, with Manning passing for five touchdowns and one interception.
The four-time league MVP has not been close to being that efficient lately.
Manning has 11 interceptions during Indianapolis’ three-game skid, and has thrown four picks in back-to-back weeks for the first time. Of the four interceptions he threw in Sunday’s 38-35 overtime loss to Dallas, two were returned for touchdowns and another set up the winning field goal.
Manning now faces a Tennessee defense tied for eighth in the league with 15 interceptions.
“I don’t make any excuses,” said Manning, who also has passed for eight touchdowns in the last three games. “I’m continuing to throw, I’ll keep throwing. I hope I throw it to our guys.”
Manning is being forced to throw because the Colts, who haven’t lost four in a row since a five-game skid in 2001, have essentially abandoned the ground game with Joseph Addai sidelined since Oct. 17 because of a nerve injury in his left shoulder.
Indianapolis is averaging 54.6 yards rushing and 3.0 per carry over the last five games, and Addai’s availability is uncertain for Thursday.
“Obviously, we have to throw to move the ball right now,” Manning said. “I think we know that right now. When we do move it, that’s how we’re doing it.”
The Colts, however, might find some success moving the ball on the ground against a Titans team that is allowing an average of 159.4 rushing yards during its losing streak, fourth-worst in the NFL since Oct. 31. Tennessee also yielded an opponent season-high 258 yards on the ground last Sunday.
Despite their run defense woes, the Titans’ biggest problems stem from a sputtering offense.
Tennessee has totaled six points in its last two games and has gone 13 quarters without an offensive touchdown. It’s last offensive score came in the third quarter of a 29-17 loss to Miami on Nov. 14.
“We have to play perfect right now, and we’re not doing that,” Titans coach Jeff Fisher said. “We’re going to continue to work on it. We’ve gone quarters and quarters without scoring a touchdown. That’s got to change.”
One thing that likely won’t change is Tennessee’s quarterback.
Veteran Kerry Collins returned Sunday after missing two games with a calf injury and is expected to start again. This will be the first time the Titans have had a quarterback start consecutive games since Vince Young, now on injured reserve, beat Dallas and Jacksonville in Weeks 5 and 6.
“We have got to face the facts,” said Collins, who 14 of 32 for 169 yards with two interceptions against the Jaguars. “We have got to face reality. We are not doing what we need to do to put the ball in the end zone. The only thing I know how to do is just come back and work at it and fight and try to get it done the next time we play.”
Chris Johnson has run for just 58 yards in the last two games, but could have better luck against an Indianapolis defense that has allowed an average of 171.3 rushing yards during its slide.
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