Following an 0-2 start, the Titans got their first victory of the season vs the Raiders last Sunday. Tennessee looks to continue their success as they go on the road to face the division rival Colts this Sunday.
Despite the poor start, a win would get them back to .500 and 1-0 in the division. It would drop the Colts to 0-1-2 in the division as well, which will be crucial at the end of the season if tiebreakers are needed.
While nobody is mistaking the Colts for the ’72 Dolphins, it will be a good test for the Titans. Despite the Jaguars being 2-1 and the Texans tying with the Colts in Week 1, the Titans and Colts are the class of this division. The winner of the division will likely be between these two teams and with a win, the Titans take a large step toward it being them.
Colts Owner Jim Irsay is doing all he can to get a loud environment on Sunday via Twitter.
This will be a big measuring stick for how the Titans’ season will go. Not just for the divisional race, but outside the division as well. A win would mean the Titans would be 2-2 before going on the road for a second straight away game to play Washington. After Washington, they get a bye week before welcoming the Colts back for a rematch in Nashville. If the Titans are able to sweep the Colts and get to 4-2 and 2-0 in the division, things would look drastically different from the 0-2 start to the season.
On the flip side, a loss sends the Titans back home with a 1-3 record, as well as 0-1 in the division. That would be pretty bad given their rough November schedule of at Kansas City, home vs Denver, at Green Bay on Thursday night, and home vs Cincinnati.
While the Broncos and Bengals don’t look as great as many thought they would at this point, the Titans would still be doing well to go 2-2 in November.
That means with a loss this week to the Colts, the Titans are looking at being 6-5 at best going into December. That would mean beating the Commanders and Colts at home and the Texans on the road, along with going 2-2 in November.
The December schedule isn’t a cakewalk by any means either. They start at Philadelphia, home against the rising Jaguars, and at the Chargers. The Titans finish with Houston at home, Dallas at home, and the Jaguars on the road.
It may seem dramatic in week four but this week could be described as a must-win. With a loss this week, the Titans’ season could snowball downhill like a North Dakota blizzard. Simply put, there won’t be much room for error moving forward with a loss.
With a win, it will be a sigh of relief more than anything else. It will allow Titans players and coaches to relax a bit with a winnable game at Washington and a bye upcoming. It will be a much-needed boost of confidence for everyone in the organization.
If they head into the bye 3-2 everyone will take that and the Titans will still have all the lofty preseason goals in front of them. If they go into the bye 2-3 or worse, full-on panic mode will hit and people will be calling for offensive coordinator Todd Downing to be fired more than they already were after being 0-2. This week should be exciting for Titans fans to see what their team is made of on the road in a divisional battle.
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