NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – NOVEMBER 08: Mario Edwards Jr. #97 of the Chicago Bears reaches out for Ryan Tannehill #17 of the Tennessee Titans during the second quarter at Nissan Stadium on November 08, 2020 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty Images)
Half of the NFL’s 14 contests this week are divisional match-ups.
The Pittsburgh Steelers remain the league’s lone unbeaten club while the New York Jets are all alone at the opposite end of the spectrum. The second half of 2020 begins in earnest this week as all 32 clubs have taken the field at least eight times and the grades are in. There are seven more divisional clashes this week, including a pair of rematches at Charlotte and MetLife Stadium. And it’s worth noting that the club that won the first meeting this year has completed the sweep five times out of seven outings.
NOTE: All times ET
Thursday, Nov. 12
Indianapolis Colts (5-3) at Tennessee Titans (6-2), 8:20 pm
Colts: A year ago, the Colts and Titans traded wins – with both teams prevailing on the road. All told, Indianapolis has owned this series for the most part as the club has prevailed in 27 of the last 34 clashes dating back to 2003 (14-4 since 2011). This season, Frank Reich’s 5-3 team is right in the thick of the playoff race but the inconsistent play of quarterback Philip Rivers at times has spoiled the efforts of the league’s top-ranked defensive unit. The veteran signal-caller has thrown for just 10 scores compared to seven picks. And the early-season loss of Marlon Mack has been felt as rookie Jonathan Taylor, who leads the club with 416 rushing yards, has yet to hit his stride.
Titans: A year ago, the Titans opened 0-4, made a quarterback change and then Ryan Tannehill and running back Derrick Henry carried the load on the way to an eventual 9-7 finish and appearance in the AFC title game. This season, the team opened with five consecutive wins and once again it was more about the offense than Mike Vrabel’s shaky defense. Hence, Tennessee has allowed at least 30 points in exactly half of their eight contests but managed to win three of those games. The club’s less-than-impressive run defense (17th in the NFL) has made life easier for opposing quarterbacks as well. Vrabel’s defenders have surrendered 19 TD passes in eight contests.