Colts: 3 ways Indy has proven they’re better than Tennessee

2. More Balanced Offense

Any way you look at it, the Colts have the more balanced offense.

We wouldn’t dream of slandering Titans running back Derrick Henry, who is unsurprisingly leading the league with 1,079 rushing yards. However, he also ranks first in total carries (229) by a wide margin, which brings us to our next point: Tennessee’s over-reliance on him.

It’s obviously easier said than done, but getting out to a fast start against the Titans essentially makes it impossible for them to grind out drives and exhaust opposing defenses by peppering Henry with carries. We have tremendous respect for how quarterback Ryan Tannehill has turned his career around since coming over to Tennessee, but if you asked us if we’d rather him or Henry beat us, we’d side with the latter every time.

That’s a vital flaw and it simply can’t be found on the Colts’ well-balanced offense as long as Philip Rivers is taking care of the football. What makes the group such a headache to prepare for is that you never know which playmaker is going to be featured.

In the run game, one of Jonathan Taylor, Nyheim Hines or Jordan Wilkins — all of whom have different skillsets — could steal the show. Through the air, we’ve seen the likes of Michael Pittman Jr., Zach Pascal, Trey Burton, Mo Alie-Cox, TY Hilton and Marcus Johnson all come through in different games.

Indianapolis has proven this season that they can adjust on the fly and beat teams either by running or throwing the football, and that gives them a distinct edge in the debate of who reigns supreme in the AFC South.