The Indianapolis Colts must feel pretty good about their health because they released Darius Slayton even though the team has struggled with wide receiver injuries this season. Not so much in Week 6, even though Ashton Dulin (hamstring) is going to be out and Alec Pierce still is. The positive is that Indy has a bye week, also known as having a matchup against the Tennessee Titans.
Besides Dulin, the only Indy player who will miss the game, according to head coach Shane Steichen, is linebacker Jaylon Carlies (ribs), but both Carlies and Dulin missed Week 5, and the reason the team lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers had nothing to do with the absences of Dulin and Carlies. The reason was that the defense was terrible again.
Therein lies the difference between the Steelers and the Titans, as no matter how bad Indy's defense can be at times, Tennessee doesn't have the offensive talent that Pittsburgh has.
Indianapolis Colts should be healthy enough to easily defeat the Tennessee Titans in Week 6
The Titans are 31st in the NFL in yards per play (4.5), last in points scored (58), 28th in quarterback rating (77.2), and 27th in rushing yards per game (82.6). Unless Indianapolis was without defensive lineman DeForest Buckner, cornerbacks Sauce Gardner and Charvarius Ward, and most other good starters, Indianapolis should be able to outscore Tennessee easily.
And Buckner, Ward, and Gardner are healthy and will play in Week 6. The Titans haven't beaten Indianapolis since October 2022, a stretch of six straight wins for the Colts, and Indy has no excuse for not making that seven straight victories at Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday.
Injuries won't be a problem for the Colts, at least heading into the game. Tennessee won't have starting safety Kevin Winston Jr., but otherwise they are mostly healthy. They just don't have a lot of talent. They haven't defeated any AFC South team since January 2024, and if that changes against the Colts in Week 6, Indianapolis needs to make some immediate changes.
Ultimately, Sunday should be a get-healthy game for the Indianapolis Colts as far as record and standing in the division. When all else is going on, at least Indianapolis can count on two wins every season against the dismal Tennessee Titans.
As for Alec Pierce, no timeline exists for when he might return after reinjuring his heel. That might not happen until midseason, and the Colts will probably have far tougher games than the Titans before Pierce comes back.
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