The Indianapolis Colts (6-5) will face the Tennessee Titans (4-7) at Nissan Stadium this Sunday in an important AFC South matchup. The Colts are trying to keep their playoff chances alive, while the Titans hope to stay undefeated at home with a fifth win.
Indianapolis enters Week 13 with some momentum after winning their last three games and rejoining the AFC playoff race. Head coach Shane Steichen has his team executing on both sides of the ball, giving the Colts a great opportunity to sweep Tennessee in 2023. The Titans' season has been more up-and-down as they are 4-0 at home and 0-7 on the road. The Tennessee defense is inconsistent and rookie quarterback Will Levis remains a developmental project.
This a big game for Indianapolis' postseason dreams so here's what the Colts need to do to leave Tennessee with a win.
3. Don't be afraid to let Gardner Minshew air it out against the Titans
The Colts offense has been humming this season — averaging the eighth-most points per game in the league — even after 2023 No. 4 overall pick Anthony Richardson suffered a season-ending injury when Indianapolis and Tennessee met in Week 5. However, Steichen and current starting quarterback Gardner Minshew have room to be more aggressive.
Indianapolis ranks near the bottom of the league in yards per pass attempt and Minshew has only averaged 6.6 in 2023 as his throws skew towards short, quick routes. While Minshew doesn't have an elite deep ball, the Colts should still focus more on the vertical passing game for two reasons.
First, the Tennessee secondary has been vulnerable at times this year as starting cornerback Kristian Fulton and rotational DB Elijah Molden have struggled when they've been targeted. Second, the greatest strength of the Titans’ defense might be their pass rush, which just decimated the Carolina Panthers to the tune of four sacks and nine tackles for loss. A good way to keep defenders off-balance and exploit pressure is by taking shots down the field to force the defense to play more conservatively.