The Indianapolis Colts have beaten the Tennessee Titans six times in a row and 41 times in 63 head-to-head meetings. They outscored them 69-34 last season, and those games could've been way more lopsided.
That's why watching the Titans commit over $300 million in free agency might alter the power dynamics once and for all. Not only did they add two experienced coaches in Robert Saleh (head coach) and Brian Daboll (offensive coordinator), but they also gave their prized former No. 1 pick Cam Ward a ton of weapons on both sides of the field.
The Titans used to be two scheduled wins for the Colts, and that's not going to be the case anymore. The AFC South is about to be one of the most competitive divisions in professional football, and Saleh's team will be a team to keep an eye on going forward.
The Titans revamped their roster in one offseason (and that's a problem for the Indianapolis Colts)
Cam Ward showed signs of strong play in his first year, but he didn't have a true WR1. Calvin Ridley missed ten games, and tight end Chig Okonkwo led the team with 560 receiving yards. Now, he'll have Wan'Dale Robinson, who has posted better numbers each year he's been in the league and is already familiar with Brian Daboll's offense.
They also gave him a new star center in Austin Schlottmann, who drew the tenth-highest Pro Football Focus grade last season. His 77.0 pass-block grade was also the fourth-best among 40 eligible centers.
More than that, the Titans went to great lengths to fix their bottom-feeding defense. They gave up the fourth-most points per game (28.1) and the eleventh-most total yards per game (362.9). Robert Saleh is a defensive genius known for his ability to patch things up with his personnel, regardless of injuries or who's out there.
The Titans bolstered the defense with the additions of John Franklin-Myers, Alontae Taylor, and Cordale Flott. They also reunited Saleh with a strong contributor from his elite San Francisco 49ers defense in Jordan Elliott.
Of course, they still need to show that all these additions are what they needed to get back on track for the first time since Mike Vrabel left. That said, we've seen how much of an impact a new coaching staff can have overnight.
The Colts can only hope that Saleh does as well in Music City as they did in his previous head-coaching stop. On paper, however, this team will be much tougher to beat in 2026, especially given the lack of big moves in Indianapolis.