NFL: un duel d’importance – TVA Sports

Finally, the Thursday night duel in the NFL presents a major issue. The Colts and Titans are grappling with who will take command of the South Division of the American Conference.

There were a few Thursday duels that were more entertaining than expected, but with no real consequences. For both the Colts and the Titans, this is the most important game on their calendar to date.

The Titans show a fine 6-2 record, but haven’t beaten any strong contenders except the Bills. The same is true for the Colts, who are looking good with a 5-3 record. Of their five wins, only one came against a team with a winning record, the Bears. And these cannot, for the moment, be seen as serious aspirants.

In short, even as the two rivals struggle to own the top of their division, there is still some proof to be made. This confrontation risks being revealing about the realistic aspirations of these formations.

Opposing forces

What makes this showdown interesting is also that it features contrasting forces.

Colts quarterback Philip Rivers sometimes feels like he’s at the end of his rope. His arm seems to want to drop with the effort and in five of the eight games this season, he was the victim of at least one interception, an issue that was eating away at him in his final months with the Chargers and which did not subside behind. a superior offensive line.

Except that the Titans are ranked 27th against the pass, which should give Rivers an opportunity to look good.

The Titans also struggle to apply pressure. So far, the additions of Vic Beasley (released last week) and Jadeveon Clowney (no bag) have proven to be bitter failures.

The key to the Titans offense remains ground play, which ranks sixth. The Colts will be waiting for Derrick Henry on a firm footing, they who give only 83.6 rushing yards per game (in 3rd place). The addition of tackle DeForest Buckner turned a promising defense into an accomplished defense.

It must be said that they will need it, since in their last meeting, they conceded 149 rushing yards to Henry.

The Colts, despite their defense of several excellent athletes, have not often emerged victorious in the past from wars of physical wear and tear like the one that awaits them. On offense, they’ll need their fullback to dominate and so far rookie forward Jonathan Taylor hasn’t taken that step. The Titans should take a serious option on the division.

The forces involved

• Philip Rivers, Quarterback, 10T, 7 INT, 2,087 yards
• Jonathan Taylor, Demi offensive, 4 T, 416 verges
• Zach Pascal, Wide End, 2 T, 297 yards

• Ryan Tannehill, Quarterback, 19T, 3 INT, 1981 yards
• Derrick Henry, Demi offensive, 8 T, 843 verges
• AJ Brown, Wide End, 6 T, 457 yards

Player to watch

Blackmon is one of the defensive revelations among rookies across the league. He already claims two interceptions in addition to six knockdowns. The Colts’ tertiary was a question mark heading into the season, but holding the third-round pick is one reason the team performed well against the pass. He will play a key role against titans physical receivers AJ Brown and Jonnu Smith.