Stampede Blue
It is no secret that the success of the Titans’ defensive line rests mostly on Simmons’ shoulders. We are talking about a player that already has 10 pressures through two games, and that can take over games entirely on his own. The Colts’ interior offensive line played well in the first two games, with Tanor Bortolini now under center, but they will be facing their toughest test by far with Simmons in front. You cannot stop a guy like Simmons, you can only hope to contain him enough that he does not wreck your game plan.
Buckner is not at the level of Simmons, but he is still a force to be reckoned with on the inside, and he has the advantage of a much easier matchup in front of him. Titans’ center Lloyd Cushenberry has struggled to start the season and starting right guard Kevin Zeitler is dealing with a bicep injury. The Titans’ bright spot on the interior is Peter Skoronski, who has followed up an impressive rookie season with a good start so far. Ward likes to move a lot in the pocket, so interior pressure will not affect him as much as other quarterbacks, but the key here will be erasing the run game and forcing a high number of throws from the rookie signal-caller.
“Ward does the same wild things that Levis did, only that they are working”. That is a common theme on Titans’ Twitter (I refuse to call it X, sue me) so far, and I have found that going through what the other team’s fans are posting is usually a good scouting report. Anarumo has been dialing up some creative pressures, and while last game against the Broncos was tough for the defense, understanding the context is important on a game where the Colts were without Laiatu Latu, and even more important, without Charvarius Ward, playing against probably the best pass-blocking unit in the NFL. I expect a bounce-back performance from the Colts’ defense on Sunday.
Ridley is leading the Titans in targets thus far, and if the gameplan goes accordingly then there is a decent chance that Ward will be forced to throw to his #1 receiver more often than not. The Colts are familiar with Ridley after his tenure with the Jaguars, and have done a decent job keeping him in check in the past. All signs point to Ward being available to play after being out with a concussion last week, and he will most likely be shadowing Ridley throughout the game. Ward winning the battle against him would be massive for the Colts’ chances of defensive success.
Davante Adams and Puka Nacua combined for 14 catches, 197 yards, and a touchdown against the Titans last week. L’Jarius Sneed and Jarvis...
