By Sean Salisbury
Special to ESPN.com
Assuming he is recovered from his concussion, George could have the bigger impact on this game. He will have to run well for the Tennessee Titans to win.
The difference between George and James is this: Regardless of what front Indianapolis plays on defense, the Titans will still give George the ball. On the other hand, if the Titans defense plays eight or nine players close to the line of scrimmage, the Colts will throw the ball to Marvin Harrison. George will get 25-30 carries.
The defenses will focus on taking away the running game, but the Titans also will throw the ball around five times to George, who has improved as a receiver. He has been red-hot the latter part of the season, gaining more than 100 yards in two of his last three games. Because of the Titans' more conservative offensive approach, I think his impact could be the difference in the game.
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By Merril Hoge
Special to ESPN.com
Edgerrin James completes the Indianapolis Colts offense. If he has a good game and runs effectively, he creates damage in the passing game.
James will pull the safety up close to the line of scrimmage. The way he runs the football, he also has the ability to hold the linebackers. The Colts will then come back with a lot of crossing routes off play-action instead of going deep. The safeties will take away the crossing routes, creating a void in the secondary for the passing game to flourish.
James already runs like an NFL veteran. He is very smart in his reads. He is patient with his blocks and disciplined at the line of scrimmage. If he runs well, he will keep the Titans off balance. If they cannot contain James, the Colts will score a lot of points and control and dictate the tempo of the game. If he doesn't have a big game, the Titans can force the Colts to be one-dimensional and get after Peyton Manning. |
