Tennessee offense vs. Indianapolis defense

	TITANS OFFENSE
	Ranking in the NFL:
	Run	13
	Pass	17
	Tot. Yds.	15
	Scoring	7
	Int's allowed	13
	Sacks allowed	26
	COLTS DEFENSE
	Ranking in the NFL:
	vs. Run	17
	vs. Pass	18
	Total yds. allowed	16
	# of Ints.	10
	# of Sacks	41
	Turnover differential	-5

The Titans must be able to run the football to stay in this game. In last week's miracle victory over the Bills, Eddie George was able to rush for 106 yards on 29 carries, and the team will need even more production from the back this week as they take on an Indianapolis team that is capable of scoring in bunches.

Tennessee is going to have to find a way to get FB Lorenzo Neal in the lineup for more plays from scrimmage. The team has felt that their play calling becomes too predictable with Neal in the game and have turned to a lot more double tight end sets instead. Still, the bottom line is that Neal is one of the top isolation blockers in the league, and the Titans found a way to disguise their offensive play calling in the middle of the season, when Neal was an integral part of the offense.

Furthermore, the Colts are going to be without OLB Cornelius Bennett, who led the team in tackles and is the spiritual leader of this unit. Expect the Titans to run downhill, strong side frequently to take advantage of Bertrand Berry, who makes his first start in three years. The Colts are giving up 107.2 yards on the ground this season, and, without Bennett in the lineup, it is going to force the team to overcompensate at the safety position, forcing Jason Belser and Chad Cota to play more active in run support.

A strong Titan running attack early in the game will cause some problems in coverage for the Colts, as they would be forced to play more aggressive in the secondary. The Titan passing game is not a real threat to the Colts, although they have shown an ability to exploit teams that are loading up against the run.

Last week was a good example of how Tennessee can stay in a game without throwing the ball very much, provided they don't make mistakes and turn the ball over. While QB Steve McNair threw for only 76 yards, his lone interception was a batted ball that was not costly, and their defense rested as Tennessee ran their way to an eleven minute time of possession advantage.

Obviously, Tennessee needs McNair to have a better game against Indianapolis, and he should get better after getting his first postseason start out of the way. Regardless, the Titans belief that their defense is good enough to win ball games without offensive fireworks remains intact.

The Colts are a bit concerned on defense because of some of the matchups they are faced with in the passing game, but realize that they are winning games because their defense is allowed to gamble. The key for the Colts is going to be to get out to an early lead so that the Titans are forced to throw the ball, allowing Indianapolis to take some risks to generate a pass rush.

One apprehension for the Colts secondary is that they'll not only be involved in run support, but also in coverage of H-back Frank Wycheck. Wycheck is not a great speed receiver, but his size creates mismatches for defenses because he is too fast for linebackers to stay with, and he can bully most NFL sateties.

SS Chad Cota will be responsible for keying on Wycheck off the line of scrimmage. If Wycheck stays in to block, Bishop knows that he needs to either help in run support or come on the blitz. However, if Wycheck breaks downfield with the snap, Cota will pick up the H-back in coverage. This makes for some interesting defensive sets and schemes, but the biggest key is going to be Cota's discipline, as the safety cannot afford to get caught up at the line of scrimmage in this type of scheme.

During the first ten games of the season, QB Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison connected for 12 touchdowns, seven of which were more than 24 yards. In the last six games, Harrison has been kept out of the endzone and his per-catch average dropped from 15.3 yards to 13.2.

The best way to combat this defensive scheme will be to get better production out of the No.3 receiver (Terrence Wilkins and E.G. Green) and the tight end (Marcus Pollard and Ken Dilger). The underneath zone are will be key, as the Titans will not only look to play soft in coverage, but also vacate the linebacker positions with a heavy blitz scheme. This should be a great test for Manning, who has been so exceptional this season because of his ability to adapt to what the defense is giving him.

The running game should also benefit from the Titans defensive scheme, as RB Edgerrin James has shown patience and vision as a runner. With a back like James against such an aggressive front seven, all it takes is spotting the hole and one quick move to break for the big play. The Titans are allowing just 99.2 yards per game on the ground, but the task becomes that much more difficult against a team like the Colts who are fully capable of exploiting the "kamikaze style" that comes with the "46" scheme.

This should be a matchup full of big plays, with Indy taking a lot of hits, but also delivering the final blow behind their versatile offensive attack. More than anything, this matchup is a true test of Peyton Manning, who in his second year has proven to be mature beyond his years. If Manning makes the recognition reads and has the poise to hold onto the ball for that split second longer in his first playoff start, the Colts have the personnel to make a lot of big plays.