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Tuesday, January 11
War Room: Titans at Colts


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.

Indianapolis offense vs. Tennessee defense
COLTS OFFENSE
Ranking in the NFL:
Run 18
Pass 5
Tot. Yds. 6
Scoring 3
Int's allowed 11
Sacks allowed 14
   
TITANS DEFENSE
Ranking in the NFL:
vs. Run 11
vs. Pass 25
Total yds. allowed 17
# of Ints. 16
# of Sacks 54
Turnover differential +18
As aggressive as the Titans usually are on defense, expect their safeties to play soft in coverage, even on running downs when they are used to cheating up more towards the line of scrimmage. The reason for this is the fact that the Colts have had some trouble down the stretch against teams playing their safeties back deep to give help up top. Offensive coordinator Tom Moore needs to find a way to take advantage of this type of coverage, because he was not able to crack it in the last few games of the regular season.

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.

Special teams
NFL RANK
Category TEN IND
Punt return avg. 10 16
Kickoff return avg. 21 18
Opp. punt return avg. 18 31
Opp. kickoff ret. avg. 21 19
Time of possession 1 12
Special teams was the story of the game for Tennessee, who won last week on a 75-yard punt return by Kevin Dyson after Lorenzo Neal fielded the kickoff and handed it off to Frank Wycheck, who threw the ball across the field to Dyson. Al Del Greco continues to struggle, missing a 43-yard FGA, but was given another chance when the play was negated by a penalty. Overall, Del Greco is just 21-of-25. The Colts head into the playoffs with one of the hottest field goal kickers in the league with Mike Vanderjagt. Vanderjagt finished the regular season 34-of-38 with a long of 53 yards. Hunter Smith continues to improve as the teams' punter, averaging 42.5 yards per attempt, but landing just 16-of-58 inside the opponents' twenty-yard line. Terrence Wilkins slowed down significantly as the season wore on and his role as a wide receiver increased, but he still finished the season with a 9.5-yard per punt return average and a 22.2-yard per kickoff return average and should be well-rested after the bye week.

Key matchups
  • Tennessee FB Lorenzo Neal vs. Indianapolis MLB Michael Barber
    The Titans are going to have to run the ball successfully to stay in this game. One of the biggest keys to the Titan running game is the play of Neal, who has done such an excellent job this season as the teams' lead blocker. Barber, in a defensive scheme that depends on its middle linebacker to make plays between the tackles, is the Colts' top tackler versus the run. This is such a critical matchup because Neal must be able to clear the line of scrimmage and reach Barber in the run game in order for the Titans to establish an inside running game.

  • Tennessee WR Yancey Thigpen vs. Indianapolis CB Jason Burris
    Burris could have his hands full in this matchup. He is a solid athlete with good single-man coverage skills, but he will have trouble with Thigpen's speed. The Titans are going to count on Thigpen's ability to stretch the field, not only to open up room underneath for the complimentary receivers, but also to back the Colts off in coverage to open up running lanes. If Burris requires help in the deep third in this matchup, it will take away from the Colts' safeties' ability to give help in coverage and play in run support.

  • Indianapolis TEs Marcus Pollard and Ken Dilger vs. Tennessee OLBs Joe Bowden and Eddie Robinson
    The Colts run a majority of 1-back sets, but use their tight ends as fullbacks in their running game. Often, Pollard and Dilger are put in motion to allow them to get off the line of scrimmage and to create stronger angles in pursuit of their isolation blocks on the outside linebacker. Bowden and Robinson are athletic linebackers that do a good job of shedding blocks versus the run, but they may have some trouble against this scheme because they will likely be reached and have some trouble when they are locked on to.

    Tennessee will win if...
  • They contain RB Edgerrin James. The Titans play an extremely aggressive defensive scheme that is predicated on consistent upfield penetration. The problem with that scheme against a team like the Colts is that Edgerrin James is very capable of exploiting the lack of containment on the outside. The biggest challenge for the Titans is going to be to keep James in check, while also maintaining consistent pressure.

  • They get to QB Peyton Manning before his receivers get out of their routes. The success of the Titan defense hinges on their ability to get to the quarterback before his receivers are able to create separation. The scheme leaves the cornerbacks on an island, leaving the Colts numerous man-to-man coverage situations to exploit.

  • Eddie George has a 100-yard rushing performance. A huge key to this game for the Titans is going to be clock management. Tennessee needs to keep Peyton Manning & Co. on the sidelines as much as possible to avoid either a shoot-out or comeback situation.

    Indianapolis will win if...

  • They hold up against the run. Without the services of tackle-leader Cornelius Bennett, the Colts have their work cut out for them with just five linebackers on the roster. Bertrand Berry, who has made just one start in three years, will fill in at the outside linebacker position and the Colts are going to be forced to get a lot more help from the safety positions in order to make up for the downgrade at the position.

  • The offensive line limits its communication breakdowns. The Colts offensive line has been tremendous for the majority of the season, allowing just 14 sacks over the entire regular season while the team averaged 103.8 yards rushing per game. However, the unit was not itself in the season finale, and will need to bounce back with a strong performance against a Titan defense that preys on breakdowns up front.

  • Peyton Manning gets production from his No. 3 receiver position. Since the middle of the season, WR's Terrence Wilkins and E.G. Green have tailed off in production. Thankfully for the Colts, RB Edgerrin James has done an excellent job as a receiver out of the backfield, but Manning is going to need for Wilkins and Green to do a better job of making themselves available in the short to intermediate zone.

    The War Room edge
    The Titans are going to have to run the football effectively in this game to keep it close. Indianapolis has one of the most explosive offensive attacks in the league and is coming off a bye week. The team finished the regular season with two letdown performances, but they have had plenty of time to prepare for this matchup and home field advantage is a huge plus. Tennessee is going to work to slow down the tempo of this game to avoid a shootout, but the Colts simply have too many weapons and should be able to take advantage of an aggressive Tennessee defense by spreading the ball around to their offensive weapons.

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