After all they have been through, playing spotty football through the season’s first month, the Tennessee Titans are back even and in decent position to defend their AFC South title. Tennessee is 2-2, but the Titans are 1-0 inside the division after Sunday’s win at Indianapolis.
It marks the fourth straight time the Titans have won at Lucas Oil Stadium, and the fourth time in a row overall that Tennessee has bested the Colts.
The schedule makers haven’t done the Colts any favors this season, as their frontloaded division schedule has them having already played half their AFC South games in the first four weeks. The Colts haven’t fared well in those games, either, coming out at 0-2-1.
What may be worse is the Colts face the Titans again on Oct. 23, in the first game after the Titans’ bye week, in something that is a must win for their sinking division title hopes. Another loss with only two division games left would likely finish off Indy’s chances to win the AFC South.
The Titans, on the other hand, have a backloaded division schedule. They travel to Houston the week after hosting the Colts, but after that, don’t play another AFC South game until Dec. 11 vs. Jacksonville. Tennessee will play three AFC South contests in the regular season’s final five weeks.
By that point, the division race could be laid out in such a way that the Titans could control their own destiny down the stretch.