Why Titans Match Up Well With Colts

The 0-2 Tennessee Titans are set to take on the 2-0 Indianapolis Colts in the Week 3 follow-up to their disappointing defeat at the hands of the Los Angeles Rams in what was, overall, a bad home debut to start the 2025 season.

Falling by two scores, 33-19, to the visiting Rams, Tennessee struggled to put a stop to Sean McVay and Matt Stafford's high-octane offense led by weapons renowned around the league. How do you stop Davante Adams and Puka Nacua? Sometimes, the answer seems to be as simple as, "you don't."

Then again, Titans fans can't help but be left with a bad taste in their mouth given two straight losses following an offseason of promising quotes and expansive new talent. It goes beyond the obvious; Cam Ward, being the first pick, comes with an inherent high floor of excitement. Not only that, but thus far, he hasn't exactly been the issue.

Tennessee brought in a bevy of additional talent this offseason, even in the draft. Take rookie receiver Elic Ayomanor for example: a fourth-round grab that has been tasked with assisting Ward in recuperating the Titans' thin offense, in addition to veteran Tyler Lockett at the same position.

Tennessee Titans wide receiver Elic Ayomanor Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward — Tennessee Titans wide receiver Elic Ayomanor (5) celebrate swith Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward (1) after a touchdown against the Los Angeles Rams during the second quarter at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025. | Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Through two weeks, Ayomanor is the only Tennessee receiver to catch a touchdown, with both Lockett and Calvin Ridley coming up empty up to this point. Put plainly, the team clearly has some ground to make up, in spite of a technically improved roster.

Even so, their incoming duel with Indianapolis this week, on paper, may slightly favor Tennessee. While the Colts have gone undefeated through their first two weeks - the first time for the team in more than a decade - both games were against favorable opponents at home. The latter win, which Indy snuck out on a second field goal try due to an opposing penalty, came against the same Denver Broncos team that the Titans had in a one-score battle in the season-opener.

A game that, given a crucial Calvin Ridley catch, may have looked a lot different by the time the buzzer sounded.

Both teams were in a tight-knit match with a playoff team; the only notable difference is that, given a chance to make a big play and win the game, the Colts capitalized where the Titans didn't. A unit's ability to break out and make an impact when it matters is a massive differentiating factor - it is quite possibly the Titans' greatest achilles heel so far this season.

But with the offense steadily improving on a weekly basis on a team set to host another that hasn't yet faced a road test, Tennessee is met with the perfect opportunity in front of their home crowd to catch an opponent off-guard and finally add a number to the win column.

Indianapolis has exhibited an unexpectedly high-powered offense through two games, no doubt, but the Titans have managed at least one takeaway against both Denver and Los Angeles all the same. If the defense can continue to disrupt and, now that he's thrown a touchdown, Cam Ward continues his upward trajectory as well, now may be the time for the Titans to get their "get back" and get on the board in a positive way.

Either that, or Daniel Jones is the legitimate truth. We'll know by the weekend, either way.

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