PLAYER NOTES
–FB Jalston Fowler’s stay on the roster was a short one. He was waived two weeks after being signed to the active roster because the Titans needed his roster spot for running back Dalyn Dawkins. Fowler was inactive for both games he was on the roster.
–RB Dalyn Dawkins was restored to the 53-man roster after a stint on the practice squad. Dawkins will fill in for an injured David Flullen for a few games.
–RB David Fluellen, who crumpled to the ground without any contact in Sunday’s game vs. New England, did not suffer an ACL tear. He will miss this week’s game, and likely more time, with his injured knee, however.
–T Jack Conklin, who left Monday night’s game in Dallas at halftime with a concussion, is now in the concussion protocol. He was listed as limited on Wednesday, as the Titans did not have a padded practice. The Titans are hopeful he can pass the protocol this week and play Sunday.
–LB Derrick Morgan who has been out with a shoulder injury, was limited again on Wednesday. Morgan has been out since suffering the injury against Baltimore a month ago. There is a chance he could be healthy enough to return this week.
–WR Taywan Taylor missed Wednesday’s work with a foot injury that kept him out of last week’s game. The Titans had hoped that Taylor would practice Wednesday, but that was not the case.
–G Quinton Spain sat out Wednesday’s practice to rest an ankle injury sustained in Sunday’s win over the Patriots.
–S Dane Cruikshank, who injured his knee two weeks ago against Dallas, was back on the practice field in limited fashion.
–G Corey Levin was absent from Wednesday’s practice due to an ankle injury.
PLAYER SPOTLIGHT: RB Dion Lewis. Lewis clearly has become 1A in the Titans backfield, relegating Derrick Henry to 1B in that regard. Lewis brings a hard-running style for such a small back, and his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield on screens and checkdowns has made him possibly the Titans’ most consistent weapon in the offense with Delanie Walker on injured reserve.
GAME PLAN: The Titans have been running the football well for the past three weeks, using Dion Lewis as the primary weapon and Derrick Henry as the big back to try and pound late in ballgames. It worked against New England, and the Titans will probably try to exploit a Colts defense that has been very suspect at times this season.
Defensively, the Titans’ top-ranked defense in points allowed will get a big test from Andrew Luck and an Indy offense that is putting up 29 points per game. The Titans will need to get pressure on Luck, guard against the Colts potent two-tight end attack that features Jack Doyle and Eric Ebron, while also making sure that T.Y. Hilton doesn’t beat them deep. The Colts offensive line has not allowed a sack of Luck in four games, and the Titans have been getting good pressure on the quarterback from a variety of spots and using multiple fronts. That should be a matchup worth watching to see who wins in the trenches on that side of the ball.
MATCHUPS TO WATCH
–Titans S Kevin Byard and LB Jayon Brown vs. Colts TEs Eric Ebron and Jack Doyle. The Colts have taken to the streets to find a lethal tight end tandem. Doyle, who has been in Indianapolis for a number of years after being waived as a rookie by the Titans, has combined with Lions castoff Ebron to form a solid pass catching duo for Andrew Luck. The Titans like matching up on defense when they can, and speedy linebacker Brown and ball-hawking safety Byard should be their best bets to cover the Colts tight ends down the middle of the field.
–Titans DL Jurrell Casey vs. Colts G Quinton Nelson. Nelson, a first-round pick, is part of a rejuvenated Colts offensive line that has gone from sieve the previous few years, to giving Andrew Luck solid protection. Casey is the ring-leader up front for the Titans, because even when he doesn’t get to the quarterback, he usually draws a double-team often enough that it frees other pass rushers.
