Tennessee @ Indianapolis preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 14, 2013 ) Indianapolis 30, Tennessee 27

The Indianapolis Colts are looking to shake out of their doldrums and the Tennessee Titans are aiming to further their playoff aspirations when the two teams meet on Sunday. The host Colts have been blown out in two of their past three contests and team owner Jim Irsay sharply criticized the performance through social-media. Tennessee is in the AFC wild-card mix despite being below .500 and is 0-3 against fellow AFC South clubs this season.

Indianapolis rallied from a 14-point first-half deficit to post a 30-27 victory over the Titans on Nov. 14, and Tennessee coach Mike Munchak sees Sunday’s contest as mighty important to his squad. “We haven’t won a division game in a while, so we’ve got a tough opponent ahead of us,” Munchak said. “I think we feel really good about ourselves going into this game. It’s another round of the playoffs for us. We can’t lose.” As per the November thumpings the Colts endured against the Rams and Cardinals, coach Chuck Pagano has this to say: “Certainly nobody wants to lose in a fashion that we have lost a couple times in the last four weeks.”

TV: 1 p.m. ET, CBS. LINE: Colts - 4. O/U: 45.

ABOUT THE TITANS (5-6): Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick has strung together three consecutive strong outings, including going 22-of-28 for 222 yards and a touchdown in the recent loss to the Colts. Fitzpatrick has replaced injured Jake Locker as the starter and has completed 71.8 percent of his passes for 806 yards, five touchdowns and zero interceptions over the past three games. Tennessee moved to spruce up its return game by signing former Pro Bowler Leon Washington earlier this week. Washington has returned eight kickoffs for touchdowns and his combined 8,002 career kickoff and punt return yardage ranks fourth among active players.

ABOUT THE COLTS (7-4): Quarterback Andrew Luck passed for only 163 yards – the second-lowest output of his career – in last Sunday’s loss to Arizona and he has thrown four of his seven interceptions in the past three games. Luck understands the concern over Indianapolis’ sluggish play but says the Colts need to stay the course. “I don’t think Coach Pagano is one to freak out and change everything on an emotional whim,” Luck said. “That’s not his style. I don’t think that’s this team’s style. We just have to do what we do better.”

EXTRA POINTS

1. Indianapolis has won nine of the last 10 meetings.

2. Tennessee S Michael Griffin will miss the game due to a one-game suspension for delivering a blow to the head of Raiders TE Mychal Rivera last Sunday.

3. Colts RB Trent Richardson has just 59 yards on 28 carries over the past four games.

PREDICTION: Colts 31, Titans 27