The final AFC Wild Card spot is up for grabs. The game that will decide this spot has been flexed to Sunday Night Football. This game is a win or go home scenario. The winner of the Colts vs Titans will advance into the playoffs and possibly face the Texans on Wild Card weekend.
Last Season
Colts
Colts quarterback Andrew Luck has been on the sidelines for a long time. He tore his labrum in his right shoulder during the Colts game against the Titans in the 2015 season. Luck reinjured his shoulder in a snowboarding accident so he was forced to sit out the whole 2017 season. It was over 600 days since Luck last played in a regular-season football game. Luck finally got back on the field again during the 2018 season playing again for the first time in nearly two years.
The Colts finished their season at 4-14 and third in the AFC South.
Titans
Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota took his team to the playoffs last year finishing second in the AFC South. Their 9-7 record was enough to clinch a playoff berth and advance to Wild Card weekend. The didn’t have a stellar season but it was just enough to edge out other teams. Mariota led his team to a win in Kansas City against the Chiefs. Their 22-21 last second win took them to the divisional round. They fell to the New England Patriots in Foxborough.
Sunday Night Football Matchup
Luck has been hot this season. He is up for Comeback Player of the Year award this season. He had eight games straight where he had over 300 passing yards as well as three or more touchdown passes. His offensive line also stepped up keeping Luck from getting sacked five straight games.
Running back Marlon Mack has stepped up his game. He has 789 yards on 170 carries and eight touchdowns on the season. Tight end Eric Ebron sits in fourth place overall in receiving touchdowns this season with 12. Ty Hilton has been a standout receiver for this Colts team all season. He has 1,209 yards and six touchdowns. He’s averaging 93 yards per game and catching 65% of his targets (his personal best).
The Colts started 1-4. The season was not going the way they planned, but they turned it around.
Mariota has struggled with injuries throughout his career and more recently. The fourth-year quarterback has started 14 of 15 games but has re-injured his elbow and has had to leave games multiple times, leaving to his running game and defense to fill his gap. Mariota only has 11 touchdowns and with eight interceptions so far this season yet they have been able to take home wins.
Their run game has been outstanding all season. Dion Lewis started the season off well. He has doubled a running back and a receiver. Lewis has multiple games with 70 or more all-purpose yards. He has 517 rushing yards and a touchdown on the season. Near the end the season, running back Derrick Henry came out of hiding and showed his skills. In the last three games of the season, Henry has scored seven touchdowns and 492 rushing yards. His big game in Week 14 set it off where he rushed for 238 yards setting an franchise record.
Corey Davis was Tennessee’s fifth overall pick in the 2017 draft. The wide receiver is leading the Titans with 843 receiving yards and could become the franchise’s first 1,000-yard receiver since 2013.
This game has big implications and is the deciding factor for the last remaining wild card spot in the AFC playoff race.
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