LP Field – Nashville, TN
Kickoff: Thursday, 8:25 p.m. ET
Line: N/A, Total: N/A

Both the Colts and the Titans will be trying to get back to the .500 mark when the teams meet on Monday Night Football.

Both the Colts and the Titans had hopes of making it to the postseason this year, but injuries have complicated things quite a bit. The Colts have been without QB Andrew Luck (Shoulder) for the first five weeks of the year, and he’s likely to miss this one as well. Luck has, however, started to practice, so he should be back in the next couple of weeks. His team has performed pretty admirably in his absence, so Indianapolis probably feels like it has a shot at making the playoffs upon his arrival. The Titans, meanwhile, were without QB Marcus Mariota (Hamstring) last week. He should, however, be back out there when these teams meet on Monday. Tennessee is also 2-3 and that’s a major disappointment. A lot of people said the Titans were going to be this year’s breakout team, but things haven’t started the way they hoped. They should, however, feel pretty good about earning a victory here. Another thing Tennessee should feel good about is ending an 11-game losing streak to Indianapolis. The Colts have dominated this head-to-head series as of late, but a night game at home should make for one electric atmosphere.

The Colts are likely going to be without Andrew Luck for another couple of weeks, but QB Jacoby Brissett (997 yards, 2 TD) has actually been solid for this team. Brissett doesn’t make many big plays, but he also doesn’t turn the ball over that often. That’s really all Indianapolis can ask out of their quarterback, but he’ll probably also need to do a bit more in this one than he did last week. Brissett did not throw for any touchdowns against a lousy 49ers defense a week ago, and he also threw a pick there. That’s not a good combination, but it’s possible that he’ll turn it around here. The Titans have also struggled defensively, so Brissett must take a few chances here. When the Colts are throwing, it’ll be WR T.Y. Hilton (24 rec. 466 yards, 1 TD) that Brissett is targeting. Even with Luck out, Hilton is on pace for 77 receptions and 1,491 yards. He is an explosive weapon out there for Indianapolis and will be counted on to make plays here. Indianapolis should still, however, do its best to establish the run game. And on defense, a lot of the Colts’ plan will be based on whether or not Mariota is out there. If he is then they’ll need to be ready to stop a very balanced offensive attack. If he’s not then they’ll be able to load up against the run.

The Titans really need QB Marcus Mariota (792 yards, 3 TD, 3 INT) to make his return in this game, as backups Matt Cassel (162 yards, 1 TD) and Brandon Weeden are far from reliable. Cassel has not gotten the job done for Tennessee in his time under center, and the team really isn’t going to want to see what Weeden will do with this offense. The good news is that Mariota did practice a bit this week. That means that he should be out there and if he is then this offense will put up big numbers against this lousy Colts defense. The running game will also be able to get going against this Colts team, so look for both RB DeMarco Murray (273 yards, 1 TD) and Derrick Henry (187 yards, 1 TD) to have their way in this game. Murray can certainly use a big performance after last week’s game, as he really struggled against the Dolphins. This can serve as an opportunity for him to get back on track and build some confidence. On defense, the Titans will need to keep Jacoby Brissett from making plays with his feet. He’s not going to pick them apart from the pocket, but he is dangerous when he is able to get out and run.