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Colts: Any 2nd Half Surge Starts with Win Over Tennessee Titans

By Kyle Nishida

Nov 6, 2016; Green Bay, WI, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck (12) walks off the field with linebacker Erik Walden (93) after the game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. The Colts beat the Packers 31-26. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 6, 2016; Green Bay, WI, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck (12) walks off the field with linebacker Erik Walden (93) after the game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. The Colts beat the Packers 31-26. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports /
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Talks involving the Indianapolis Colts are currently centered around preparing for a second half surge.  However, they cannot achieve that goal if they come out flat against the Tennessee Titans.

The Colts’ entered the bye week with a 4-5 record (1-2 in AFC South). Despite the uneven record and on-field results, head coach Chuck Pagano remained optimistic about his team. This week, everyone will find out if there is some truth to his positivity, or if he is just spewing out false hope.

Sunday, the Titans visit Lucas Oil Stadium. Despite the Colts already holding a Week 7 win over Tennessee, this is still a very dangerous game for them.

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The Titans are 2-1 since that Week 7 loss and are averaging 39.3 points per game. They just scored 47 points on the Green Bay Packers, a team the Colts just beat in Week 9.

Tennessee’s offense is rolling right now. During this three game stretch, Quarterback Marcus Mariota has thrown nine passing touchdowns, and running back DeMarco Murray has run for 297 yards and scored at least one touchdown.

The Colts held the Titans to only 26 points in Week 7. They will need an even better performance than defensively if they want to duplicate that result in Week 11.

There are signs Indianapolis’ defense could be figuring some things out. Recently, it bottled up the Packers’ offense. They held the Packers to only 13 points in the first three quarters before Aaron Rodgers and his offense got things together.

The Colts need to replicate that sort of performance this Sunday, and they need to sustain it for a full 60 minutes (which is something they have failed to do all season).

The good news is the Colts are trying to replicate the performance they had at Green Bay. According to defensive tackle Zach Kerr, everyone has been pushing one another during the bye week.

"“I felt like the sense of urgency was through the roof today. You’re off work a couple days, and then you’re like, I got nothing to do, I’m bored. I miss football. Guys were flying around today. It felt great just being out there.”"

The Colts’ margin for error is very small as they enter the second half of their season. They cannot rely on Andrew Luck to save them every week. Everyone needs to start pulling their own weight.

Receivers and tight ends need to stop dropping the ball. Also, the offensive linemen need to protect Luck better and open wider running lanes for Frank Gore. Plus, the defense needs to generate some pressure on the opposing quarterbacks.

The Tennessee Titans will not be an easy foe to beat this weekend. However, this is a challenge the Colts’ need to overcome.

Next: Pagano Loves Where Colts are at Heading into Bye

A win will help propel them into the AFC playoff picture, but a loss could push them to the brink of collapsing. For their sake, they better achieve the positive result.

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