From over 60 match-ups, the Indianapolis Colts have won nearly two-thirds of them.
It is just over three years to the day that the Tennessee Titans last beat the Indianapolis Colts and honestly, I do not think anybody expected it to happen on this occasion either.
Due to blackout restrictions, I have only been able to watch either game highlights or a game in 40.
Thank God for small mercies, right? Because honestly, I do not know if I could sit through nearly three hours of mediocre football and endless torment.
Tough times for Tennessee
Please do not get me wrong. I love my team, truly I do, but lordy, this season is testing Titans fans.
With no word still from owner Amy Adams-Strunk, yet more trades of players that we cannot afford to lose combined with injuries and sub-par coaching, we have reached an all-time low.
Recently, even former Titans players such as legend Eddie George – congratulations on the Hall of Fame nomination – have commented on the abysmal state of the franchise.
With the departure of cornerback Roger McCreery to the LA Rams, there is only Chig Okonkwo left on the roster from the 2022 draft class. And when he becomes a free agent at the end of the season, it is unlikely that he will be around for another year.
He is the last man standing from the swathe of 23 players taken during the Jon Robinson era between 2020 and 2022. Many analysts and sportscasters are now questioning if this was perhaps the beginning of the end in Nashville.
Rookies offer some hope
Now that the negatives are out of the way – some of them anyway – let us talk positives… what few there are.
For me, the saving grace right now is our rookie draft class. They are performing better than many veterans on the roster.
Sunday was no different. Gunnar Helm scored his first NFL touchdown on none other than National Tight End Day after a 41-yard run from Tyjae Spears set up the play from the one-yard line.
He himself then went on to score the Titans’ only other touchdown late in the fourth quarter, finishing the day with 82 scrimmage yards.
Chimere Dike continues to be a bright spot. His 93 yards against the Colts came from seven catches on eight targets.
They were the most receiving yards by a Titans rookie since Treylon Burks’ 111 at Green Bay in 2022. He has also become the first rookie – again since Burks in 2022 – to register back-to-back games with at least 70 receiving yards.
Quarterback Cam Ward also had a good day despite throwing another interception – are we even surprised by this any more?
He has also expressed his growing frustration at the team’s inability to move the ball, even though it is something he takes a great deal of responsibility for.
Overall, the rookie class has an unwavering deal of optimism that is both enduring and frustrating. There is a clear emphasis on how unhappy they are that we just cannot seem to bring home the bacon.
However, I am hopeful that this will keep team morale up, even if it does not score points or win games.
On Sunday, we host the 5-3 LA Chargers. With the half-way point of the season fast approaching, here is hoping we can net a few more wins before the year is done.
