After containing speedy Chiefs, Colts prepare for powerful Titans

Sep. 30—INDIANAPOLIS — It's hard to imagine two offenses more diametrically opposed than the Kansas City Chiefs and Tennessee Titans.

The Indianapolis Colts shut down Kansas City's high-octane passing game last week primarily by dominating the line of scrimmage and limiting quarterback Patrick Mahomes' ability to create plays outside of the pocket.

A similar performance should prove effective against the Titans' run-heavy attack. But instead of containing a prolific passer in the pocket, Sunday's task will be bottling up juggernaut running back Derrick Henry between the tackles.

Under new defensive coordinator Gus Bradley, Indianapolis' run defense has remained among the NFL's best. Through the first three weeks, the Colts (1-1-1) rank third with 231 yards allowed and first with an average of just 2.6 yards per carry surrendered.

It's in keeping with the standard established by former defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, now the head coach of the Chicago Bears.

"The main thing is I thought Flus did a great job when he came in here dominating in the run (game), and the same (players) are here," Indianapolis linebacker Shaquille Leonard said. "Even though we have a new defensive coordinator, it's still the mindset — we've got to stop the run. We've got to be No. 1 in the run game.

"For me, just as a linebacker, if you knock out the run, you know what's coming. It's got to be a pass. That's what we want to do each and every year — stop the run, make the quarterback beat us with his arm — and hopefully we can do that this week."

Like the Colts, Tennessee (1-2) is struggling on offense in the early season. And, like Indianapolis, the Titans can trace much of the issue to the offensive line.

In Tennessee's case, injuries are a definite factor. Left tackle Taylor Lewan is out for the season, leaving the Titans scrambling to fill the void.

Tennessee is 22nd in the league in scoring offense and 26th in total yards. The running game — long one of the NFL's finest — is 21st with 282 yards and 27th with 3.5 yards per attempt.

Henry is working his way back from a foot injury that cost him nine games last year. He's averaging a career-low 3.6 yards per rush, and his 64 yards per game represent his lowest average since 2017 — the season before he became a full-time starter.

The Titans got him rolling a bit in last week's 24-22 win against the Las Vegas Raiders. He finished with 20 carries for a season-high 85 yards on the ground and was targeted six times in the passing game, finishing with five catches for 58 yards.

Henry also scored his second rushing touchdown of the season.

"I have about 10 clips to show our guys on tackling plans, and that's just from this year," Bradley said, noting he does not believe the 28-year-old running back has lost a step. "(He's) still running really hard. They still utilize him on the perimeter, breaking tackles. He looks very similar to what I've seen."

That ability to get to the perimeter is one of the things that makes defending Henry such a unique challenge.

Much of the Colts' success against the run this season has come as a result of defensive tackle Grover Stewart clogging up the gaps. He's been an absolute terror on the interior, tossing offensive linemen aside or simply running them over while blowing plays up within seconds of the snap.

Indianapolis will need that energy to continue Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium, but it will also need plenty of support from the back seven.

Tennessee traditionally does a good job of taking advantage of the smallest defenders on the field. The goal often is to get Henry outside in space and allow him to overpower defensive backs.

The Colts did an outstanding job containing Kansas City's speed and athleticism last week. Now they must rise to the challenge of answering the Titans' power.

"They're a committed run team, and they've got a great back there that we have to be aware of — his running style — and definitely have a tackling plan for him," Bradley said. "So there's some carryover. We played the same coverages that we have all year last week, and I think that the players are just gaining more confidence in it.

"It's a big step. We felt maybe what it could look like. We tell them that it's not the call. Really, the players bring the call to life. It's no different this week. We're going to ask a lot from all of them and then some. It's a great challenge for us."