Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts were hyped up all offseason long as a potential Super Bowl contender and a favorite in the AFC. They have been unable to show why they were hyped up to be that good so far this season and are 0-2 on the year after losing to both the Buffalo Bills and New York Jets.
Ryan Grigson went out and made quite a few big moves in free agency, but none of them have paid off too big yet.
Indianapolis has a very big division game against the Tennessee Titans on the road this week, which they should end up winning. Getting Luck back on track is a must for the Colts and the Titans’ poor secondary could help him do just that. There is no question that the Colts should win this game, but they have to make sure to take care of business.
That being said, there are five things in particular that they must do in order to get their first win of the season. What are the five main keys for the Colts heading into Week 3 against the Titans?
1. Andrew Luck Must Take Care of the Football
Perhaps the most disappointing stat of the season is the six total turnovers that Andrew Luck has recorded during the first two games of the season. Luck has to figure out how to stop turning the football over if he wants any chance of leading his team back to the playoffs this year. Indianapolis is hoping that he can right the ship and shake the cobwebs out of his head in Week 3 and he has to figure out a way to do that if the Colts are going to beat Tennessee.
2. Frank Gore Must Be Fed the Football Consistently
Tennessee doesn’t have the best run defense, which bodes well for veteran running back Frank Gore who was signed in free agency to be a 100-yard threat each and every week. Through the first two weeks of the season, Gore has carried the football 23 times for 88 yards and no touchdowns. Gore has to be given the football consistently, which will in turn open up the passing game for Luck.
3. The Offensive Line Must Protect Luck and Open Holes for Gore
One of the biggest holes in the Colts’ roster over the past few seasons has been their offensive line, which appears to be a problem once again. If the Colts want to win a Super Bowl, the line has to figure out how to pull things together and protect Luck and open up holes for Gore. That needs to start this week against the Titans and would be a huge step in the right direction towards a win.
4. T.Y. Hilton and Andre Johnson Must Make Plays Down the Field
Andre Johnson was one of the big free agency additions, but he has been nothing short of disappointing so far this year. T.Y. Hilton has dealt with an early season knee injury that slowed him down the first two weeks and both of these wide receivers have to get on track and make big plays down the field this week. Johnny Manziel was able to tear up the Tennessee secondary, which is exactly why the Colts’ receivers need to step up for Andrew Luck.
5. Defensive Secondary Must Make Plays and Pass Rush Must Put Pressure on Mariota
Tying two keys into one, the defense has to be much better than it was during the first two games of the season. If the pass rush is able to get to Marcus Mariota, the young quarterback is bound to make a mistake or two. When that time comes, the secondary has to figure out how to capitalize on the mistakes that Mariota makes and make plays on them.
