The Tennessee Titans Week 8 matchup against the Indianapolis Colts was a wild ride that ended in a thrilling overtime win for Tennessee. It went back and forth, but eventually, this team was able to pull through with a victory. We'll be taking a look at this Titans-Colts game with our Titans Week 8 takeaways in mind.
Defensively, Tennessee came up big. Sure, the Colts were able to burn the Titans with some down-the-field DPI calls, but for the most part, the defense contained Indianapolis. It also helped that Carson Wentz made some of his classic mistakes, which Tennessee took full advantage of.
Tennessee started off slowly, but the offense got it together and stayed within reach throughout the entire game. Even so, Derrick Henry had trouble finding any running room, as Indy did a great job monitoring him. However, that allowed for AJ Brown to have a big game, giving Tennessee the boost they needed to win. After their last three games, it's safe to say this franchise is the real deal. With that said, here are three Titans Week 8 takeaways from their win over the Colts.
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Titans Week 8 Takeaways
3. Derrick Henry got bottled up and potentially is out for the season
The recent news surrounding Derrick Henry is heartbreaking. For a Titans team who has looked like legitimate Super Bowl contenders. There is no question he's the best running back in the league and Tennessee will miss his presence in the backfield dearly.
It is impressive that Henry managed to finish the game against the Colts even though he had a potentially season-ending injury throughout the entire matchup. He still provided consistency in the run game, although it wasn't the superstar performance we're used to seeing. We'll see how the Titans respond in the coming weeks.
2. Welcome to the AJ Brown show
AJ Brown went bonkers in the Titans' win over the Colts. He finished with an impressive stat line, consisting of 10 receptions, 155 yards, and one touchdown. Indy had no answers for Brown throughout this game, as ‘Big Play AJ' took advantage of the Colts' weak secondary. What's more impressive, is that AJ Brown dominated without having Julio Jones on the field alongside him.
Now, with Derrick Henry potentially out of the lineup, the team will lean on AJ Brown for the rest of the season. Tennessee has been a run-first offense for quite some time now, so this adjustment could be difficult. Luckily for them, Brown is one of the best receivers in the league and Julio Jones can provide elite-level help when he's healthy.
1. The Titans are Super Bowl contenders, even without Derrick Henry
Losing Henry is awful, but it's not like the Titans are dead in the water. Ryan Tannehill is still a solid quarterback and Tennessee has the receiving core to go the distance. Additionally, the defense has looked fantastic the past few weeks. We'll see what happens, but the Titans have a nice buffer ahead of their competition in the AFC South.
This is still a playoff team and they can beat anybody. The Titans have won their last two games with Henry being bottled up for the most part. We'll see what happens, but there is reason for optimism for this franchise.