NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee Titans (5-6) play their second of three consecutive road games this week, traveling to Indianapolis to face the AFC South's first-place Indianapolis Colts (7-4). Kickoff at Lucas Oil Stadium (capacity 63,000) is scheduled for 1 p.m. EST/noon CST on Sunday, Dec. 1.
This is the second Titans-Colts matchup in three weeks. On Thursday night, Nov. 14, the Titans hosted the Colts in a primetime game, only to fall by a final score of 30-27. They now look to break a streak of four consecutive losses to the Colts and earn their first win in Indianapolis since 2007.
THE BROADCAST
This week's game will be televised regionally on CBS, including Nashville affiliate WTVF NewsChannel 5. Bill Macatee will handle play-by-play duties while Steve Tasker and Steve Beuerlein serve as analysts.
The Titans Radio Network, including Nashville flagship 104.5 The Zone, will broadcast the game across the Mid-South with the "Voice of the Titans" Mike Keith, analyst Frank Wycheck, sideline reporter Cody Allison and gameday host Larry Stone.
Additionally, WestwoodOne Sports will broadcast the game to a national radio audience. Tom McCarthy (play-by-play) and Rod Woodson (analyst) will have the call.
LAST WEEK AT OAKLAND
The Titans traveled west to Oakland last week and escaped with a dramatic 23-19 victory. Ryan Fitzpatrick connected on a 10-yard touchdown pass with wide receiver Kendall Wright for the game-winning score with only 10 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.
On his 31st birthday, Fitzpatrick completed 30 of 42 passes for 320 yards, no interceptions and a 109.2 passer rating, earning his first win as a starter in Tennessee and his ninth career 300-yard game. In addition to his game-winner to Wright, he completed a 54-yard touchdown pass to Justin Hunter in the third quarter.
Fitzpatrick took over fulltime as the starting quarterback when Jake Locker was lost for the season with a foot injury on Nov. 10. In six total appearances (four starts) in his first year in Tennessee, Fitzpatrick is 115-of-181 for 1,332 yards, seven touchdowns and four interceptions (89.4 passer rating).
Wright (103 yards), a first-round draft choice in 2012, and Hunter (109 yards), the team's second-round pick in 2013, each recorded the first 100-yard games of their careers. It marked Tennessee's first game with a pair of 100-yard receivers since Dec. 19, 2004 against the Raiders, when Derrick Mason and Drew Bennett accomplished the feat.
THE COLTS
The Colts also were on the road last week. They went to Arizona, where the Cardinals took an early lead and never relinquished it, ultimately prevailing 40-11.
Sitting atop the AFC South with five games remaining, the Colts have carried over the success they had in 2012, their first season under direction of general manager Ryan Grigson and head coach Chuck Pagano. They finished their first season in Indianapolis with a Wild Card berth, despite Pagano missing several games to undergo treatment for leukemia.
Colts quarterback Andrew Luck is likewise thriving in his second professional campaign. The league's first-overall draft pick in 2012 has followed up on his Pro Bowl rookie season by completing 226 of 386 passes for 2,593 yards, 15 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
On defense, the Colts feature one of the NFL's most feared pass rushers. Outside linebacker Robert Mathis leads the NFL this year with a career-high 14.5 sacks.
