This week will tell us if Dick LeBeau has made an adjustment

Has Dick LeBeau actually made any changes to the Tennessee Titans defense?

I have been hard on Dick LeBeau and some of his decisions over the last two years. However, this could be a redemption week for him.

Everyone has patted LeBeau on the back after a well coached game last week against an anemic Miami Dolphins offense. He held them to just 9 points despite a turnover near the Titans own redzone.

However, it was an offense that was averaging just 10 points per game so it is hard for me to give them too much credit there.

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This week is different. With a Colts team that is averaging nearly double that, a good performance could prove a lot for Dick LeBeau who is being questioned at almost every turn.

To me, the point of emphasis is clear when facing the Andrew Luck-less Colts: stop T.Y. Hilton.

Easier said than done I know, but when it comes down to it, it isn’t the tight ends or the running backs that make that offense go, it is Hilton.

Dick LeBeau put on a perfect clinic on how to let every wide receiver on the field have a career day when the Titans played Houston. That was in large part because he would rush 3 in key spots and leave huge cushions to allow for easy passes.

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Another thing he did was he ran such a predictable scheme in terms of what the cornerbacks were doing, that Houston was routinely getting DeAndre Hopkins on the Titans 3rd and 4th best CBs.

That can’t happen on Monday, Dick LeBeau can’t just let a team with one real threat to just “play ball” against the Titans. No, he has to be better than that. He has to shift coverage, bracket, shadow, and give extra attention to Hilton who has just been a gamebreaker lately.

If you see Adoree Jackson and Logan Ryan playing their respective sides in two wide receiver sets that is fine. In fact, that is even fine if they are running a slot receiver too. What isn’t find is ignoring the opposition and playing things just because the scheme says so.

For example, the rule usually is that when the Titans see a slot CB they move Ryan into the nickel and let LeShaun Sims, Tye Smith or Brice McCain come out and cover the boundary CB spot on the (defensive) right side of the field.

That CANNOT happen if the Colts put Hilton in that spot. I don’t care if they bring down a safety or cover that slot with a linebacker, there is no worse decision than to put your 11th best defender against their 1st best offensive player.

They also have to be able to harass the quarterback better than they have been able to in past weeks.

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The Titans have one of the worst pass rushes in terms of total sacks right now, and at the end of the day pressures rarely win you games but sacks can. Meanwhile the Colts are allowing more than 3 sacks per game, which is good to be the 4th worst in the NFL.

If you can’t preform well with an extra day to prepare, at home, against a division rival, who is 4th in sacks allowed, who doesn’t have their starting QB, and 22nd in the NFL in total points then I don’t know what your excuse is.

At this point, even if you have a good excuse Titans fans are fed up. This whole offseason was spent preaching on how this team was ready to get back to football to prove they were a playoff team. On top of that fans were promised better games against division opponents. If you are going to make good on those promises then this week should be one of the most important games of the year for you.

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