The Tennessee Titans are dealing with multiple injury complications heading into their Week 8 game against the Indianapolis Colts. Cornerback L'Jarius Sneed suffered a quad injury in the midst of last weekend's lackluster showing and will be sidelined. More concerning is the status of defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, who exited Sunday's defeat versus the New England Patriots with a hamstring injury.
Interim head coach Mike McCoy confirmed that Simmons' status will be "week-to-week" moving forward. That almost certainly means Simmons will miss Sunday's Week 8 showdown with the Colts. Hopefully the superstar defender can avoid IR.
Simmons is the Titans' best player. He's certainly one of few defenders with redeeming qualities on that side of the ball. Simmons' injury unfortunately places Dennard Wilson's defense in full-blown crisis mode.
Titans defense to look even worse in Week 8 without star DT Jeffery Simmons
Simmons has posted a team-high 4.5 sacks this season, tied for first among all NFL defensive tackles. Meanwhile no other Titans defender has accumulated more than two quarterback takedowns. The former Mississippi State standout has been playing at an All-Pro level despite the Titans' 1-6 record. Simmons' 27 pressures is second-most among defensive tackles.
The Titans have been miserable on defense even with Simmons at their disposal. Wilson's unit is the fourth-worst run defense (139.6/game) in the NFL. Their 27.4 points per contest allowed is fifth-worst, and that's with Simmons performing at a career-best rate.
Even before Simmons' injury, there was precious little reason to believe the Titans could stall the Colts' offense this weekend. They scored 41 points on the Titans during a Week 3 matchup with Jonathan Taylor rushing for three touchdowns. The Colts are scoring a league-high 33.1 points per contest this campaign.
The Titans are embarking on another lost season. They lack the talent required to overcome a Simmons injury. The losses will continue stacking.