Here are five quick-hit observations for the Colts’ 27-17 victory over AFC South rival Tennessee.

1. The Titans had their opportunities.
Several times throughout the game, the Titans were knocking on the door of a score and they just couldn’t convert. Twice in the second half Tennessee drove inside the red zone and came away zero points, with one of those missed opportunities coming at the goal line. They scored 10 points on those two drives then they would have matched the Colts step for step…

2. The Colts continue to make plays in crunch time.
…that said, the Colts deserve credit for shutting the Titans down in those situations. Offensively, Peyton Manning didn’t have his best game statistically, but he played a near flawless game and continues to make plays when Indianapolis is knocking on the door of points.

3. The Colts defense continues to produce.
Not only did the Colts’ defense come up huge by turning the Titans away twice in the red zone, but they also harassed Young throughout the day even though they only sacked him once. Indianapolis doesn’t have elite playmakers on that side of the ball outside of Dwight Freeney, but they play fast and are tough to beat at home. That’s why it’s important for the Colts to lock up home field advantage. What a game by Clint Session (13 tackles) today.

Read the rest of this entry »

According to the Nashville Tennessean, the Titans have contacted the Cardinals about possibly acquiring wide receiver Anquan Boldin.

But the price tag, in draft picks and compensation, is a concern for any suitor. The Cardinals are reportedly seeking first- and third-round picks for Boldin, and any team that acquired him would have to pony up a new contract as well, potentially worth up to $10 million per year.

Earlier this week, Cardinals GM Rod Graves said he’d received no offers for Boldin.
Currently the Titans have two proven wideouts — Justin Gage and former Steeler Nate Washington, signed earlier this offseason. Adding a veteran receiver isn’t a necessity for the Titans, according to Reinfeldt, but “it would be nice.’’

Other veterans who could be available via trade include Cleveland’s Braylon Edwards, Cincinnati’s Chad Ochocinco and Buffalo’s Roscoe Parrish.

I like the Titans’ mindset this offseason. Even though they had one of the best records in the NFL last season, it was clear in their playoff loss to the Ravens that they lacked weapons on the offensive side of the ball outside of phenomenal rookie Chris Johnson. Nate Washington was a nice addition, but if they could somehow land Boldin, their offense would be one to reckon with in the AFC next year.

That said, they do need to add some bulk to the interior of their defensive line after losing Albert Haynesworth, while defensive end and offensive tackle remain needs as well. So is it worth it for them to give up two picks in the first three rounds to acquire Boldin or would they be better served hanging onto those selections and possibly addressing other needs?

– Eagles’ running back Brian Westbrook underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee over a month ago according to the Philadelphia Daily News. The procedure was apparently a routine “cleanup” and already has recovered.

– The Cardinals have upped the ante in an attempt to keep quarterback Kurt Warner in Arizona. The Cards increased their contract offer from $20 million to $23 million over two years. Warner’s visit to San Fran must have spooked the ‘Zona front office.

– The Bucs signed running back Derrick Ward to a four-year, $17 million contract with $6 million in guarantees. Will this signing cost Cadillac Williams a roster spot?

– The Chargers are reportedly shopping cornerback Antonio Cromartie according to the San Diego-Tribune. The Bolts want to sign free agent Drayton Florence and already have Antoine Cason and Quentin Jammer as starters, which means there isn’t much room for Cromartie.

– The Titans upgraded their receiving corps with the addition of wideout Nate Washington, formerly of the Super Bowl champion Steelers. Washington is coming off a nice season and at 25, has a lot of football ahead of him. The Titans drastically needed to add offensive talent and this was a good start.

Jason Witten has a broken rib but wants to play through it this week in a big game against the Giants. Conventional wisdom states that the Cowboys should rest Witten this week because they have a bye in Week 10, so that would give him 2-3 weeks of rest. If Witten can’t go, Martellus Bennett wouldn’t be a bad fill in. Visanthe Shiancoe or Zach Miller would be good spot starters as well…Santonio Holmes will play Monday night, which means that Nate Washington will be relegated back to WR3 duties…Matt Hasselbeck is likely out for Week 9 with a bulging disk in his back. He apparently doesn’t have pain in his back or leg, but he has a ‘dead leg’ feeling. Not good…The 49ers named Shaun Hill their starting QB. He’s an interesting pickup in fantasy leagues since he’s playing in Mike Martz’s offense…Steven Jackson should be ready to go in Week 9, according to Jim Haslett.

Mike Tomlin said today that Santonio Holmes will not play Sunday due to an incident involving “the marijuana”…a.k.a. weed…ganja…grass…Mary Jane…

Pittsburgh police charged Steelers wide receiver Santonio Holmes with possession of marijuana Thursday afternoon.

According to police, Holmes was driving a sport utility vehicle with out-of-state license plates near Mellon Arena. The vehicle matched the description of one linked to a crime, so officers made an investigatory stop.

“When they pulled him over, they found there was a smell of burnt marijuana in the vehicle,” said Sgt. James Vogel of the Pittsburgh Police Department. “Mr. Holmes was very cooperative with officers and turned over some items to us and was subsequently summoned for those items. A couple of marijuana blunts.”

Police said Holmes turned over three marijuana cigars. Officers charged Holmes with one misdemeanor count of possession of a small amount of marijuana. He was given a summons to court and released.

Vogel said Holmes was very cooperative, respectful and wasn’t impaired. He thinks that should be taken into account when it comes to any potential action taken against him by the Steelers and the NFL.

From the story, it sounds like Sgt. Vogel is a Steeler fan.

From a fantasy perspective, Nate Washington gets a big bump for those owners needing a quick fix at wide receiver. It is not clear at this point what, if any, action the NFL will take in this matter.