Divisional matchups are typically some of the closest games an NFL team can participate in each season, and this was certainly the case for the contest between the Tennessee Titans and Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.
Unfortunately for the Titans, they came up short in this AFC South battle, eventually losing in overtime to the Colts by a final score of 31-28.
The game was not the only thing Tennessee lost on Sunday, however, as Titans head coach Mike Vrabel revealed on Monday that both defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons and punter Ryan Stonehouse suffered significant injuries in the loss to Indianapolis (via ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Twitter).
Some notable Titans’ injuries: DT Jeffery Simmons is expected to miss “a couple weeks” due to a knee injury, per Mike Vrabel. https://t.co/SzQe4rXrpl
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 4, 2023
Simmons, a two-time Pro Bowler, will miss multiple weeks due to a knee injury, and depending on how the next few weeks go, it wouldn’t be surprising if he sat out for the rest of the season.
Speaking of out for the season, that is exactly the outcome of the injury Stonehouse suffered on Sunday, as Vrabel revealed the punter will be having season-ending surgery in the near future.
Stonehouse suffered a leg injury after he was hit by a Colts player during a punt attempt on Sunday.
The punter had to be helped off the field, and he was eventually carted back to the locker room.
In what seems like a bit of a response to Stonehouse’s injury, Tennessee decided to part ways with special teams coordinator Craig Auckerman on Monday.
There were likely other reasons for Auckerman’s departure, but Stonehouse’s injury clearly just added more fuel to the fire, and the Titans felt like they needed to move on.
