Getting to the top of the AFC South has not been that difficult this season. Staying there is another matter.
Both the Tennessee Titans and Indianapolis Colts have had sole possession of first place in the division this season. And their respective seasons have gone straight downhill immediately after reaching that perch.
The Titans (5-7) will be looking to snap a five-game losing streak and keep their sagging postseason hopes alive when they host the skidding Colts on Thursday night.
Indianapolis (6-6) stumbles into Nashville on the heels of three consecutive losses, the first time the Colts have endured three straight setbacks since the 2002 season.
Injuries have riddled the Colts' receiving corps and running game, and the aftershocks have turned quarterback Peyton Manning into a mere mortal.
The only four-time NFL Most Valuable Player in league history, Manning has shown signs of buckling under the strain of having to carry Indianapolis' offense.
He has been picked off 11 times during the three-game slide, including back-to-back four-interception performances in losses to the Dallas Cowboys (38-35) and San Diego Chargers (36-14).
The Cowboys brought back a pair of interceptions for touchdowns in last week's home defeat, negating a 21-point fourth quarter by the Colts that sent the game into overtime.
It hasn't helped that Indianapolis' defense has been singed for 105 points in the past three weeks, forcing Manning to play catch-up against the Cowboys, Chargers and New England Patriots.
That may not be the case for the Colts this week, though, against a Tennessee offense that has failed to score a touchdown in the past three games.
The Titans had surged to the top of the AFC South on the strength of a three-game winning streak in which they had amassed 101 points in victories at Dallas and Jacksonville and at home vs. Philadelphia to move to 5-2.
Tennessee has regressed since that high-water mark of the season and hit bottom the past two weeks, managing a total of six points in embarrassing losses at Houston (20-0) and at home to Jacksonville (17-6).
Since the arrival of Randy Moss, the Titans have dropped four in a row and his downfield presence has not had the desire effect of opening up running lanes for Chris Johnson.
Johnson has managed 58 yards the past two weeks, including just five on seven carries against a Houston defense that ranked statistically among the worst in the league.
He’ll have a chance to get well against a Colts defense that ranks No. 29 in the league in rushing, yielding an average of 142.8 yards per game.
At least the Titans will be able to start the same quarterback for the second straight week. Kerry Collins will get the call, marking the first time the team has had one quarterback start back-to-back games since mid-October.
The Colts swept the season series a year ago, winning in Nashville 31-9 behind three touchdown passes from Manning and prevailing in Indy 27-17 behind two touchdowns and 79 yards rushing from Joseph Addai.
Addai is expected to miss his seventh consecutive game Thursday due to a neck injury.