NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- A weekly look at what the Tennessee Titans must fix.

Tight end Delanie Walker seems to be getting away from defenders. But the Titans' wide receivers -- Kendall Wright, Nate Washington and Justin Hunter -- aren’t doing a very good job at putting space between themselves and defensive backs.

That needs to change when the Titans get to Lucas Oil Stadium to face the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.

The trio of wideouts were expected to be a major bright spot for the Titans this season. So far they’ve not lived up to those expectations. They’ve combined for 27 catches for 307 yards with an 11.4-yard average.

In the loss in Cincinnati Sunday, Washington was shut out and Wright and Hunter combined for 10.1 yards per catch on eight receptions. Wright slipped multiple times. Hunter had one ball go off his hands and failed to go up and get the sort of jump ball he should be dominant on. They all need to do better getting off the line and running better routes.

But one way to help receivers get some room is to create hesitation in the coverage. Under the previous regime, the Titans ran a lot of play-action with Jake Locker. It makes defensive backs look at two things instead of simply locking in on their man.

In Cincinnati, the Titans ran one snap of play-action, according to ESPN Stats & Information. In three games they’ve run eight snaps -- fewer than every team but Tampa Bay. The league average is 21.

Coach Ken Whisenhunt said the Titans have had good play-action plans, they just haven’t gotten to them. But history suggests he’s simply not a big play-action guy. In his six seasons as the Cardinals head coach, they used the second-fewest play-action plays in the NFL, an average of 4.6 plays a game.

The Titans are averaging a very solid 5 yards per carry in the running game. Far less effective ground games buy a split second for diagnosis from defenders. Those players must determine if a quarterback is handing off or pulling the ball back from a running back and moving on to a pass.

Tennessee should try using more play-action to cause the Colts to pause and to try to help receivers gain separation.

It can also help the struggling Locker if he’s healthy enough to play.

Often when a quarterback comes out of a fake, he looks to read one defender and make a decision off what that guy is doing. That seems like it could simplify things for a guy who seems overwhelmed.