By Terry McCormick, sports@timesfreepress.com

NASHVILLE — Although they have held or shared the NFL’s best record all season, the Tennessee Titans have mostly refrained from speaking about the playoffs, division titles and certainly the Super Bowl.

But now at 11-1, the fact the Titans are closing in on some of those goals can no longer be ignored — even if their focus remains the weekly chore of preparing for their scheduled opponent.

Twelve games into the season, the Titans are now just one more victory or one more Indianapolis loss from clinching the AFC South title and dethroning the Colts after a five-year reign in the division.

The Colts (7-4) play Sunday at Cleveland, the same team the Titans will host a week later at LP Field.

Titans coach Jeff Fisher said the focus remains the same, however.

“Our whole approach is no different. It’s just win the next game. That’s what it is. It’s all about Cleveland,” Fisher said. “If those things worked out, then basically we just reached one of our goals and that’s everybody’s goal. If that’s the case, then you push on and you prepare for the next week hoping to prepare for another one.”

The next big goal for the Titans is home-field advantage through the playoffs. With their 47-10 shellacking of the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving Day, the Titans maintain at least a two-game lead over the New York Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC with four games to play.

The Jets handed Tennessee its only loss of the year last Sunday, and the Steelers visit LP Field on Dec. 21.

Fisher was asked if he would root for the Browns to hand his team the division title perhaps a week early by beating the Colts on Sunday, but he declined to say he would openly pull for Cleveland.

“No, not necessarily. Obviously, those things are out of our control,” Fisher said.

Big contributions still

The Titans have had injuries to the defensive line this season, but when key contributors such as Kyle Vanden Bosch and Jason Jones have been out, the reserves have stepped up. And now that Vanden Bosch is back, the backups are still making contributions.

Thursday, Dave Ball, Kevin Vickerson and Jacob Ford all had sacks against the Lions.

Ball, who got a lot of playing time in Vanden Bosch’s absence, also forced a fumble on his sack and returned an interception for a touchdown.

“I think he clearly benefited from the work when Kyle was out,” Fisher said. “That work on Sunday in addition to the work during the week is what’s paying off for him now.”

Vickerson, normally Tennessee’s fourth defensive tackle, has moved up in recent weeks because of Jones’ foot injury and has done well in backing up Albert Haynesworth and Tony Brown.

“It’s important that we continue to rotate our defensive linemen so Kevin is falling in the rotation and has been productive for us,” Fisher said. “He’s playing hard, and I don’t know how long that’s going to last. Obviously, we certainly expect to get Jason back. He’s just another example of guys stepping up when we needed them.”

Healthy and rested

Fisher said Friday the Titans have no major injuries, nothing outside the normal bumps and bruises that occur from any game.

The players will be off through Monday and will return Tuesday for a workout before beginning a normal preparation week Wednesday for the Browns.