The Colts are set for another big game this weekend. It should turn out to be an easy win, but with how the Colts have been playing, there’s no telling what could happen. The Jaguars are coming off a massive win over the Buffalo Bills, holding Josh Allen and the offense to only 6 points, thanks to… Josh Allen. The Colts are coming off of a win as well but allowed more points and yards to Josh Johnson at quarterback than they probably should have. Indy’s defense has been a major issue, but this week the Colts are playing an offense that is among the worst in the entire league in yards and points scored; hopefully, this is a solid bounce-back game.
The Jaguars as a team are, not unexpectedly, having a bad season. Trevor Lawrence hasn’t exactly lived up to the hype thus far as he currently sits in the bottom 10 of starting quarterbacks in almost every relevant statistic. James Robinson has had a solid season that got better as he has been used more. Their leading receiver is Marvin Jones, who has less than 400 yards receiving (ranks 54th in the league currently). Jacksonville’s defense has been much better than the offense, but that isn’t saying much. They rank roughly in the middle of the pack as a whole, but their run defense has been solid (averaging 3.8 YPC allowed, t-3rd best in the league). They have a decent defensive line, standing near the top of the league in stats like QB hurries and pressure percentage. All-in-all, this is a very beatable team, but I’m sure the Bills thought that as well. They just won their first game on American soil since week 1 of last season… when they beat the Colts.
Keys to a Win:
1. Get to Trevor Lawrence
- As the first overall pick in the 2021 Draft, he has not exactly been the best quarterback prospect since Andrew Luck, like he was touted to be. However, he has shown flashes of what he is capable of this season. If the Colts want to stop him, they have to get him under pressure. Indy pressures and hurries the QB worse than any team in the league currently does, but that has to change if they want to shut down Lawrence.
2. Slow Down James Robinson
- James Robinson has been the clear focal point of the offense. Lawrence can get hot, and he likely will with how Indy’s passing defense has been playing. The real key piece of this Jacksonville offense, however, is James Robinson. Indy’s passing defense has been terrible, but their rushing defense has been good. Robinson is currently dealing with a heel injury, which may further help the Colts’ case, but they need to try to keep him under wraps if he plays this weekend.
3. Keep the Offense Rolling
- The biggest story of the season for Indy has undoubtedly been how well the offense has played. Everyone questioned whether or not Wentz would return to form after his abysmal season last year, and he has certainly proved he can. He, Michael Pittman, and Jonathan Taylor all currently rank in the top 10 of every relevant statistic for their respective positions, making this by far the biggest factor in this team. Had they not been playing as well as they did last Thursday, they could have possibly lost to the Jets thanks to their defense.
Injuries:
Outside of Xavier Rhodes and the players on IR, everyone has been practicing and looks as if they’ll all be good to go for Sunday.
Things to Watch:
- Jonathan Taylor is 117 rushing yards from taking the lead from Derrick Henry in the rushing title race. Also is 2 touchdowns from double digit-touchdowns.
- Darius Leonard has a turnover in 3 of the last 4 games. Can he do it again?
- Kwity Paye and Dayo Odenigbo are both expected to be active, and neither has recorded their first sack. Will this be the game to do it with a weak offensive line?
- The Jaguars have been very bad against receivers, and with how hot Michael Pittman has been, his streak of 3 straight games with a TD could continue.
- Carson Wentz has thrown 2 touchdowns in every game since week 3 and 3 in the last 2 games. He should have a great chance to do it again.
