The Jacksonville Jaguars have been hard to get a grip on. They have defeated teams like the 49ers on the road and also were blown out by the Los Angeles Rams in England earlier this season. But as of recently, the Jaguars have won three straight games and are looking to seize control of the AFC South as they host the Indianapolis Colts this Sunday. A win would go a long way towards setting them up for the playoffs, potentially. But first, there are three things the Jaguars should do in order to win this game.
Protect the Ball Trevor
The Jacksonville Jaguars' offense has had its ups and downs all year. The positives and negatives of Jacksonville's offense can be partly attributed to quarterback Trevor Lawrence. He has played well, played poorly, and played everywhere in between for this Jaguars team. And he has also thrown some passes that he probably would have liked back. In this game, it will be imperative that he protect the football against a Colts team that likes to take away the football and makes the throws he should make instead of trying to force it at times. If he does that, it lines the Jaguars up better to go win this game vs. Indianapolis.
Get Busy in The Trenches
Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen called out his defensive front after the collapse versus the Houston Texans. Ever since that game, the defensive line has been on fire, having a combined 12 sacks in the last three games. With the Colts' offensive line having issues, Josh Hines-Allen and crew should have some fun trying to rush the passer in this game. The more they are able to collapse the pocket around Daniel Jones, the more trouble the Colts will be in, of course, in passing downs. Jones is not able to move around as well as he was at the beginning of the season because of the lower leg injury that he is playing through.
Big Plays in The Passing Game
Last week versus the Titans, the Jaguars' passing game had some big plays. In this one, they can definitely make some big plays as well. After all, Mooney Ward cannot guard everyone and Sauce Gardner is out for the game. Getting Jakobi Meyers going again will be paramount, along with tight end Brenton Strange. Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo has a defense that comes from all angles. But in doing that, he can give up some big plays as well, if you catch people out of position. If the Jaguars can get that going, then it opens up everything else for this offense to do.
This is a big game for Liam Coen and the Jaguars, with pressure on them. On Sunday, we will find out whether the pressure bursts the Jaguars' bubble or whether the results make their playoff aspirations shine like a diamond.