Another big game awaits us in the AFC South! The Indianapolis Colts travel to Jacksonville to take on the first-place Jacksonville Jaguars in this big-time battle. Both teams have had their ups and their downs, but in the last month of the season, you find a way to win the games you have to win. And for Indianapolis, they enter a stadium that has been a house of horrors for them, with only one win in the last 10 years there. So, what will it take for Indianapolis to win? Let’s take a look at three key things.
Ground Effect
There is no way around it: Daniel Jones is injured at quarterback. His lack of mobility changes the offense and limits what Colts head coach Shane Steichen can do with it. Because of that, the running game will be paramount for the Colts in this one. The more they can be effective on the ground, the more the Colts can hopefully use the threat of the ground game to give Daniel Jones time to be as effective as he can be in the pocket with limited mobility. Jonathan Taylor has to get at least 20-plus carries and find the endzone at least one time. This will be a challenge, considering the Jaguars are giving up the least amount of yards per game on the ground in the NFL right now, but the Colts' offensive line is going to need a big game.
Bring The Pain
The Colts don’t have one dominant pass rusher. But what they do have is a group of pass-rushers who can cause problems. Led by second-year pass rusher Laiatu Latu with 5.5 sacks, this group of Colts defensive linemen must cause disruption for the Jaguars offense, getting into the backfield and making Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence uncomfortable. With tackle Walker Little being out of this game after not being able to pass concussion protocol, the job for the Jaguars to keep the Colts' pass rush away from Lawrence just got that much harder.
Take the Opportunities
The Indianapolis Colts' defensive secondary has been hit by injuries this season, especially at cornerback. One key injury is Sauce Gardner, who will be out this week with a calf injury. The positive is that cornerback Mooney Ward is back at cornerback. The bad thing is that there is a drop-off at the cornerback spot without Gardner. The biggest thing here is to understand that the Jaguars and Trevor Lawrence are going to give you chances to make plays. The thing is, the Colts must capitalize on those chances when Lawrence makes mistakes. One big turnover could change the direction of the game in the Colts' favor. One other player to watch in the Colts' secondary is safety Camryn Bynum. He has been a ball magnet this season and the better he plays, the more dangerous the Colts are defensively.
The season may be in the balance for the Colts. After having a commanding lead in the AFC South, this game could be the beginning of the end of their season or playoff chances. They need all hands on deck.