Colts Behind Enemy Lines: Jaguars WR Calvin Ridley
The Indianapolis Colts open up the season against the Jacksonville Jaguars this Sunday. The visitors are the overwhelming favorite to win the AFC South, and the newest addition to their team, Calvin Ridley, will be a big reason if they accomplish that goal.
"Behind Enemy Lines" is a series where I talk about a specific player from the opposing team that could impact the game significantly. While important players are on both sides of the ball for these pieces, I typically focus on the offense and what the Colts' defense can do to mitigate the effect of said player. This Sunday, Ridley will need a spotlight on him at all times.
Ridley was suspended for the entirety of last season while with the Atlanta Falcons and, prior to then, requested time away from the team to focus on his mental health. When last played, Ridley was undoubtedly one of the best receivers in the league. In his last full season, he posted a whopping 90 catches for 1,374 yards (15.3 avg.) and 9 touchdowns.
It’s been almost two years since we have seen Ridley in a game that matters. While he has looked phenomenal in his offseason workouts and in training camp, one has to wonder if the long layoff will affect him in some type of way.
Ridley is a route-running technician who wins at the line of scrimmage and with fluidity in and out of his breaks. His hands are great, and the amount of separation he gets is very alarming. He also has the ability to make contested catches and high-point the football really well in those situations. His skill set fits like a glove with what head coach Doug Pederson likes to do on offense and with quarterback Trevor Lawrence’s skill set as well.
With Pederson’s offensive system, they run a lot of bunch sets to try and scheme guys open, but with Ridley that is not needed. In high-leverage situations on Sunday, I expect the Jaguars to go to some variation of that look but with Ridley on the opposite side isolated.
The Jaguars will be doing this to get Ridley in one-on-one situations with either of the Colts' cornerbacks. Indy will have to respond with Rodney Thomas II shading a bit and giving help to whoever is tasked with guarding Ridley. Yes, this will open up one-on-one opportunities for Christian Kirk in the slot and Zay Jones on the outside, but you have to live with the second and third options beating you.
What the Colts can’t do is allow Ridley and Lawrence several underneath throws to get in rhythm. They must be physical at the line of scrimmage and strong at the catch point to try to challenge these receivers. While I think this will be a challenging game for a few reasons, none may be more important than stopping Ridley.
If the Colts do this then they may be on their way to breaking their opening-day losing streak. If not, then well, you know how this goes. After all, we have seen this movie nine times in a row.
