Key Areas to Watch in Colts vs. Jaguars Week 18 Showdown
The Indianapolis Colts have climbed their way from a 1-4 start to 9-7 and are on the verge of going to the playoffs for the third time in four years.
The Colts can clinch a playoff berth with a win over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday. While the Jaguars are 2-14 on the year, the Colts haven’t been able to win a game in Jacksonville since September of 2014.
To put that into perspective, Andrew Luck was in his third year, Trent Richardson was the starting running back for the Colts, and Reggie Wayne and Robert Mathis were still on the team.
As the Colts look to break their losing streak in Jacksonville, let’s take a look at what Indy will need to do to come out with the victory.
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Run The Damn Ball
It’s no secret what the offensive identity of this Colts team is. The emergence of running back Jonathan Taylor into superstardom has made the Colts a run-centric team. And when you have a back like Taylor leading the way, why wouldn’t you want to “Run The Damn Ball?”
“I’m just glad we got JT right now,” head coach Frank Reich admitted. “I mean, his combination of speed and power and vision and patience, balance, body control, acceleration in the hole, can take it to the house on any run, team player, still good out of the backfield when you need him, really good in pass protection. He’s the complete player and he works hard every day. We need to continue to ride him. He’s at the center of our offense.”
On the season, Taylor has a Colts franchise record 1,734 rushing yards and 20 total touchdowns (18 rushing, two receiving.) In the first matchup against the Jags this year, Taylor had 21 carries for 116 yards (5.52 avg.) and a touchdown. Expect the Colts to go to Taylor early and often in this one.
The Jaguars rank 25th in the league in rushing yards allowed at 127.1 yards per game. They also rank 30th in the league in rushing touchdowns allowed with 22. It’s not out of the realm of possibility to see another MVP performance out of Taylor on Sunday.
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More Dynamic Passing Attack
The Colts’ passing attack has seen a decline in recent weeks. Quarterback Carson Wentz has struggled more often than not since the Colts returned from their bye week. Outside of a clutch drive at the end of the game against the Arizona Cardinals, Wentz hasn’t looked as sharp as he would hope to be.
“Obviously, we want (the passing game) to be dynamic and elite every single week,” Wentz said. “Some weeks it is, some weeks it’s not. There’s different little things kind of every week and for us, as an offense, we definitely look long and hard at that. We need to get back to this dynamic offense. Obviously, our run game is our identity and what we do, but we’ve got to be dynamic off of that. I feel like we’ve missed some things there. I’ve missed some things, got to be better there. So, it’s hard to pinpoint one specific thing, but we look long and hard at it and try and get better.”
With teams stacking the box and using extra resources to stop Taylor, the opportunities are there for Wentz and this passing offense to take advantage. A more dynamic offense is a must if the Colts want to make noise in January.
Wentz went 22-of-34 (64.7%) for 180 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions in Week 10 against the Jaguars. The Jaguars have a better pass defense than they do run defense, as they rank 16th in passing yards allowed and 10th in passing touchdowns allowed. While it’ll be a challenge, a more dynamic passing attack will not only help the Colts win on Sunday but give Wentz more confidence heading into the playoffs.
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Pressuring Trevor Lawrence
The Jaguars picked highly touted quarterback Trevor Lawrence with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Unfortunately for Lawrence, his rookie year has been quite a struggle in Jacksonville.
On the season, Lawrence has thrown for 3,418 yards and 10 touchdowns with 17 interceptions, most in the NFL. His supporting cast has certainly not helped him much, and he has been under pressure for most of the season.
Lawrence went 16-of-35 (45.7%) for 162 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions against the Colts in November. He was also sacked three times in the game and fumbled the ball on the Jags’ last drive of the game, sealing a Colts’ victory. But no matter what the stats say, the Colts know Lawrence has a ton of talent and are not taking him lightly.
“You see him make all the throws,” defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus said this week. “You see him throw on time, very accurate and you see those things. Those are the things that you look at in a positive way in terms of his quarterback style and his ability to make those plays. He’s done that, and that’s on tape.”
He continued, “He’s done a good job of getting the ball out on time and his numbers have improved in terms of pressure, non-pressure since we’ve played them last. So, he’s improving there. That’s something we’re going to have to look at defensively to see how we can combat against that.”
The Colts will make pressuring Lawrence a top priority. With defensive linemen DeForest Buckner and Kwity Paye coming on strong to end the year, look for the Colts to try and get one-on-one matchups for them as they tee-off on Lawrence. If the Colts can get pressure on the rookie quarterback, it will be a long day for the Jaguars’ offense.
Have thoughts on the key areas to the game for the Indianapolis Colts' matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars at TIAA Bank Stadium? Drop a line in the comments section below letting us know how you feel!
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