Colts’ Keys to Victory Against Jaguars in Week 2
The year is 2014, and the Indianapolis Colts had just pulled off a 44-17 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Quarterback Andrew Luck torched the Jaguars on that sunny September afternoon, throwing for 370 yards and four touchdowns. The future of the Colts looked bright, and the young quarterback was becoming a superstar.
Little did we all know how much things would change.
Fast forward to 2022, and Andrew Luck has been retired for over three years. The Colts have undergone a general manager and coaching change, and not a single player remains on the roster who experienced the victory that day. And to top it all off, that was the last time the Colts have won in Jacksonville.
The Colts are heading back to Jacksonville this Sunday for their Week 2 matchup. The last time the Colts were at TIAA Bank Field in January, the Jaguars won 26-11 and squashed any hopes the Colts had at making the postseason. The loss led to the trade of Carson Wentz and a slew of roster changes.
After tying the Texans in Week 1, a win against the Jaguars is crucial for the Colts to get rolling this season. Here are the keys to victory for the Colts on Sunday.
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Don’t Beat Yourself
The phrase “don’t beat yourself” sounds so simple. But it is a very important concept if the Colts want to come out on top.
Last week in Houston, the Colts made a barrage of self-inflicted errors. Dropped passes, fumbled snaps, blown coverages, and errors in the kicking game all had their impact on the contest. The mistakes forced the Colts into a 20-3 hole to begin the fourth quarter, one they could not fully dig themselves out of.
Head coach Frank Reich said after the game that those mistakes fall on him.
“Ultimately that's a reflection on me and I take ownership of that,” Reich said.
Reich made a very questionable play call himself on fourth-and-goal from the 2-yard line when he took the ball out of Matt Ryan and Jonathan Taylor’s hands and opted to call a wildcat play with Nyheim Hines. The play was stuffed by the Texans and the Colts came away with 0 points on the drive.
The Colts cannot do that to themselves again this week. The team was lucky to come back and tie the Texans last week. Odds are, they probably will not be as forunate this week. When the history is what it is for the Colts down in Jacksonville, it will take the entire team executing at a high level to get the victory.
“The message is 1-0. That’s going to be our goal every week.,” Reich explained. “What you continue to find is that is the best focus for us. No matter what’s happened the week before, don’t worry about what’s ahead, let’s just go 1-0 this week.”
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Next Man Up
While nobody has been ruled out of the game as of Friday morning, the Colts are dealing with some injuries at key positions.
All-Pro defensive tackle DeForest Buckner (hip) has not practiced all week. Wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. (quad) and cornerback Kenny Moore II (hip) were limited in practice on Wednesday and did not practice Thursday. Wide receiver Alec Pierce (concussion) is working his way through the protocol and is not a guarantee to be cleared in time.
To top it all off, the Colts are still waiting on the return of All-Pro linebacker Shaquille Leonard (back) to the lineup. Leonard practiced in full both Wednesday and Thursday and has a chance to make his 2022 debut against the Jaguars. But the Colts are taking this cautiously and do not want to rush him back.
If the worst-case scenario happens, the Colts would be without three Pro-Bowl defenders, as well as their WR1 and WR3 for Sunday’s matchup. That is a tall task to overcome for a team trying to win a divisional game on the road. But if they cannot go on Sunday, the depth at those positions will need to step up.
On the defensive side of the ball, Tyquan Lewis would most likely fill in for Buckner, while Isaiah Rodgers Sr. would get the nod for Moore. Both have starting experience for the Colts and have produced when called upon. The Colts have used Zaire Franklin and E.J. Speed to fill in for Leonard.
Wide receiver would receive the most questions if Pittman and/or Pierce cannot go. The top three wide receivers would be Parris Campbell, Ashton Dulin, and Mike Strachan. Look for Nyheim Hines to become much more of a factor in the passing game if either cannot play.
The unproven group would need to make an impact and fast. Otherwise, the Colts’ offense could become one-dimensional on Sunday.
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Disrupt Trevor Lawrence
One of the keys to victory mentioned last week was for the Colts’ pass rush to make Texans’ quarterback Davis Mills uncomfortable. Unfortunately for the Colts, that became a struggle until the fourth quarter and overtime.
When the Colts finally were able to get pressure on Mills, the Texans’ offense came to a screeching halt. They could not move the ball down the field, and the pressure helped spark the Colts’ comeback. Kwity Paye (2.0 sacks) and Speed (sack, forced fumble) led the way and got to Mills in the final two periods.
In their January contest, the Colts had issues getting to Lawrence. The Colts were only able to sack Lawrence once, and many times he would drop back and have all day to throw the football. It led to Lawrence having his best performance as a rookie, going 23-of-32 for 223 yards and two touchdowns.
If the Colts do not want a repeat performance of January, it starts up front. The Colts will have one player on the defensive line playing with a little extra motivation on Sunday as Yannick Ngakoue returns to Jacksonville. The Jaguars drafted Ngakoue in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft, and he spent four very productive seasons with the franchise.
But Ngakoue is a Colt now, and focused on helping his new team take control of the AFC South. Look for Ngakoue to have an impact off the edge and pressure Lawrence all afternoon. Paye will be looking to back up his strong performance against Houston as well.
Getting pressure on Lawrence will make the defense’s job much easier and lend itself to turnover opportunities. The Colts’ defense thrives on forcing turnovers and can take over a game quickly when given the chance. A forced fumble by Ngakoue may just be in the cards.
Want more Colts content? Check out the latest episode of A Colts Podcast below as Brandon Moses and Andrew Moore preview the Colts' matchup with the Jaguars and the rest of Week 2!
Follow Andrew on Twitter @AndrewMooreNFL.
