Horseshoe Huddle Roundtable: Colts vs. Jaguars | Week 18 | Predictions & Picks
It all comes down to this.
Win, and the Indianapolis Colts punch their ticket to the AFC playoffs as a Wild Card team. Lose, and well, the season that once looked so promising comes to a screeching halt.
The good news for the Colts is they face a must-win against the 2-14 Jacksonville Jaguars, the worst team in the NFL. Easy, right?
Wrong.
The problem is the Colts have not won in Jacksonville since 2014. Can the Colts break the streak in Jacksonville in Week 18 and live to fight another day? Or will issues that were present early in the regular season rear their ugly heads and derail what looked like a great season in Indianapolis?
Horseshoe Huddle's Zach Hicks, Andrew Moore, Jake Arthur and Josh Carney all took a shot at predicting the outcome of the Week 18 matchup between the Colts and Jaguars.
Zach Hicks (@ZachHicks2) (8-3): After last week’s inexcusable loss, the Colts enter week 18 in a must-win scenario. On the positive side, the Colts face off against the worst team in football. On the negative side, they haven't won in Jacksonville during the Frank Reich tenure. Ultimately, the Colts will finally overcome this curse and make the playoffs with a win.
Pick: Colts 27, Jaguars 13
Andrew Moore (@AndrewMooreSI) (10-1): The Colts face another “win and you’re in” scenario this week against the Jaguars. While the Colts haven't won a game in Jacksonville since 2014, this game holds a lot more weight. Look for Jonathan Taylor to take advantage of a very poor Jags run defense and for the Colts to ride him. Don't be surprised if Frank Reich tries to get Carson Wentz and the passing game going, as the Colts talked about being dynamic on offense all week. In the end, the Colts won't let their guard down like they did last week against the Raiders, and I expect the losing streak to be broken.
Pick: Colts 38, Jaguars 13
Jake Arthur (@JakeArthurNFL): (8-2): The Colts knew they could beat the Raiders and grab a playoff spot last week, and the fact that an awkward week led up to a poor result bothers them. They're normally a very disciplined, focused group and I expect that to manifest in a commanding win against the Jaguars this Sunday. Carson Wentz will be better, Jonathan Taylor will do his thing, and the Colts defense will make things difficult for Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville offense.
Pick: Colts 30, Jaguars 10
Josh Carney (@ByJoshCarney) (9-2): When the Colts have faced a pivotal game on the schedule, they've consistently turned to star running back Jonathan Taylor to get the job done. That will be the idea once again this week against the Jaguars, who have one of the worst run defenses in the NFL. Taylor puts together another incredible performance, giving another reason to be the NFL's MVP, and leads the Colts into the playoffs for the second straight year under Frank Reich.
Pick: Colts 34, Jaguars 7
Have thoughts on the predictions from Horseshoe Huddle's experts regarding Colts-Jaguars? Drop a line in the comments section below letting us know how you feel!
Follow Josh on Twitter @ByJoshCarney.
