Indianapolis Colts at Jacksonville Jaguars, Week 1: Colts Look to Triumph in Jacksonville for First Time Since 2014
INDIANAPOLIS — After completing training camp and the initial slate of practices leading up to Week 1, the Indianapolis Colts are ready to kick off the season with a road game at the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.
After the AFC South’s Houston Texans fell on the NFL’s opening night on Thursday, the Colts now look for an early share of control in the division as they take on the AFC South foe Jaguars down in Duval County, Fla.
While the Jaguars are looked at among the league’s basement-dwellers this year, the Colts certainly will not be taking this matchup lightly.
For starters, the Colts haven’t won in Jacksonville in their last five attempts, failing to come home with a “W” since 2014. They also haven’t won on opening day since 2013. Those are streaks that have followed the team through regime changes at general manager, head coach, and quarterback.
It’s time to turn over a new leaf and change those negative trends.
Here is everything you need to know about Sunday’s matchup.
MORE: Check out all 32 NFL Team Previews by Sports Illustrated
Quarterback Gardner Minshew (15) leads the Jaguars against the visiting Colts on Sunday.
Jenna Watson/USA TODAY Sports
Broadcast Information
— Sunday, Sept. 13, at 1:00 p.m. ET
— Jacksonville, Fla.; TIAA Bank Field
— TV: CBS-4, Spero Dedes (play-by-play) and Adam Archuleta (color)
— To find out what games will be on in your area, check here
— Radio: WFNI 1070-AM The Fan, WLHK 97.1 HANK FM, Matt Taylor (play-by-play), Rick Venturi (color), Larra Overton (sideline), Bill Brooks (pregame/postgame analyst)
All-Time Series
— Colts lead, 24-14. The two teams have split their season series (home teams winning) the last two seasons.
— Last game: Week 17 of 2019, Jaguars won, 38-20.
Coaching Staff
Colts: head coach Frank Reich; offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni; defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus; special teams Bubba Ventrone.
Jaguars: head coach Doug Marrone; offensive coordinator Jay Gruden; defensive coordinator Todd Wash; special teams Joe DeCamillis.
Injury Report
Colts
Out — S Julian Blackmon (knee)
Questionable — LB Matthew Adams (ankle)
Jaguars
Out — TE Tyler Davis (knee)
Storylines/Things to Watch
— New Colts Offense: There have been quite a few changes on the offensive side of the ball for the Colts this offseason. The playcallers and starting five offensive linemen remain the same. However, Philip Rivers, who is one of this generation’s most-accomplished quarterbacks, replaces Jacoby Brissett after the team finished third from the bottom in passing in 2019. The team also added wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. and running back Jonathan Taylor with their first two picks in the 2020 NFL Draft.
— Defense Takes Next Step?: There were some changes on defense as well, but many of the major players stay the same. All-Pro linebacker Darius Leonard, defensive end Justin Houston, and cornerback Kenny Moore II are now joined by former All-Pro defensive tackle DeForest Buckner and All-Pro cornerback Xavier Rhodes. The Colts already had an ascending defensive unit and are now expected to take another step forward into being considered among the league’s best.
— New Additions as Advertised?: Taylor, Buckner, Rhodes, and rookie kicker Rodrigo Blankenship are expected to be immediate substantial contributors, so they will have some pressure to live up to their billing. Blankenship actually extends the Colts’ league-long streak of 22 consecutive years with an undrafted rookie on the Week 1 roster. Rookie wide receivers Pittman and Dezmon Patmon should also contribute this year, but there shouldn’t be as much pressure on them. Pittman is part of a wide receiver unit that’s already got decent depth, and Patmon is the unit’s sixth receiver. He is a candidate to be a healthy scratch on game days when wide receiver health is good.
— Second-year Jumps: The Colts pulled together an athletic rookie class in 2019 with quite a bit of potential. Eyes will be on wide receiver Parris Campbell, defensive end Ben Banogu, linebacker Bobby Okereke, cornerback Rock Ya-Sin, and safety Khari Willis to see what they can do. Campbell, Okereke, Ya-Sin, and Willis should see plenty of action as starters.
—Taking Care of Business: Almost everything points to this being a win for the Colts, so this week comes with expectations. They can get off to a hot start to the season and build some momentum by capitalizing on their advantages, such as clearly controlling the offensive and defensive lines. To put it lightly, Jacksonville is not a team that’s getting a lot of love this year, so the expectation nationally is that the Colts go in and handle their business.
Intriguing Matchups
— Colts WR T.Y. Hilton vs. Jaguars CB C.J. Henderson: After parting with cornerbacks Jalen Ramsey and A.J. Bouye over the last year, the Jaguars lack high-end veteran outside cornerback play. That’s a huge advantage for a passing game featuring Rivers and T.Y. Hilton. Will Jaguars rookie first-round cornerback C.J. Henderson be on the wrong end of a big day from Hilton?
— Colts RT Braden Smith vs. Jaguars ED Josh Allen: One of the true building blocks on Jacksonville’s roster is second-year edge defender Josh Allen, who has freakish athleticism. Colts right tackle Braden Smith’s bread and butter is run blocking, so this is a tough draw for him. These are the types of challenges in which people want to see Smith perform well in year three.
— Colts CB Rock Ya-Sin vs. Jaguars WR D.J. Chark Jr.: D.J. Chark Jr. had a big day against the Colts in Week 11 last year, so he poses a tough challenge for Ya-Sin. The second-year corner’s arrow is pointing up after an impressive second half of 2019 as well as this summer’s training camp.
Projected Weather
Referee Assignment
— Head referee: John Hussey (19 years). Click here to see all referee assignments for Week 1.
Betting Line
— Over/Under: 45.0
Returning 2019 Season Leaders
Colts
— Passing: QB Jacoby Brissett (2,942 yards)
— Rushing: RB Marlon Mack (1,091 yards)
— Receiving: WR Zach Pascal (607 yards)
— Touchdowns: RB Marlon Mack (8)
— Tackles: LB Anthony Walker (112)
— Sacks: DE Justin Houston (11.0)
— Interceptions: LB Darius Leonard (5)
Jaguars
— Passing: QB Gardner Minshew II (3,271 yards)
— Rushing: QB Gardner Minshew II (344 yards)
— Receiving: WR D.J. Chark (1,008 yards)
— Touchdowns: WR D.J. Chark (8)
— Tackles: S Jarrod Wilson (74)
— Sacks: LB Josh Allen (10.5)
— Interceptions: CB Tre Herndon (3)
Comparing 2019 Team Stats
Colts
— Total offense: 25th (327.4 YPG)
— Scoring: Tied-16th (22.6 PPG)
— Passing offense: 30th (194.3 YPG)
— Sacks allowed — Tied-9th (32)
— Rushing offense: 7th (133.1 YPG)
— Third down offense: 12th (41.6%)
— Red zone offense: 7th (64.3%)
— Total defense: 16th (346.8 YPG)
— Scoring defense: 18th (23.3 PPG)
— Passing defense: 23rd (248.9 YPG)
— Sacks: Tied-15th (41)
— Rushing defense: 7th (97.9 YPG)
— Third down defense: 27th (42.7%)
— Red zone defense: 9th (52.0%)
— Time of possession: 15th (30:11)
— Turnover differential: 12th (+2)
Jaguars
— Total offense: Tied-19th (341.8 YPG)
— Scoring: 26th (18.8 PPG)
— Passing offense: 16th (235.0 YPG)
— Sacks allowed: 17th (42)
— Rushing offense: 17th (106.8 YPG)
— Third down offense: 26th (34.6%)
— Red zone offense: 31st (40.4%)
— Total defense: 24th (375.4 YPG)
— Scoring defense: 21st (24.8 PPG)
— Passing defense: 16th (236.1 YPG)
— Sacks: Tied-7th (47)
— Rushing defense: 28th (139.3 YPG)
— Third down defense: 23rd (41.6%)
— Red zone defense: 16th (57.1%)
— Time of possession: 11th (30:29)
— Turnover differential: Tied-18th (-1)
Notes
— Rivers needs one start and win to tie Fran Tarkenton (124) for the eighth-most wins as a starting quarterback in NFL history. Rivers also needs three touchdown passes to become just the sixth player in NFL history to reach 400 career touchdown passes. With one game with 400-plus passing yards, Rivers will tie Ben Roethlisberger (12) for the fourth-most such games in NFL history.
— Mack needs one 100-yard rushing game to tie Joseph Addai (eight) for the fifth-most such games in franchise history.
— Hilton needs one reception to pass Jim Mutscheller (72) for the seventh-longest streak of games with a reception in franchise history. With two receiving touchdowns, Hilton will pass Dallas Clark (46) for the sixth-most in franchise history. Hilton also needs one game with 10-plus receptions to pass Don McCauley, Lydell Mitchell, Joe Washington, Anthony Johnson, and Clark (three) for the third-most such games in franchise history.
— Tight end Jack Doyle needs one touchdown to pass Ken Dilger (18) for fifth-most touchdowns by a tight end in franchise history, and two touchdowns to pass Tom Mitchell and Dwayne Allen (19) for the fourth-most.
— Leonard needs 14 tackles to pass Quentin Coryatt (297) for the fifth-most tackles in a Colts player’s first three seasons.
— This week, the Colts made the following roster moves: claimed defensive tackle Eli Ankou off waivers; signed safety Ibraheim Campbell to the practice squad; placed tight end Trey Burton on injured reserve.
Catch Before The Game
—Indianapolis Colts Quick Scouting Report: Week 1 at Jacksonville Jaguars
—Indianapolis Colts Fantasy Week 1: Who Starts Sunday at Jacksonville?
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(Jake Arthur has covered the NFL and the Indianapolis Colts for nearly a decade and is a contributor for the team's official website, Colts.com. He’s on Twitter and Facebook @JakeArthurNFL, and his email is jakearthur0890@yahoo.com.)
