Jaguars 2020 Opponent Preview: Indianapolis Colts, Weeks 1 & 17
As we at JaguarReport continue to march through what has been an offseason defined by uncertainty, we are going to take a week-by-week look at each of the 13 regular season opponents the Jacksonville Jaguars are slated to face in the 2020 season (pending a 16-game season takes place).
First off we look at AFC South rival Indianapolis Colts, who the Jaguars will open and close the season with. Jacksonville has had a good amount of luck at home against the Colts in recent years, winning five consecutive games at TIAA Bank Field vs. the Colts.
So, how do we see the Jaguars' matchups with the Colts shaping up this fall? We take an extensive look below.
Indianapolis Colts
2019 record: 7-9, third in AFC South.
All-time series record with Jaguars: Colts lead series 24-14-0.
Last meeting with Jaguars: Week 17, 2019 @ Jacksonville. Jaguars won 38-20.
The final game of the 2019 season, each of these two teams were out of the playoff contention before they kicked off in Week 17. The stakes coming into the game were relatively low, though it was still unclear at the time whether Jacksonville would purge their franchise and either fire or retain head coach Doug Marrone and general manager Dave Caldwell. Luckily for the Jaguars, the team played with a determined edge on that Sunday evening at TIAA Bank Field, defeating the Colts 38-20 after outscoring the Colts by 22 points in the second half.
Gardner Minshew threw three touchdowns and helped DJ Chark reach 1,000 yards while the defense held Jacoby Brissett to 143 net passing yards. Even the big guys got in on the scoring as Calais Campbell returned a Brissett fumble forced by Yannick Ngakoue for a eight-yard touchdown in what would end up being his final game as a Jaguar. Jacksonville won the season finale, giving them a 6-10 record on the season and perhaps even playing a part in helping Marrone and Caldwell keep their roles in Jacksonville.
2019 season in review:
Following a 10-6 season and a playoff appearance in head coach Frank Reich's first season in 2018, the Colts took a step back in 2019. This, of course, was to be expected once star quarterback Andrew Luck abruptly retired on Aug. 24, leaving the Colts in the hands of Brissett just weeks before the season was to begin. The Colts started the era after Luck with a ferocity, going 5-2 in the first seven weeks of 2019 and holding the eventual Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs to 13 points in Kansas City in Week 5.
Unfortunately for the Colts, they hobbled their way through the second half of the season and lost five of their final six games, including the season-ending loss to the Jaguars in Week 17. While the Colts still flashed the potential of a perennial winner at times, they failed to put things together on a consistent basis, largely due to shaky quarterback play and a string of injuries.
Key additions: QB Philip Rivers, DL DeForest Buckner, TE Trey Burton, CB Xavier Rhodes, DT Sheldon Day and CB T.J. Carrie.
The two biggest additions for the Colts this offseason are quarterback Philip Rivers and defensive lineman DeForest Buckner, each of whom is set to play a big role in 2020. Rivers was signed to a one-year deal as a short-term replacement for Brissett, reuniting him with Reich, who was once his offensive coordinator with the Chargers. Rivers is coming off of a poor final season with the Chargers, but he is in a good situation with Reich and the Colts' dominant offensive line.
As for Buckner, the Colts paid a hefty price to acquire him from the San Francisco 49ers when they dealt their 2020 first-rounder for the versatile defensive lineman. The 2019 Pro Bowler and second-team All-Pro finished the 2019 season with 61 tackles, 7.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, two pass deflections, and a touchdown before dominating in the playoffs. Buckner will be perhaps the Colts' most important defensive player this season and should be expected to create havoc for the Jaguars and their offensive front.
Key departures: TE Eric Ebron, WR Devin Funchess, OL Joe Haeg and DT Trevon Coley.
None of the players the Colts lost this offseason played a huge role this offseason, though Eric Ebron was key to the Colts' playoff run in 2018. Ebron suffered through injuries last season, appearing in just 11 games and catching 31 passes for 375 yards and three touchdowns, just one year after catching 13 touchdowns. Once he departed the Colts, Ebron signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers, though the Colts will replace his spot on the depth chart with Trey Burton.
Another player the Colts lost who didn't make a large impact in 2019 due to injuries is wide receiver Devin Funchess, who signed with the Green Bay Packers this offseason. Funchess appeared in just one game and caught only three passes in his lone season for the Colts due to a clavicle injury.
Rookie to watch: RB Jonathan Taylor.
The Colts made two second-round selections after trading away their first-round pick for Buckner, and truthfully either of those players could have been named here. We opt to go with running back Jonathan Taylor, who the Colts traded up to No. 41 overall in the second round to select. The Colts' offense was based around a dangerous ground attack last season but Taylor adds a different element than any other Indianapolis running back thanks to his size, strength, power and explosiveness. The Colts will likely rotate Taylor with Marlon Mack for stretches of the season, but look for Taylor to take over the backfield sooner than later.
Overall:
Anytime the Colts and Jaguars play it is truly a toss-up in terms of who will walk away the winner. The two teams know each other well and their strengths and weaknesses counter one another almost perfectly, a big reason why the two teams have split recent series more often than not. The biggest question of how the Jaguars can triumph the Colts though is whether the Jaguars can limit Rivers, who has historically found great success vs. the Jaguars, even as recent as in 2019. Rivers has regressed as a passer due to age, but the Jaguars and their new-look defense needs to prove they can hold their own against the veteran.
