3 Keys For the Jaguars' Defense Vs. the Colts' Offense...and Philip Rivers

Defensive Coordinator Todd Wash, defensive end Josh Allen and middle linebacker Joe Schobert break down the three keys for the Jacksonville Jaguars defensive against the Indianapolis Colts offense.

In theory, the foe is familiar. It’s the Indianapolis Colts. It’s Phillip Rivers. These are both opponents the Jacksonville Jaguars know well. But in reality, it’s going to be an entirely different ball game.

“Oh Lord, I have no idea what they have done different,” guffawed Jags defensive end Josh Allen, before laughing, “I hope they still run the same offense they ran last year.”

When the Jaguars defeated the Colts to close out the 2019 season, Indianapolis was quarterbacked by Jacoby Brissett. When the Jaguars lost 45-10 to Phillip Rivers in Week 14 of the 2019 season, he was running point for the Los Angeles Chargers.

Now the two have joined forces and Rivers will be leading the Colts into TIAA Bank Field on Sunday for the first game of the season. As the Jaguars defense has game planned this week, they’ve identified three keys for stopping Rivers and the Colts offense.

Philip Rivers defeated the Jaguars 45-10 last season. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

Stop the run 

This one isn’t all together surprising, considering it was also a key thing the Jags defense focused on all offseason. Defensive Coordinator Todd Wash knows his unit was found lacking in that department in 2019 and put an emphasis on it for 2020.

The Jags will open up against two divisional opponents that lean on the run. Middle linebacker Joe Schobert sees it as an opportunity to prove what they’ve learned.

“They’re big run-focused offenses and our big focus this year is on the defensive side of the ball to be able to stop the run. So, it’s going to be a true test of what we got here in Jacksonville and I’m looking forward to it.”

The Colts ran for 132 yards in their loss to the Jags last December, but Schobert sees the play action as the biggest thing to watch, especially in the middle of the field.

“I imagine they’ll be a similar offense to what they ran in the past and Philip [Rivers] has familiarity with [Colts Head Coach] Frank Reich’s scheme being in San Diego back in the day together. I think they’re a run first offense and they build everything off of that.

"They do a good job creating formations to try to out leverage you, try to get you out of your gaps. They’re able to take advantage of it and then off of those play actions, they’re able to hit shots over the middle and down the field. So, you have to do a really good job stopping the run and knocking that out and that will make the game a little bit easier for us.”

Recognize Patterns

As Schobert mentioned, there is some carryover given that Colts Head Coach Frank Reich was Rivers position coach and OC from 2013-2015. The Jaguars have taken those years into account when creating their game plan. They’ve also looked back at what both the Colts and Rivers did against them separately in 2019.

Beginning with Rivers, Wash and the defensive have identified patterns.

“Last year when we played [Rivers] here obviously we did not play very well that game so you know obviously we have an idea how he attacks us. We've worked heavy on that kind of stuff over the last 10 days or so, and you know we got to give him credit at the same time, but I think a lot of it's really going to come down to what we do, not what Phil does.”

What they do will depend somewhat on what Philip is doing however, especially within the Colts scheme. How those two things have been married will be the first thing Josh Allen is looking for through the first two series.

It’s almost showtime. 🎬 pic.twitter.com/zAAwrx2jKs

— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) September 11, 2020

“I don't know if they're gonna change for him, or he's going to change for them…they could do they could change their whole offense to spread offense or something so we'll see play one.

“I feel like the first two series are the most key because they're really gonna get to what they want. I feel like if they’re in the same formation that we studied in practice, then we know it's probably not going to change throughout the whole game. So, hopefully—or whatever I don't care what offense they run—I know what we have a job to do. And we're going to execute what we have to do and hopefully, willingly, we will stop them.”

Don’t Get Emotional

Rivers is a notorious trash talker, of the cleanest variety. The 17-year veteran is also a future Hall of Famer. Both elicit strong emotions. So for the second year Allen, balancing those emotions will be perhaps the most overlooked yet biggest key of the day.

“Man, I'm excited. I'm just excited to play against them…I think he's gonna go down as one of the best quarterbacks to play this game, to strap up and just to start the season and I get to play him twice a year, so just to start that—start the season off against them. Good offensive line. It’s definitely exciting, and I can't wait to really play against him. And it's gonna be I think I feel like it's going to be a really good game, and we prepared ourselves for this for a very long time, mentally, physically, and emotionally. And we're just all excited to play.”

Defensive players give Rivers a stellar reputation...as a guy and trash talker. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

But the trash talking, which Allen says gets annoying sometimes, is part of Rivers game. Allen is teaching those around him to remember it’s just a tactic, and don’t let it get under the skin and ruin their game.

“If they have like a little lead, like I know last year with Philip, they was beating us and he just was just going and going and going and going and, you know, emotionally people got mad and really got out of their lane and started to just really want to hit him. And we can't do that. So we have to be ready emotionally.”