Behind Enemy Lines: Jaguars at Colts Q&A
By Evan Reller
The Indianapolis Colts host the Jacksonville Jaguars this Sunday hoping to get back on a winning streak following last weeks debacle. I spoke with Daniel Lago, editor of Black and Teal, to get some behind the scenes information on this week’s opponent.
You can check out our answers here.
1. How has Blake Bortles performed since his debut against the Colts in Week 3? Will his wrist injury have an impact on his play Sunday?
Blake Bortles has been about what you would expect out of a rookie so far – inconsistent with both good and bad flashes. He was extremely careless with the ball in his first 4 or so starts, but he’s settled down a bit and made better decisions. He still has a long way to go, and his mechanics have deteriorated a bit as the season has gone along, but the positive flashes when he makes big plays down the field have been promising. His wrist injury shouldn’t be a factor at all on Sunday.
2. How will the passing attack adjust to the loss of Allen Robinson? What has been the fundamental issue on offense for a team that is in the bottom of the league in scoring?
The loss of Allen Robinson is a big question mark for this offense, particularly because Robinson had quickly become Bortles’ favorite target. He was the team-leader in targets by a fair margin, and he is really the only wide receiver with good size for the position. The Jaguars will likely shift most of the looks he was getting to Allen Hurns and Cecil Shorts, but fellow rookie Marqise Lee should start getting the ball more as well.
The real issue for this offense has just been the crippling turnovers. The Jaguars are 2nd in the league with 22 turnovers this season, and a handful of those have come at the hands of Bortles. Once he cuts down on the interceptions, the offense should improve considerably.
3. What does the addition of Marcedes Lewis give the offense? Will he have a dramatic impact or are the problems on this side of the ball deeper?
Marcedes Lewis isn’t the answer for this offense, but having him back certainly doesn’t hurt. He’s a great blocker and should help in the running game, but he hasn’t been a consistent difference maker as a pass catcher outside of a few plays here and there.
4. Who needs to step up in order for the Jags to leave Indianapolis with a win? Who can make a difference on each side of the ball?
I don’t think the Jaguars can do much on defense to slow down Andrew Luck, so they’ll need to rely on running back Denard Robinson to be effective and eat up the clock. If he can be anywhere near as productive as Jonas Gray was last week, then the Jaguars might be able to tire out the Colts defense and outscore Luck.
5. What is your prediction for Sunday? Who wins and why?
The Colts are coming off a brutal loss to the Patriots, and I just can’t imagine them coming back home and losing to a team like the Jaguars. They need to win this game to stay ahead of the suddenly formidable Houston Texans.
Colts 27 – Jaguars 23