Colts vs Jaguars: Behind Enemy Lines

The Indianapolis Colts host the Jacksonville Jaguars this Sunday. The Colts are hoping to get back to .500 while the Jags are looking to recover from a thrashing at the hands of the Patriots last week.

We spoke with the editor of Black and Teal, Daniel Lago, to get some inside information on this week’s opponent.

1. How has Blake Bortles looked so far through three games? His numbers haven’t exactly been stellar, but are there signs that he is in fact the long term option at QB the Jags have been looking for?

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Blake Bortles has made progress from his rookie season, but I wouldn’t say it’s been enough to alleviate concerns. He had an outstanding two quarters of play in the first half of the Jaguars win over the Dolphins, but he’s been underwhelming outside of that. Bortles is still making some questionable decisions and is missing a couple of throws a game by a considerable margin. He needs to play better this week to help instill confidence in him moving forward and to give the Jaguars a chance to beat the Colts.

2. What has been the issue in the two losses this season? (Or maybe loss to the Panthers since the Patriots seem to do that to everyone.) What do the Jags need to focus on doing better as the season progresses?

The Jaguars have mostly had issues executing. Watching the tape, the scheme and the plays appear to be fine but players are just missing assignments or getting beat one-on-one. Talent is still a problem for the Jaguars and that was extremely evident in their blowout loss to the Patriots. There’s not much the Jaguars can do about that other than focus and do their individual jobs on each play.

3. Who should Colts fans watch out for in Sunday’s game? Is there a player making a particular impact on either side of the ball?

Allen Robinson has been the Jaguars most consistent playmaker on offense through 3 weeks, but he’ll have a hard time producing if Vontae Davis is on the field. The Colts should key in on rookie running back T.J. Yeldon as the Jaguars are intent on getting him going.
Defensively, the Colts need to account for Telvin Smith. The second year linebacker has been all over the field and is probably the Jaguars best all around defensive player with Sen’Derrick Marks still out. Smith has been extremely close to tipping or intercepting a few passes this season and I wouldn’t be shocked if he gets his hand on the ball in this game.

4. What needs to happen in order for the Jags to head back to Florida with a win?

Realistically, the Jaguars need Andrew Luck to stay in this funk he’s in. The team is still waiting on Blake Bortles to put it all together, but for now it’s too much to expect the offense to score more than 24 or so points. That means the defense needs to keep Luck and the Colts’ offense in check.

5. What is your prediction for Sunday’s matchup? Who wins, and why?

Last week’s comeback victory against the Titans looked like the turning point for the Colts this season and I wouldn’t be shocked if Luck and company get into a groove in this game. The Jaguars literally couldn’t get Tom Brady and his offense off the field last week (9 straight scores to start the game) and Andrew Luck is too good to keep playing as poorly as he has.

Colts 27 – Jaguars 19

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