The Colts get set to face the Jaguars for the second time this season. They won the first matchup, can they win the second one too?
The Colts and the Jags are going in two opposite directions. The Colts have won five straight games and are in the hunt for the playoffs. On the other hand, the Jags are 3-8 and sliding towards the top of the draft. These things weren’t the case just three weeks ago.
Three weeks ago, the Colts and Jags met for the first time. They were both 3-5 and trying to hold onto their seasons. Indy was able to hold on, winning 29-26. Since then, the Jags have yet to win and Indianapolis has yet to lose.
Going into this game, the Jaguars are in turmoil. They just benched their starting quarterback, and their star running back is suspended on Sunday for fighting against the Bills. Without Leonard Fournette and Cody Kessler now starting, I’m just not sure how they move the ball.
This could be a classic trap game for the Colts. They will face the division leading Houston Texans next week. The Jags are an inferior opponent. There could be a tendency to overlook them and look ahead towards the battle with Houston.
But head coach Frank Reich will not let that happen. He will have this team locked in and ready to go. He knows that this is a critical time of the season, and they have to beat the teams that they should if they want to make that push towards the playoffs.
The Jaguars are a team that clearly is just going through the motions and want this season to end. That’s good for the Colts if they can stay focused. And if they can, there’s no reason they won’t walk out Sunday with a win.