1. Colts Win by Less Than a Touchdown
The Jaguars will keep this battle with the Colts closer than folks are anticipating.
Everybody and their mother is assuming that Indianapolis will rout Jacksonville in this one, and we’re here to tell you to NOT hop on that bandwagon. This isn’t to say that the Jaguars will surprise some folks and win more games than expected, but they have the talent — at least on offense — to take some teams to the brink of an upset.
Don’t be surprised if fearless gunslinger Gardner Minshew keeps the Jags within striking distance for most of the game. His rapport with wide receiver DJ Chark was one of the surprise stories of the NFL last season, and we’re expecting the young studs to pick up right where they left off.
The Colts pass defense ranked 23rd in yards allowed per game and, despite the additions general manager Chris Ballard made this offseason (cornerback Xavier Rhodes and defensive tackle DeForest Bucker are the two that stick out), it might take the secondary a few games to hit its stride.
For that reason, coupled with Minshew’s intrepid style of play, we see Indianapolis making its fanbase sweat out this should-be easy victory.