Colts: 3 bold predictions for Week 1 battle with Jaguars

Here are three bold predictions for the Colts in their Week 1 matchup against Jacksonville.

The NFL might not have the beginning of September to itself this year thanks to the global pandemic forcing other leagues to go on hiatus for three months before resuming, but you can bet that fans are counting down the hours until their favorite teams kickoff in Week 1.

It goes without saying that getting off to a 1-0 start is great for morale and momentum moving forward, and the Indianapolis Colts are heavy favorites to do just that against the Jacksonville Jaguars, who have cut bait with seemingly every player that doesn’t fit into their evident rebuild.

That takes nothing away from head coach Frank Reich’s side, who understandably have lofty expectations this season following a 7-9 finish last campaign. It just helps to start off playing against a team that’s widely projected to finish with the worst record in the league.

This game obviously doesn’t have the box office appeal that some of the other primetime matchups do, but it could still make for some shocking developments. After all, both sides will be entering having no preseason tune-up to shake off the rust.

As valuable as simulated games and live scrimmages are, they come nowhere close to replicating the speed of an actual NFL game. With that in mind, let’s dive into some bold predictions for the Colts’ clash against Jacksonville.

3. Parris Campbell Posts 130 Receiving Yards and 2 Touchdowns

Colts WR Parris Campbell is poised to light up the Jaguars defense.

For those wondering if this prediction has anything to do with the rave reviews that Parris Campbell has received throughout training camp, you would be correct. It’s worth noting the 23-year-old wide receiver was involved in a minor car accident in late August and subsequently missed practice for a few weeks while in the NFL’s concussion protocol.

However, he was activated last Thursday and deemed a “full-go” in practice ahead of Week 1 against Jacksonville, so we fully expect the Colts to make him a focal part of the offensive game plan. It goes without saying that Campbell could really prove to benefit from getting off to a hot start after his highly-anticipated rookie campaign was marred by injuries.

The 2019 second-round pick featured in just seven games (three starts), across which he managed only 18 receptions for 127 yards. He figures to be Indianapolis’ No. 3 receiver behind the likes of TY Hilton and Michael Pittman Jr. but that role undoubtedly suits him best, as he thrived as a slot receiver at Ohio State. And speaking of the slot, Trey Burton isn’t there to help drive the offense just yet.

Assuming the Colts establish the run early, expect Rivers to take a handful of deep shots at Campbell, who he’s raved about at camp, in play action situations. Let’s get crazy and say that the former Buckeye will carve up Jacksonville to the tune of 130 receiving yards and two touchdowns.

2. Colts Total 200 Rushing Yards

Expect the Colts’ run game to get off to a hot start against Jacksonville.

We absolutely love this prediction, and the only reason it didn’t come in at No. 1 on this list is because there’s actually some rationale behind it.

For starters, the Colts had one of the best rushing attacks in the NFL last year and it only got better this offseason following the selection of Jonathan Taylor, who tallied 6,174 rushing yards on 6.7 YPC over three years at Wisconsin, in the second round of the Draft. On top of that, Indianapolis’ offensive line will be returning all five of its starters after each of them logged at least 1,000 snaps in 2019.

Second, the Jaguars’ run defense couldn’t stop a nosebleed last season, allowing a whopping 139.3 yards per game, which ranked 28th in the league. In most circumstances, you would think a team could only improve in that department. Unfortunately for Jacksonville, the front office has literally traded away, released or refused to re-sign every single member of their formerly championship caliber defense over the last two years.

Expect the likes of Marlon Mack and Taylor to run rampant against the Jaguars’ sorry defense on Sunday afternoon. We’re not saying it’s a sure thing, but a 200-yard day on the ground is definitely in the cards for the Colts.

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.