Colts about to face recently-released player against Jaguars in Week 10?
Can we chalk this up as another roster move that may come back to haunt the Indianapolis Colts? It hasn’t been a good year for general manager Chris Ballard.
Before the team’s Week 8 game against the Tennessee Titans, running back Jordan Wilkins was released to make room for rookie Dayo Odeyingbo, who has let to play an NFL snap.
Now, releasing Wilkins wasn’t something ready to rock the team to its core, but you have to wonder why he was let go in favor of Marlon Mack, who said in late September that he wanted out. In Week 9, he was a healthy scratch after Wilkins got the boot.
What’re we doing here, Indy? Jonathan Taylor and Nyheim Hines are obviously the backfield tandem, but with how bad Mack was, coupled with his trade request, why was Wilkins the casualty?
The Colts ran the risk of Wilkins landing with the Titans, who lost Derrick Henry after their Week 8 battle. But now he’s joined the Jaguars ahead of the teams’ clash in Week 10, and he might play a prominent role.
Per source, former Colts RB Jordan Wilkins had a strong workout in Jacksonville this morning and is set to join the Jaguars practice squad.
— Brad Spielberger, Esq. (@PFF_Brad) November 8, 2021
A solid opportunity for touches awaits with James Robinson still on the mend and Carlos Hyde perhaps not in the long term plans.
Former Colts RB Jordan Wilkins has joined the Jacksonville Jaguars.
It’s not out of the question that Wilkins sees reps on Sunday. After James Robinson’s injury, Carlos Hyde is the feature back in Jacksonville, and he’s averaging just 3.8 yards per rush on 54 carries so far. Not good.
Wilkins, on the other hand, has averaged 4.9 yards per carry for his career and could be utilized given what he knows about the Colts. The Jags have won two of their last three games and just took down the Buffalo Bills in a defensive battle. If they can neutralize Jonathan Taylor, force Carson Wentz to throw 50 times, and control the clock (the Jags are right in the middle of the pack with 112 rushing yards per game), it’s not out of the question they can pull off the upset given how volatile the Colts have been.
And it’d be even more embarrassing if Wilkins contributed in any capacity.
The Jags have added some help to the practice squad at the RB position and it’s a player they know well from the AFC South. https://t.co/OQDjR2j9pb
— The Jaguars Wire (@TheJaguarsWire) November 8, 2021
Bottom line: the Colts cannot lose this game. Four of their next five matchups after this will come against the Bills, Buccaneers, Patriots and Cardinals. There’s hardly any room for error against inferior opponents after Indy fumbled opportunity after opportunity away through Week 8.
Ballard also doesn’t need another damning blemish on his decision-making resumé this year, so Frank Reich better have a superior game plan featuring mistake-free football to take down the 2-7 Jaguars.
