Last time Colts HC Frank Reich was in Jacksonville, he was coaching for Carson Wentz’s job.
These days? The environment is a little breezier, and Jim Irsay is doing 35% less “barging into rooms” now that Wentz has been evacuated.
Unfortunately, the well-earned change under center to Matt Ryan wasn’t enough to prevent an extremely annoying Week 1 tie in Houston, which felt like kissing a goalpost.
This week, Indianapolis’ road warriors will revisit the scene of last year’s Week 18 crime, attempting to change their fate this time around and run their record to 1-1. They’re going to need to do exactly that, too, considering the Kansas City Chiefs are on the docket for next weekend’s home opener, and there’s no more Andrew Luck to save them with a furious rally.
Davis Mills looks like the friskiest QB in the division. The Titans are downtrodden without AJ Brown (like, “losing to the Giants” downtrodden). The Jaguars will present an obstacle this week, but the Colts need to make a statement, with a golden opportunity ahead of them.
Colts Prop Bets
*These odds are courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook as of Friday, Sept. 16, and are subject to change*
1. Anytime TD Scorer: James Robinson (+170)
The Colts’ run defense is fresh off wrecking Dameon Pierce’s fantasy MVP case in Houston (sorry, kid), but though they’re sure to be stingy once again, Robinson is too good to be held down, especially if you expect the Jags to be in catchup mode (and we do). Robinson soaked up 49% of the Week 1 snaps and split the red zone targets with Travis Etienne (three a piece), but a running back getting 50% of the opportunities at plus odds this high is a good value. Doesn’t mean they’ll win, though.
2. First TD Scorer: Jonathan Taylor (+340)
+340?! Have a little fun. The Colts want to make an early statement, and what better statement is there than ramming the ball down the defense’s throat with a ground-and-pound? There’s no better option to execute that plan than JT28.
3. First TD/Moneyline Parlay: Jonathan Taylor, Colts to Win (+470)
If you believe in Indianapolis winning this game (hardly an upset), why not tie in the logical Taylor pick and multiply your winnings exponentially?
Colts will be challenged with a Jaguars team that is even more competitive than last season
The Indianapolis Colts will travel to Jacksonville to take on a Jaguars team that has much more talent than they did in recent years.