What a difference two weeks make for the Indianapolis Colts. The general manager has been fired, and two of the team's best players have been traded. 2027 and beyond will look quite different in Indy.
That is a good thing, though. Fans are tired of not making the playoffs and not winning the AFC South. Neither of those things is probably going to happen this year, either. The future might be much brighter, though.
At least there is hope. That's all fans really want anyway, right?
Indianapolis Colts inactives and injury updates
Inactives
- Wide receiver Anthony Gould (concussion)
- Cornerback Justin Walley (knee)
- Other official inactives will be announced an hour and a half before kickoff
No matter who plays and who doesn't, ultimately Indy will just have to pretend that DeForest Buckner and Quenton Nelson were injured (they weren't, of course) and will miss the rest of the season. After all, any value received back from the trades won't be felt until 2027 or later.
Indianapolis will be a diminished team, and any real hope of making the playoffs is almost certainly gone. Now, it's just building for the future.
Cornerback Sauce Gardner and tight end Tyler Warren appear set to return, at least. Maybe that will change the narrative of the game.
Jaguars inactives and injury updates
Like the Colts, the Jags will need to announce their inactives an hour and a half before kickoff, and this page will be updated then. Overall, though, Jacksonville will be mostly healthy.
In other words, Jacksonville should be favored to win, and no injury concerns should be a problem for them. The hope is that the Jaguars stay healthy and Indianapolis beats them anyway. That way, it would be a straight-up victory for Indy.
How to watch Colts vs. Jaguars in Week 8
- Date: Sunday, November 1
- Time: 1 p.m. ET
- TV Network: CBS
- Announcers: Spero Dedes (play-by-play), Adam Archuleta (analyst), Aditi Kinkhabwala (sideline reporter)
If you live in the Indianapolis area, you can watch the game on WTTV (Channel 4). You can also stream the game live on NFL+ locally. If you don't live in the Indy area, you might need a subscription to YouTube TV's NFL Sunday Ticket. You can stream that from anywhere with the app.
If you want to listen to the game, you can do so on 93.5 / 107.5 The Fan, 97.1 HANK, and the Ascension St. Vincent Radio Network. You can also hear the game nationally, but you'd need a subscription to NFL+. Matt Taylor will provide play-by-play, Charles Arbuckle will do the analysis, and Larra Overton will be the sideline reporter.
Storylines to watch for Colts in Week 8
Will Daniel Jones play better?
The protection for Jones hasn't been perfect so far this season, and maybe that's one of the reasons he has struggled. The bad part is that he no longer has Quenton Nelson on the left side. Jalen Farmer is promising, but Nelson is a future Pro Football Hall of Famer.
If Jones is inaccurate, turnover-heavy, and indecisive, he needs to be replaced. Shane Steichen is unlikely to make that move, though, and that's why he shouldn't be the head coach.
Will the leftovers be competitive?
The way former general manager Chris Ballard structured the roster was top-heavy. This is why the team plummeted in the second half of last season after so many injuries occurred.
Now, the team will be without Buckner and Nelson and is still without wide receiver Alec Pierce. Can a shell of Indianapolis beat the Jaguars and the Dallas Cowboys next week? That seems unlikely.
Who might be playing to get traded?
Indianapolis might not be done making moves, of course. The trade deadline isn't until November 10, and the team will play two games before then. That means players like Jonathan Taylor, Josh Downs, and others might be playing their final games for Indy.
Downs has requested a trade, of course. What the Colts want back is unknown, but a fourth-rounder might do the trick.
Prediction
The likelihood that the Indianapolis Colts lose to the Jaguars in Jacksonville goes well beyond key players no longer being on the roster. The team hasn't won in Jacksonville since the last time Indy won the AFC South: 2014. It would be shocking if the Colts won in 2026.
The best hope is that the game is competitive. No one can be sure how the remaining Indy players will feel, knowing the team is being torn down. Maybe some will be motivated by playing for future job possibilities.
Colts 16, Jaguars 31
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