Week 1 will be a battle of streaks for the Colts

When the Indianapolis Colts take on the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 1 of the 2023 NFL season, two streaks will be on the line and one will have to be broken.

Now that NFL has released the official schedule for the 2023 season, the Indianapolis Colts know when they are going to play each of their opponents. Fortunately, Indy gets to start the season at home, in Lucas Oil Stadium. However, the Colts will be taking on the defending champions of the AFC South, the Jacksonville Jaguars.

When Indy and the Jaguars meet in Week 1, two separate streaks will be on the line. However, they are streaks that can’t coexist, and one of them will end with the outcome of the game. The first streak is the season-opener streak for the Colts. Indianapolis hasn’t won a season opener in nine straight seasons.

Prior to last year, it was an 8-game-season-opening losing streak, but since Indy had a draw with the Houston Texans last season, it’s just a nine-consecutive-seasons-without-a-season-opening-win streak now.

The other streak is Indy’s home-winning streak against the Jaguars. Much has been made about how the Colts can’t win in Jacksonville, but Indy has also ran off five-straight home victories over the Jaguars in Lucas Oil Stadium. In Week 1 of the 2023 season, something will have to give.

Which streak will survive the Colts vs. Jaguars Week 1 matchup?

Either Jacksonville will finally get a win in Indy, or the Colts will finally win a season opener. There’s also the rare chance that the game could end in a draw, and that would give Indy a tie in back-to-back season openers. It’s hard to even imagine the last time that happened.

The early edge certainly leans towards the Jaguars getting a win an extending Indy’s winless-home-opener streak. Jacksonville is the defending AFC South champs, and they are in much better shape than the Colts as a team. Indy will probably be starting a rookie quarterback and will also have a first-year head coach.

The expectation will likely be for Indianapolis to lose this game. However, the Colts can do the unexpected, break a streak, and keep another one alive; that’s what sports are all about.

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