Jaguars VS Colts Preview

The Jacksonville Jaguars and Indianapolis Colts will face off this Sunday at 1 p.m. Both squads currently sit in the middle of the AFC South, with the Jaguars at 2-3 and the Colts at 2-2-1. The Jaguars suffered a tough 13-6 loss to the Houston Texans last week. Meanwhile, the Colts came away with an ugly 12-9 win over the Denver Broncos in their last time out. In their first matchup earlier this season, the Jaguars came away with a 24-0 shutout victory. Both teams look to come away with some momentum in a key divisional game this weekend.

A Turbulent Start for the Colts

Indianapolis has already endured its fair share of ups and downs to start the season. They kicked off their 2022 campaign with a 20-20 tie against the Houston Texans in Week One. After being shut out by the Jaguars the following week, the Colts responded in week three with a 20-17 win over the Kansas City Chiefs. They went on to split their next two games with a 24-17 loss to the division-leading Titans and their subsequent win over the Broncos.

The Colts defense has allowed the team to stay afloat despite its shaky offense so far. They rank in the top 10 across the league in yards allowed (312.6) and points allowed (18.8) per game. On the other side of the ball, the Colts rank dead last in the NFL in points per game (13.8). Veteran quarterback Matt Ryan has left a lot to be desired so far; in his five starts this year, Ryan has thrown for 1376 yards, five touchdowns and seven interceptions. His 35.6 QBR does not even crack the top 20 for quarterbacks across the league.

Carson Wentz interceptions last season: 7

Matt Ryan interceptions so far this season: 7

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) October 7, 2022

The injury status of Colts star running back Jonathan Taylor will also be something to keep an eye on. Taylor led the league with 1811 rushing yards and 18 rushing touchdowns last season. He has racked up 328 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown in four games this season. Taylor missed last week’s matchup against the Broncos with an ankle injury. After missing practice on Wednesday, Taylor returned to the field on Thursday in a limited fashion. It remains unclear if he will suit up on Sunday afternoon.

Jaguars Looking To Bounce Back

The Jaguars enter Sunday’s matchup following back-to-back losses in their last two games. Following a 2-1 start that featured a massive 38-10 win over the Los Angeles Chargers in week three, Jacksonville has lost some steam in the past couple of weeks. They averaged 28.0 points per game in the first three weeks of the season, whereas they have averaged 17.0 points per game in the last two weeks.

The defensive unit in Jacksonville has certainly held its own so far this season. The Jaguars’ defense has only allowed 16.0 points per game, which ranks as the fourth-best in the NFL. Linebacker Devin Lloyd currently leads the team with 49 tackles and 2 interceptions. On offense, Jacksonville has maintained a solid passing attack as well. Second-year quarterback and former #1 pick Trevor Lawrence has already taken a major step forward from last season. Lawrence has thrown for 1232 yards, eight touchdowns and four interceptions in five games this season.

Jacksonville’s backfield has served as one of the team’s biggest strengths so far this season. Third-year running back James Robinson has led the charge with 286 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns. However, second-year running back Travis Etienne Jr. has been close behind him. Etienne has rushed for 215 yards and chipped in with 124 receiving yards as well. He has also averaged 4.9 yards per carry compared to Robinson’s 4.1. With Robinson having struggled in his last two games, only rushing for 56 yards on 18 carries, the Jaguars’ offense may need to lean on Etienne more in the coming weeks, including in this Sunday’s game against Indianapolis.

Travis Etienne was a sparkplug for the Jaguars' offense. With more explosive plays needed in both areas of the offense, he could provide a lot of answers pic.twitter.com/rbEm6pi7Vh

— John Shipley (@_John_Shipley) October 13, 2022

Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. this Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.