Latest News and Notes Ahead of Jets vs. Colts on Monday Night

The Indianapolis Colts were tipped as Super Bowl contenders before the season, but that projection will be re-evaluated if they fail to beat the New York Jets on Monday night.

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0-2 teams only make the playoffs 12% of the time since 1990. (SEA,PHI,BAL,DET,NYG,CHI,NO and HOU all 0-2) pic.twitter.com/3QQRLiC2WK

— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) September 21, 2015"

This is an alarming stat, but one that Chuck Pagano won’t worry about too much—the Colts were 0-2 last season yet still reached the AFC Championship Game.

Nevertheless, to head into Week 3 without a win would raise serious questions about the potential of Pagano’s team.

The Colts head coach will be buoyed by the expected appearance of T.Y. Hilton, who left last week’s loss to Buffalo with a bruised knee. Hilton led the Colts with seven receptions for 88 yards last week and will be active, according to ProFootballTalk.

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Per source, Colts WR T.Y. Hilton (knee) is expected to play tonight. He's officially listed as questionable.

— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) September 21, 2015"

He will line up against a Jets secondary that may well feature Antonio Cromartie.

The Jets have listed the cornerback as questionable after he suffered a sprained knee in the Week 1 win against Cleveland, but he could play, according to ProFootballTalk.

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The status of Jets CB Antonio Cromartie (knee) for tonight remains up in the air, but he feels good and has good chance to play, per source.

— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) September 21, 2015"

Chris Ivory (groin) is also listed as questionable, although it’s good news regarding Ivory’s status, according to CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora.

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Chris Ivory good to go for the Jets. Expect him to set a physical tone for them Monday night

— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) September 20, 2015"

Lorenzo Mauldin (concussion) is out, and Darrin Walls (hamstring) is doubtful, but second-round pick Devin Smith (ribs) participated fully all of last week and is a game-time decision for Todd Bowles, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News.

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Jets rookie WR Devin Smith (ribs) will be a game-time decision on Monday night vs Colts, per Todd Bowles. #nyj

— Manish Mehta (@MMehtaNYDN) September 18, 2015"

For Indy, cornerbacks Darius Butler (hip) and Gregory Toler (neck) are out, while Robert Mathis (Achilles) is listed as questionable.

When Andrew Luck last faced a Bowles-orchestrated defense in an 11-40 thumping at the hands of the Arizona Cardinals in 2013, he was 20-of-39 passing for 163 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

Yet that hasn’t stopped Bowles calling Luck a “nightmare” to plan for.

Bowles was full of praise for the Colts quarterback, via Jesse Reed of Fox Sports: “He does so many things well. Trying to concentrate on him is kind of hard sometimes. Like I said, he can beat you with his arm, he can beat you with his feet, he can beat you with his brains.”

Bowles’ counterpart Pagano, who worked with the Jets head coach as a defensive assistant in Cleveland from 2001-04, returned the favor by lauding the Jets star, Darrelle Revis, via ESPN’s Mike Wells: “It’s like fine wine, they just keep getting better with age. I don’t see any difference in Darrelle. He’s a great, great player and he’s very, very smart. Great competitor, and he’s got all the physical skills, but he’s so crafty and he’s so smart.”

Luck threw an interception to Revis in the 2014 AFC Championship Game against the Patriots, and he’s aware of the threat posed by the veteran cornerback. “He’s cerebral, he’s athletic. He still plays like he’s a 25-year-old, 26-year-old in terms of athleticism, but he plays with the experience of a guy who’s been around for a bunch of years,” he said, via Wells.

NFL.com projects that Luck will score 26.24 fantasy points this week, but that number will depend on Hilton’s health and the production of Andre Johnson and Donte Moncrief, who only had 70 receiving yards combined in Week 1.

For the Jets, Brandon Marshall is a good selection, given the Colts’ health concerns at cornerback.

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Last time Brandon Marshall played in Lucas Oil Stadium, he had an NFL-record 21 receptions. Does Vontae Davis draw that assignment tonight?

— Kevin Bowen (@KBowenColts) September 21, 2015"

That’s always a good omen.

Heading into 2015 Chuck Pagano is 14-1 after a loss as Colts head coach, per Bowen, and it’s hard to imagine that becoming 14-2 Monday night—the Colts, with their potent offense, will win 35-17.

And with that, the Colts’ march to the Super Bowl can begin.