Colts vs. Jaguars: Full Indianapolis Game Preview

Well, that could have gone a little bit better for the Indianapolis Colts.

Coming off of a three-game winning streak including a win against the Denver Broncos, the Colts looked to have finally turned their season around and were poised for a strong run of form to boost them into the playoffs with momentum. But a 45-10 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers pretty much ends all that, and Indianapolis is in a worse place than it has been at any point this year.

Now the Colts face what is essentially a must-win game against the Jacksonville Jaguars this Sunday, still without Andrew Luck and without any of the momentum they had before the loss.

This season, games against the AFC South are more important than those against non-division foes with the Colts holding onto their lead because of their undefeated record against the Texans, Jaguars and Titans, so a trip to Jacksonville is essentially do-or-die at this late point in the season.

Let’s take a look at the Indianapolis Colts' matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars and see which team is more likely to come out on top in the crucial AFC South clash.

Viewing Info

Location: EverBank Field, Jacksonville, Florida

Date: Sunday, Dec. 13

Time: 1 p.m. ET

TV: CBS

Week 13 Results and Recap

Fred Vuich/Associated Press

This Indianapolis Colts season has had a lot of highs and a lot of lows, but few points for any NFL team can be lower than watching Charlie Whitehurst lead your team’s offense while trailing by 35 points.

But that was the point at which the Colts found themselves, with Matt Hasselbeck suffering an injury late in a blowout defeat to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday Night Football, ending a three-game winning streak for Indianapolis in the process.

Dominated in all aspects of the game, Indianapolis couldn’t take advantage of early opportunities and Steeler turnovers and was quickly demolished after taking a 10-6 lead in the second quarter.

Antonio Brown and Ben Roethlisberger embarrassed Vontae Davis, while DeAngelo Williams proved to be the superior veteran running back to Frank Gore, at least for a night. Offensively things weren’t much better, with the Colts' elite receivers disappearing entirely and Hasselbeck playing his worst game of the year.

Fortunately for the Colts, Houston also lost, so their lead in the AFC South is still intact. But with the records still the same, Indianapolis has to play each game like it is a must-win or risk falling out of the playoff hunt.

AFC South Standings

Indianapolis Colts (6-6)

Houston Texans (6-6)

Jacksonville Jaguars (4-8)

Tennessee Titans (3-9)

News and Notes

Fred Vuich/Associated Press

Colts stay in first place, but only just

Indianapolis has been quite lucky with the timing of its winning streaks so far this year, with the first coming against AFC South opponents and the second matching the Colts win for win with the Houston Texans.

With their winning streak coming to an end against the Pittsburgh Steelers last Sunday, the Colts were spared chasing the Texans from behind as Houston fell to the Buffalo Bills. The defeat means Indianapolis holds onto its division lead for at least another week, but with the only difference a tiebreaker, the margins are razor thin for Indianapolis this week against Jacksonville.

Pass-rush problems costing the Colts

For most of the season, the Colts secondary has been largely to blame for the team’s struggles at stopping the pass, but in recent weeks the real culprit has reared its ugly head, as the Indianapolis pass rush continues to be among the league’s worst.

Despite having a player like Robert Mathis on the roster and receiving more playing time than he was at the start of the season, Indianapolis has been unable to pressure the quarterback with anything approaching consistency. If things don’t improve, it could be the thing that costs Indianapolis a spot in the playoffs.

Frank Gore finding more success as receiver than rusher

When he was brought in during the offseason, veteran Frank Gore was largely expected to turn things around for the Colts' long-struggling rushing attack, and while he hasn’t done so yet and has failed to breach the 100-yard barrier this season, he has found an unexpected role with Indianapolis.

In two of the team's last three games, Gore has gained more yards through the air than on the ground and has become a regular dropoff option for Hasselbeck. With 49 yards and a score against Pittsburgh, the running back was one of the few highlights in a tough loss and could be a big two-way threat moving forward.

Latest Injury News

Don Wright/Associated Press

QB Andrew Luck Did Not Practice

Still no Luck this week, which isn’t much of a surprise. He isn’t practicing and will need to get a couple of those in before he can return to game action, but he is throwing and sprinting now, which means he is that much closer to returning.

QB Matt Hasselbeck Full Practice

While Luck has been out with his injuries, the Colts have turned to Hasselbeck to carry the team, and he has had plenty of success overall. But against Pittsburgh he played his worst game of the year and left in the fourth quarter with a neck and back injury.

After Hasselbeck practiced fully on Wednesday, though, it appears the Colts won’t have to turn to Whitehurst against the Jacksonville Jaguars, which is a huge boost to the team’s chances, especially if Hasselbeck can play like he did for his first four starts.

WR Phillip Dorsett Full Practice

The Colts' first-round pick this offseason was seen as a bit of excess when adding him to a deep and talented receiving corps. But with Andre Johnson struggling and Donte Moncrief inconsistent, Phillip Dorsett seemed to have a role within the Indianapolis offense.

But an ankle injury against the New Orleans Saints has kept him out since late October, ruining any chance he had to establish himself as a weapon. A full practice Wednesday, though, could signal his return against a weak Jacksonville secondary.

CB Greg Toler Limited Practice

Greg Toler has been unarguably the Colts' weak link in the secondary this season, which is saying something. Getting burned in nearly every game he has played by the opponent’s second or third receiver, it has been a tough year for the cornerback.

But he is still the starter, which could mean things are worse lower down on the depth chart. So Toler being limited in practice could be a blow for the Colts if he isn’t available to go, especially against the high-flying Jaguars.

All injury updates via Colts.com

Key Matchups

Don Wright/Associated Press

Jacksonville Offensive Line vs. Indianapolis Pass Rush

For the briefest of moments, the Indianapolis Colts had hope about their pass rush this season. A five-sack performance against the Buccaneers was a huge surprise and seemed like an encouraging sign of things to come.

But against the Steelers things were worse than ever. No sacks and no pressure on Roethlisberger made it far too easy for Pittsburgh to pick Indianapolis apart. If Jacksonville can keep the Colts pass rush from getting going—which isn’t an achievement at this point in the year—it will be felt throughout the defense and could be a good start to the upset for the Jaguars.

Indianapolis Receivers vs. Jacksonville Cornerbacks

Last week the Colts couldn’t take advantage of a weak Pittsburgh Steelers pass defense, with T.Y. Hilton and Moncrief struggling for relevancy throughout the game, but they now get a do-over against the Jaguars.

Jacksonville has had issues stopping the pass all season, and after watching Marcus Mariota torch the secondary, the Colts receivers have to be looking forward to their chances of bouncing back this week. If the unit puts in another stinker for Indianapolis, it will be hard to get back in the winning column.

Matchup X-Factor

Don Wright/Associated Press

WR Donte Moncrief

Last week was not Moncrief’s week. After putting up huge numbers against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the young receiver was expected to build on that performance against a struggling Steelers secondary.

Instead he recorded just one catch on one target and was rendered useless for almost the entire game. Granted, the entire Colts offense struggled against Pittsburgh, but Moncrief needed to have a big game if they were going to extend the winning streak. But he played arguably his worst game of the year, catching one target for 33 yards.

This week, though, could be his redemption story, as the Jaguars are ranked No. 26 in the league in passing yards allowed, setting things up perfectly for another big game from Moncrief. If both teams put up big numbers, it is tough to imagine Moncrief not seeing his fair share of catches Sunday.

As is usually the case—even if it wasn’t against Pittsburgh—Hilton is almost a sure thing in terms of production, so Moncrief tends to be the wild card of the offense. If he has a big game, it usually means great things for the Colts, while the opposite remains just as likely.

Whatever momentum is lingering from the Tampa Bay game needs to be captured by the Colts and Moncrief or the season could take an even darker turn against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Prediction Colts 31, Jaguars 20

Fred Vuich/Associated Press

There isn’t a lot to be positive about when it comes to the Indianapolis Colts at this point in the season. The team is coming off its most lopsided defeat of the year, Andrew Luck is still hurt and the division lead is the smallest it possibly can be.

But there is a silver lining for the Colts despite all of this negativity created from the loss to Pittsburgh: This week they get to play an AFC South opponent.

It has been nearly three years since Indianapolis has lost to a division opponent, and there aren't a lot of reasons to believe that Jacksonville will be the team to end that streak. Coming off back-to-back losses to the Chargers and Titans, the Jaguars have fallen off since battling their way into contention for the division title a few weeks ago.

All season, the defense has been suspect for Jacksonville and should be the perfect remedy for the Colts' offensive woes last week, even if the Jaguars are poised for a big offensive game of their own.

In what could be a shootout, the Colts' talent will win out on both sides of the ball and do enough to pull out another victory, getting back above .500 for the season and holding onto the lead in the AFC South as the season slowly approaches its finale.

Prediction: Colts 31, Jaguars 20