Indianapolis Colts vs. Jacksonville Jaguars: Breaking Down the Jags' Game Plan

The Jacksonville Jaguars are now 0-2 after a devastating loss to the Washington Redskins last week. This week, they host the rival Indianapolis Colts in their home opener, and things already have a sense of urgency about them in Jacksonville. 

The Jaguars offensive line was just that...offensive. It allowed a franchise-record 10 sacks (an 11th sack was negated due to penalty) and failed to open up any sort of running room. The Redskins dominated the time of possession, having the ball for nearly 40 minutes. The Jaguars defense got worn down fast while the offense couldn't move the ball to save its life for most of the game. Chad Henne threw for 193 yards, but 117 of them came on two plays.

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This defeat marks the second straight demoralizing loss for the Jaguars. They were hoping to bounce back after giving up 34 straight points to the Philadelphia Eagles, but they ended up giving up 21 straight points to the Kirk Cousins-led Redskins before finally scoring a touchdown at the end of the first half. Just prior to that touchdown, the Jaguars had been outscored 55-0 in their previous four quarters. 

With the Colts coming to town eager for their first win of the season as well, this is as important a game as it gets for the Jaguars this early on in the season. There is plenty of work to be done if the Jaguars want any chance of victory. With this in mind, let's break down the Jaguars' game plan against the Colts.

On Offense

The biggest issue facing the Jaguars is very simple: the offensive line.

The Jaguars offensive line was absolutely abysmal last week, and it wasn't much better the week before. Along with giving up 10 sacks last week, it failed to open any running lanes for Toby Gerhart, resulting in seven carries for eight yards. More often than not, Gerhart was hit in the backfield before he could get a head of steam going. The sheer fact that he was able to grind out eight yards is nothing short of a miracle.

The performance last week cost two players their jobs as center Jacques McClendon was benched in favor of sixth-round rookie Luke Bowanko and right tackle Cameron Bradfield, who started in place of an injured Austin Pasztor, was released earlier in the week. These moves won't necessarily turn things around immediately for the team, but surely they won't hurt...right?

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The offensive line's inability to block has crippled this offense's potential. Henne has had almost no time to go through his progressions and find open receivers. This is something the Jags offensive line must change this week, especially since it is facing a very weak pass rush. If it can't give Henne time to throw this week, it's hard to imagine he will find any luck throughout the season. 

Moving on from the offensive line, the key player in this game will be Allen Robinson. Robinson is the only healthy starter in the receiving corps this week as Marqise Lee and Marcedes Lewis are both out, and Cecil Shorts and Allen Hurns didn't fully practice until Friday due to injury.

Robinson had a big game against the Redskins, posting four receptions for 75 yards, including a 54-yard catch that allowed him to show off his speed and ability to make yards after the catch. Because of this ability, Robinson will be heavily relied upon to be the playmaker for this offense. 

Another X-factor could be Denard Robinson. I just wrote up an article outlining the ways the Jaguars could use him to provide a spark to the offense. He would help give a little more variety to the run game that has featured Gerhart futilely running the ball up the middle. Robinson has just three carries on the season, so it will be interesting to see if he is utilized more this week.

Keys to Success

1. Protect the quarterback, open up running lanes
2. Push the ball downfield, be more aggressive through the air

On Defense

If it weren't for how badly the Jaguars offense played last week, there would be a lot more attention on the Jaguars secondary. Missing starting strong safety Johnathan Cyprien, the secondary seemed lost in coverage, giving up multiple big plays on busted coverages.

The area the Jaguars have struggled the most is against tight ends. Niles Paul dominated the Jaguars last week, hauling in eight passes for 99 yards and a touchdown. He seemingly could run through the Jaguars defense at will. This follows a three-reception, 77-yard, one-touchdown performance by Zach Ertz in the Philly game. 

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These are two issues that can seriously haunt the Jaguars this week against the Colts. They feature a trio of good receivers in Hakeem Nicks, T.Y. Hilton and Reggie Wayne. Hilton and Nicks especially could pose problems given their big-play potential. The Colts also feature a pair of dynamic tight ends in Coby Fleener and Dwayne Allen. These two could wreak havoc in the secondary. 

The Jaguars have also been extremely susceptible to opposing running attacks. In Week 1, the Jaguars gave up over 140 yards to Darren Sproles and LeSean McCoy. Last week, they gave up 191 yards total. This has helped expose the Jaguars' suspect secondary on play-action passes. 

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Lost in these two poor performances is how well the Jaguars' pass rush has been playing. The Jaguars are currently second in the league with eight sacks. This is a huge turnaround for the team as it already has a quarter of the number of sacks it had total last year. The pass rush will need to show up again this week as the Jaguars face Andrew Luck. Luck is one of the best young quarterbacks in the league, and if he is given too much time in the pocket, he will shred this Jacksonville defense. 

Keys to Success

1. Shore up coverage, don't give up big plays
2. Put pressure on Luck, don't let him get comfortable

Conclusion

This is going to be a tough matchup for the Jaguars. The Colts have suffered two close defeats and will be looking to prove they are among the elite teams in the league. The Jaguars will have to play to the absolute best of their abilities if they want to pull out a win.

If the Jaguars can at least keep it a close game and show some signs of growth, it should be considered a victory regardless of the scoreline.