Colts Offense, Coaches Bounce Back with Strong Game Plan in Win over Jaguars

Winning cures all, or so they say. If that's true, then playing the Jacksonville Jaguars is the equivalent to a fairy from The Legend of Zelda. 

It doesn't matter if you're the previously hapless Washington Redskins or the teetering Indianapolis Colts: Everybody is feeling good after playing the Jaguars. For the Colts, Jacksonville has occasionally been a tough opponent, but over the last three years, the good times as a Jaguar have gotten progressively worse. The Colts' largest wins in each of the last two seasons came on trips to Jacksonville, and the latest showing may be the best win of 2014. 

Despite allowing a few scores in garbage time, including a fake-spike touchdown pass with just 18 seconds remaining, the Colts defeated Jacksonville 44-17 on Sunday, a throttling that still wasn't as close as the final score. 

Phelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press

It was a reminder of how bad Jacksonville has looked to start the season, which makes it difficult to take too much from the performance. The Colts won't face another opponent as weak as the Jaguars, so they can't be expected to repeat the performance. 

But, there were still some very positive trends to take from the game, and it started with coaching, which came out with an aggressive game plan both offensively and defensively. The aggression was a much different approach from Week 2, when the Colts came out attempting to establish a ground game. Against the Jaguars, the Colts repeatedly spread the field with four or five players and allowed Luck to sling the ball around. 

As a result, Luck finished with the best statistical game of his career, going 31-of-39 for 370 yards and four touchdowns. The four touchdowns tied a career-high for Luck, but it was the efficiency that stood out for the third-year pro and the rest of the passing offense. Luck's 9.49 yards per attempt was the highest of his career, as was his 140.4 passer rating. 

Last week, the Colts' downfield passing attempts were nearly non-existent, and it was a major problem. The Philadelphia Eagles secondary is the weak link of the team (see Kirk Cousins shredding them in Week 3), and the Colts rarely tested it with downfield route combinations. If the Colts did look deep, it was often off of route combinations consisting of just two routes out of a power-running set. 

Against the Jaguars, the Colts spread the field and let Luck find the weak spots, and the results were phenomenal. This win was built on the pass, not the power-run that the Colts have attempted to build on in the past. With Luck dealing, it opened lanes up on the ground for a few big plays, but the running game was still a very small factor. 

Player	Attempts	Yards	Long	YPC	Success Rate	PFF Grade
Trent Richardson	14	57	27	4.1	23.1%	-1.2
Ahmad Bradshaw	9	65	28	7.2	55.6%	+1.7

While Trent Richardson showed some impressive patience on his 27-yard run, the rest of his carries averaged just 2.3 yards per carry, and he had only four total runs of more than three yards. Ahmad Bradshaw continued to impress, and he finished with 88 total yards and a touchdown on just 11 touches.

Point being, while the Colts were able to find occasional success on the ground, Luck finding receivers open down the field was the real treat in this one. 

Take this throw, for example. Luck hung in the pocket long enough to see Fleener crossing behind the dropping linebacker, and led him into space with a beautiful throw while being hit. 

NFL Game Rewind

Luck also had a gorgeous throw on the run, a perfect dart to Hakeem Nicks on 2nd-and-15 for a first down while rolling out to his right.

But the biggest find from the game was Donte Moncrief who saw an increase in snaps with T.Y. Hilton sitting the second half out with a minor ankle injury. Moncrief finished with four catches for 55 yards, but he was extremely versatile with big-play potential. The rookie took a screen pass for 21 yards, easily the most successful wide receiver screen since Pep Hamilton came on board. Moncrief also caught a long pass down the right sideline on a back-shoulder throw from Luck. It was a great show of confidence in the rookie, who came down with both feet in bounds for a fantastic catch. Moncrief also took short drag routes and an end around for gains, evading defenders with speed and strength.

With Moncrief showcasing his big-play ability, both down the field and through evading defenders at the line, it showed how much potential the Colts could have with the depth of their receiving corp. If Moncrief can continue to get more snaps, the Colts could have a very explosive passing offense, which is key for their Super Bowl hopes. 

It all hinges on the coaches' aggression, which has shown flashes of improvement. Chuck Pagano has made the smart decision to go for it on fourth-and-short in the red zone in each game thus far, even if the fourth-down play-calling has been suspect. Hamilton's play-calling on Sunday was a marked improvement, even if the Jaguars do make most play calls look impressive. 

The Colts, built around Andrew Luck, are a good team. They may have started 0-2, but they have the pieces to win the AFC South and contend with the AFC's best. This game was a reminder of how much firepower they truly have, if they choose to showcase it. 

Not every game will be played against a Jacksonville. But neither will every game be a close loss to a playoff team, as it was in the first two weeks. If the Colts just get out of their own way, they'll be just fine.