Jaguars vs. Colts: What Are Experts Saying About Indianapolis?
Compared to last week, the Indianapolis Colts should cruise this week. The Jacksonville Jaguars will roll into Lucas Oil Stadium this weekend, bringing their second-class 1-9 record along with them.
With or without Ahmad Bradshaw, Indy should have absolutely no trouble laying the wood to the Jags.
Even after last week's unimpressive outing, the Colts still boast the league's top passing and overall offense.
Coupled with the Jaguars' "defense,"—which is not entirely dissimilar to this version of the Great Wall of China—one would expect more or less the same outcome of the other Colts-Jags matchup that already took place this season.
The Colts won that one 44-17, and it wasn't even that close, as the Jaguars scored a completely meaningless touchdown with 22 seconds left in the game.
Regardless of what happened earlier this season, let's see what experts are talking about now.
Mike Wells: Life with Richardson Is Scary
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In a short piece by ESPN.com's Mike Wells, he makes light of a quote from Trent Richardson regarding his role with the team going forward. Richardson was quoted as saying, "I’m going to do everything I can to get in better shape because I know I’m going to be out there more."
Wells made a point that every Colts fan can attest to. "It's a little scary to think that Richardson says he has to get in better shape when the Colts are about to play their 11th game of the season against Jacksonville on Sunday."
That rings painfully true.
Wells also detailed in the article that since joining the team in 2013, Richardson has played nine games in which he has rushed for 20 or fewer yards...out of 25...two of those are playoff games...eww.
The trade that brought Richardson to Indy feels worse with every passing week.
Mike DiRocco: Colts Need to Worry About Robinson, Not Bortles
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ESPN.com reporter Mike DiRocco revealed what he believes the Jags will look to do offensively against the Colts.
"The Jaguars are striving for balance, not only because the Colts might be susceptible against the run but because they want to take some pressure off Bortles. Tight end Marcedes Lewis returns from a high ankle sprain this week, and that’s a big help in the running game.
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As Denard Robinson is leading the Jaguars in rushing, despite only a few weeks as the starting tailback, he figures to be the prime beneficiary of this offensive balance.
Of course, Blake Bortles would also benefit from a balanced attack, as he hasn't shown the ability to shoulder the load on offense just yet.
He currently leads the NFL in interceptions, having thrown 14 through eight games.
Jeff Mezydlo: Defense Letting the Colts Down
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As Jeff Mezydlo noted in his recent piece for Yahoo Sports, the Colts defense is a big part of their recent skid.
"After allowing more than 40 points for the second time in three games and yielding a season-high 246 rushing yards, the Colts were left battered but not broken.
That means improving on a defense that allowed Ben Roethlisberger to throw six touchdowns during a 51-34 loss at Pittsburgh on Oct. 26 and Patriots rookie Jonas Gray to rush for 201 yards and four TDs.
Indianapolis, which ranked among the top 10 with 98.1 rushing yards allowed per game entering Sunday, has allowed an average of 39.0 points in three contests since a five-game win streak in which it yielded 75 points and shut out AFC North-leading Cincinnati.
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And he is right. What has become of this formerly dominant defense? Before facing the Pittsburgh Steelers, Indy's defense ranked in the top 10 against both the run and pass. That seems like a dream now, with the Colts' pass D ranking plummeting all the way to 27th.
If they have any hopes of contending in the AFC, Indianapolis has got to figure out how to regain the form that helped them shut out the Cincinnati Bengals.
What we all saw against the New England Patriots was a far cry from that distant memory.
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Marty Gitlin: Time for Dan Herron to Step Up
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Dan Herron is getting his shot. With only Richardson left in front of him on the depth chart, Herron should have a reasonable chance to make an impact on the offense. CBS Sports' Marty Gitlin agreed, stating "The injury to Ahmad Bradshaw that landed him on IR will result in fellow Colts running back Dan Herron receiving increased playing time."
Short, sweet and to the point.
The Colts have been relying on a two-back system all-year long, and Herron is now a top-two back for the team. If he displays any penchant for gaining decent yardage whatsoever, he may even take over the lead-back role.
With T-Rich as the starter, all Herron has to do is average about 3.6 yards per carry.
K.J. Momberg: Richardson Must Improve in the Passing Game
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As pointed out by RantSports.com's K.J. Momberg, Richardson won't only be relied on as a runner for the Colts going forward.
"In addition to his role as a runner, Richardson will need to pick up some of the slack in the passing game. Bradshaw was the team’s primary third-down running back and played a key role in the passing offense. He had 38 receptions for 300 yards and six touchdowns. Richardson has just 22 receptions for 203 yards and no touchdowns.
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While it's sometimes hard to overlook his mediocrity as a traditional taker of handoffs in the backfield, it will be equally important for him to suddenly produce in the passing game like Bradshaw did.
Luckily, assuming the numbers stay consistent, he should be just fine at turning the passes that come his way into positive plays. The massive gap in touchdowns is the result of deployment, rather than talent, necessarily.
Given Bradshaw's same opportunities close to the goal line, Richardson should be able to score the same easy touchdowns that Bradshaw had been feasting on before his injury.
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