Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Indianapolis Colts: Full Jacksonville Game Preview
The Jacksonville Jaguars will look to recover from a tough 51-17 loss on the road at the New England Patriots with an important AFC South battle against the Indianapolis Colts, which will also be on the road.
The Jaguars are 1-2, a record that may not surprise many people nationally, but considering the past few years, it's a decent start. The Colts have surprised with a relatively poor start, also reaching 1-2 after three games.
The Colts have dominated the AFC South as of late, but they look far more vulnerable this year than in previous seasons. With the Tennessee Titans and Houston Texans also 1-2, the AFC South may experience a wide-open battle for the title until the end of the season.
The Jaguars can get make a big stride in that race by beating the Colts this Sunday, which would give them a precious road win as well as the outright lead in the division no matter what the Texans do this Sunday (the Titans have their bye this weekend).
It's the Jaguars most important game yet, and the result could set the tone for the rest of the season. A win would make the Jaguars a legitimate threat in the AFC South, but a loss could distance them from the race early.
Location: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Ind.
Time: 1 p.m. ET
TV: CBS (Local)
Week 3 Results and Recap
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The Jaguars had what was likely their toughest game all season in Week 3, and it showed. The defending Super Bowl champions were too much for the Jaguars, and while the team came in with little-to-no chance of winning, it still wasn't a stellar performance.
Losing by 34 is a definite stinger, and the Jaguars do need to put in a better all-around performance. The Colts may not be the Patriots, but they are an experienced and talented team and will punish the Jaguars if they make mistakes.
Despite the lackluster performance, the Jaguars are also realistic. Beating the Patriots in Foxborough would've been a massive upset, and they likely won't fret over that loss too much.
Perhaps it was a wakeup call as well. The win over the Miami Dolphins was one of the best team performances of the last few years, but the Patriots game showed that the Jaguars have work to do and have to come prepared every week.
News and Notes
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Blake Bortles Making Strides Since Last Matchup Against Colts
Quarterback Blake Bortles made his NFL regular-season debut against the Colts in Week 3 of last season and took the starting job the next week. In his first three starts, he racked up 681 yards, a 69.7 completion percentage, two touchdowns, five interceptions and a 74.1 rating.
Through his first three starts of 2015, he's totaled 698 yards, a 53.8 completion rating, five touchdowns, three picks and 78.3 rating. That's not drastically better, but the cutdown on picks and rise in touchdowns shows what his improvement brings to the offense.
Week 4 will be another good test for Bortles. The Colts defense has looked leaky as of late, allowing 26.7 points per game, and that may give Bortles a chance to shine in a big game for the Jaguars.
Marcedes Lewis and the Jaguars Look to Get Back to Basics
Jaguars tight end Marcedes Lewis spoke in Jaguars.com's "Open Locker Room" piece recently, courtesy of John Oehser, mostly talking about how each player has roles and how they're looking ahead to this week.
“That’s really what it is,” Lewis said. “If we come in here talking, ‘We’ve got to do this,’ or we’ve got to do that,’ then you lose focus on doing your job as opposed to just focusing on doing things you’ve been trained to do and do them well.”
It is important for the Jaguars to have their personnel playing to their strengths in the roles the team has given them. Focus is key, but Lewis and the rest of the Jaguars are making sure to exert it in the right way.
Latest Injury News
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The Jaguars, like most NFL teams, have caught an injury bug of sorts. It's a part of the game and something the team has to overcome, but a lot of the most recent news has been positive.
| Player | Position | Injury |
|---|---|---|
| Davon House | CB | Lower Leg |
| Sen'Derrick Marks | DT | Knee |
| Marqise Lee | WR | Hamstring |
| Brandon Linder | G | Shoulder |
| Allen Hurns | WR | Thigh |
| Sergio Brown | FS | Calf |
| Roy Miller | DT | Knee |
| Josh Evans | S | Knee |
| Zane Beadles | G | Finger |
| Denard Robinson | RB | Knee |
| Julius Thomas | TE | Hand |
| Luke Joeckel | OT | Ankle |
According to FCN's Mike Kaye, Joeckel, CB Dwayne Gratz, safety Johnathan Cyprien and defensive end Andre Branch all practiced in full on Wednesday. That's four key players who are practicing full time in the middle of the week; it looks promising to have them on Sunday.
The only four players on the list who did not practice are Brown, House, Lee and Robinson, with the rest suited up in a limited capacity. Those four players would be fantastic to have, but it seems unlikely that any of them will make an appearance, barring a quick recovery.
The Jaguars have had a positive week with injuries, and they needed it. Beating a team like the Colts will require a relatively healthy squad, and the week has made strides toward that so far.
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Key Matchups
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Jaguars Secondary vs. T.Y. Hilton, Andre Johnson and Indy's Receivers
The pass rush hasn't delivered quite like fans and the Jaguars had hoped, but that could change this weekend. However, if the pass rush can't finally find some rhythm, then it will be on the secondary to stop Colts QB Andrew Luck and his receivers.
WRs Andre Johnson and T.Y. Hilton are the main threats, but WR Donte Moncrief has shown immense talent, and TE Coby Fleener is consistent and a difficult player to defend against. It will be up to Gratz, CB Demetrius McCray and the rest of the corners to play tight on the receivers.
The Jaguars will likely have Cyprien, S James Sample and possibly S Josh Evans at their disposal, so they'll need that relatively young group to step up and be an intimidating and consistent threat to the Colts' passing offense.
Jaguars Offensive Line vs. Colts' Rush Defense
The Colts are allowing 112 yards per game on the ground right now, and that means the Jaguars' offensive line has to step up and open holes for RB T.J. Yeldon and the rest of the running back stable.
The Jaguars played through the run against the Dolphins and earned a victory, but a below-average performance from the blockers only earned Yeldon 70 yards on 25 carries. If they can put in an end to a mediocre start and establish the run, the Jaguars offense should run much more smoothly.
One of the strong moments from Week 3 was the eight-minute, 24-second drive that led to a field goal. Keeping Patriots QB Tom Brady off the field for that long and keeping the defense fresh is what the Jaguars wanted to do every drive, and they should strive to do that again in Week 4.
X-Factor: Ryan Davis
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Defensive end Ryan Davis was the only member of the Jaguars defense to get a solo sack on Brady, and that may have been the spark he needed to get his season going.
Davis totaled 6.5 sacks in 2014—and off the bench no less. He quickly became a fan favorite as do many hardworking, impactful subs do. He's doesn't have the highest profile of the defensive line, but he's efficient and has a great nose for the QB.
The Jaguars need some kind of presence from the pass rush to disturb Luck, and Davis could be a major factor in that. The Colts' offensive line has only allowed five sacks through three games, so the Jaguars will need their starters and the various options like Davis to deliver.
At the very least, Davis can provide pressure and make it a little bit more uncomfortable in the pocket. Considering DEs Chris Clemons and Chris Smith haven't been too disruptive (1.5 sacks between them), Davis may be the remedy to the slow start from the "Leo" position.
All stats were provided by ESPN.com unless otherwise stated.
Evan Reier is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report covering the Jacksonville Jaguars. Follow Evan on Twitter @evanreier.
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