Indianapolis Colts Lack Talent, but AFC South Still There for the Taking

God bless the AFC South. 

Despite Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck sitting out Sunday's matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Colts managed to pick up their second divisional win of the year. 

It was not a particularly pretty game as the Colts edged Jacksonville 16-13 in overtime. 

Still, a win is a win, and the Colts now sit alone atop the AFC South at 2-2. Much like last season, the Colts' 0-2 start is a distant memory now, as the team has quickly returned to the top of the division and has a chance to further cement their status with Thursday's game at Houston. 

Most impressively, the Colts managed to win the divisional matchup without superstar quarterback Andrew Luck, who missed most of practice last week with a sore shoulder. Luck's shoulder has no structural damage, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, but the Colts played it safe with their franchise quarterback—a completely rational decision given Luck's importance. 

And Luck is important, make no mistake. 

Take Sunday's game, for example. 

The Colts have struggled this season with Luck in the lineup, but Sunday's game was as ugly of a performance as you'll see on the gridiron in 2015.

Sure, the Colts managed to eke out a win, but they needed Jacksonville to miss two potential game-winning kicks in regulation. Jacksonville also had an egregious 13 penalties for 92 yards, continually shooting themselves in the foot. On the Colts' lone touchdown drive of the day, 42 of the 80 yards and five of the six first downs came via penalties, including three third-down conversions. 

Keep in mind, this was a home game against the team with the league's third-worst point differential. The Jaguars may have a reputation of being improved under head coach Gus Bradley, but they haven't put that together into on-field performance. 

The Colts have been ill-prepared and undisciplined in every game to start this season, and Sunday was no different. The team continues to make silly executional mistakes, from the bottom of the roster to the top. While we saw fewer holding penalties Sunday than we've seen in recent weeks, the Colts running backs lost two fumbles (including running back Frank Gore's second goal-line fumble in three games), drops were an issue and inconsistencies plagued the team. 

Offensive execution has been inconsistent all year, but against the Jaguars, there is certainly reason to believe that a Luck-led team would do better than the 4.4 yards per play averaged Sunday. 

But a win is a win.

While backup quarterback Matt Hasselbeck's lack of a deep-passing game severely limited the offense, he didn't throw any interceptions and made a few timely throws, including a tight, improvised toss to tight end Coby Fleener for the Colts' lone touchdown.

Kicker Adam Vinatieri was a perfect 3-for-3 on a day when the rest of the league struggled, including nailing the game-winning field goal in overtime. 

Gore, while bottled up for most of the day as the Jaguars sat on the line of scrimmage and the culprit of another fumble, stepped up when the Colts needed him most, ripping off a 22-yard run in overtime to get the Colts in field-goal range. 

Fleener continued to take advantage of tight end Dwayne Allen's absence, racking up nine catches for 83 yards and a touchdown to lead the team in receiving. 

On defense, the Colts only had one sack, but finished with seven official quarterback hits, as the pass rush that has been so stagnant actually forced Jacksonville quarterback Blake Bortles into a few key rushed throws, including with a few well-timed blitzes on third downs.

But overall, it was an ugly affair. It was a reminder, to anybody who hasn't been paying attention that the Colts roster simply isn't talented enough to compete without Andrew Luck. Against the Jaguars, at home, sure. In the vast majority of NFL matchups? Don't count on it. 

At the same time, it was a reminder that the division is still there for the Colts to take. 

This was a prime opportunity for the Jaguars to take advantage of Luck's absence and pick up their first win over Indianapolis since Cecil Shorts' game-winning touchdown catch in 2012. A win for the Jaguars would have ended the Colts' league-leading 15-game win streak against divisional opponents, but the hapless Jacksonville team couldn't finish the task. 

The Tennessee Titans could pose a future threat if rookie quarterback Marcus Mariota develops, but the Colts have already dispatched of them on their home field. That leaves the Houston Texans, who are going through a quarterback crisis of their own (again) and got waxed by the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, falling behind 42-0 before scoring three garbage-time touchdowns in the fourth quarter. 

The Colts will have a chance to put their boot on the AFC South's neck with a trip to Houston next week, where the team has to like its chances if Andrew Luck returns. 

That last part is important. 

Yes, the Colts won Sunday, and the division does not look intimidating. But we don't want to count on a team missing two game-winning field goals and having 13 penalties for a second consecutive game. 

This team needs Luck. With him, the division, and a spot in the playoffs, is well in reach. 

Thanks, AFC South.