The Jacksonville Jaguars are taking on the Indianapolis Colts in Week 8, fresh off a bye following back-to-back games in London.
On the surface, this looks like an easy game for the Jaguars to win. The Colts have been struggling this season, have issues at quarterback, and just traded away two of their best players. This game will also be played at home, where Jacksonville has a decade-long win streak over Indianapolis.
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It would still be a mistake to underestimate the Colts, though. There will be a lot of motivation from Indianapolis to break their EverBank Stadium losing streak, and Jonathan Taylor is still one of the best running backs in the league. The Jaguars also have lost two games largely due to self-inflicted mistakes, so the issue may not even be losing to the Colts, but to themselves.
Here are six storylines to watch.
For now, Indianapolis head coach Shane Steichen has said that Daniel Jones remains their starter at QB. Yet with Jones playing as poorly as he has been, and the Colts seemingly having thrown in the towel on their season, there has been plenty of talk of starting Anthony Richardson, who is currently QB2, or even Riley Leonard, who is QB3. Basically, given that the organization just traded Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner, Jacksonville needs to be ready for the possibility that Sunday’s quarterback plan changes — either before the game or during it.
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And if it does, the Jaguars defense will be looking at three very different styles of QB. Jones will come with the most conventional offense: pocket passing, some mobility, and Indy’s normal structure. Richardson is notorious for being inaccurate, but he’s also a monster athlete, so he would likely bring designed QB runs, read-option/RPO possibilities, scramble threat, and a huge arm. The defense will have to account for the quarterback as a legitimate runner on every snap. And Leonard, finally, is a much more mobile quarterback than Jones and could push Indy toward a simplified, movement-heavy offense, although without Richardson’s freakish physical ceiling.
That creates a weird defensive-preparation challenge for Jacksonville. Richardson and Leonard both bring significantly more mobility than Jones, while Richardson in particular would fundamentally alter how the Jaguars have to defend the run game.
It certainly appears that Indianapolis has thrown in the towel on the season, and trading away Nelson and Buckner is the biggest example. How will this affect the team? As Jaguars head coach Liam Coen explained today, feeling like there is nothing left to lose can make a team dangerous.
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Still, it again makes it difficult for Jacksonville to prepare. What kind of team will be showing up on Sunday, and how will the Colts react to the losses of two of their best players?
Warren is a star tight end who missed Weeks 6 and 7 with a groin injury. Before that, he had become one of Indy’s most reliable weapons, with 30 catches for 213 yards and two touchdowns in five games, including 7-for-83 against Pittsburgh.
If he plays, Jacksonville has to deal with a very good young tight end who can become a security blanket for whichever quarterback is out there. If he doesn’t, that’s yet another important piece missing from an offense that’s already struggling.
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Jacksonville has won every single home game against Indianapolis since 2015; the last time the Colts won at EverBank Stadium was on Sept. 21, 2014, when Andrew Luck threw for 370 yards and four touchdowns in a 44-17 Indianapolis win. The Jaguars have won every home game since, including one at Wembley Stadium in London that counted as a Jacksonville home game.
Last season, Jacksonville defeated Indianapolis 36-19 in Week 14, which gave them the lead in the AFC South for the rest of the season.
There’s no denying that Jacksonville has a monster run defense, but Taylor is also an elite running back who will always pose a threat. He is now even more obviously the centerpiece of that offense, and for now, Indy has no plans to trade him away.
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However, with their Pro Bowler offensive lineman traded away, Taylor could have a difficult time. Will he still be able to turn in an elite performance, or will he be hampered by a combination of the Jaguars’ run defense and a weakened offensive line?
As mentioned, the Jaguars have lost two games that they arguably should have won, in part due to self-inflicted mistakes. This is especially true for the Week 2 loss to the Denver Broncos, in which Jacksonville led until falling apart in the second half. Penalties have been a major issue for this team so far this season.
Will the bye week have helped? Jacksonville has been good enough to overcome mistakes, but this week should be a game that the Jaguars win from start to finish. If penalties make this a close game again, it will signify a major problem.
This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: 6 storylines to watch in Jaguars vs. Colts in Week 8
