What to Watch for: Colts @ Jaguars

Several key story lines heading into the Jaguars week 14 matchup with the Colts

By Jordan de Lugo

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The Return of Allen Hurns -- Allen Hurns returns after just one week from what looked liked a career threatening injury, that ended up being just a concussion. This means the Jaguars will have their receiving corp at full strength, save Bryan Walters, for one of the first times in a long time. They will feature the Brothers Allen, Julius Thomas, Marqise Lee, and Rashad Greene. Blake Bortles should have no problem picking apart a Colts’ defense that gave up 364 yards and 4 touchdowns through the air just one week ago. 

The Man in the Middle -- The Jaguars will be with out their Pro-Bowl middle linebacker, Paul Posluszny, who suffered a fractured right hand in the Jaguars’ 42-39 loss to the Titans last week. Earlier this season, against Tampa, when the Jaguars were also without “The Poz” it cost them the game, as they were unable to contain Doug Martin with back up Thurston Armbrister forced into the starting lineup. The Jaguars’ defense will need to step up and contain the run if they hope to compete this week. If they are able to contain Frank Gore and the Colts’ run game, it will go a long way towards a Jags’ victory.

​The Emergence of Bortles and A-Rob -- This dynamic duo of quarterback and wide receiver is making national headlines -- and for good reason! Last week, even though it was a heartbreaking defeat for the team, both members of this duo had monster performances– performances that helped them to set Jaguars’ single season records -- Bortles for passing touchdowns (27) and Robinson for receiving touchdowns (11). These two are a major reason why there is hope for the future in Jacksonville. In order for the Jaguars to compete for division titles, these are the types of games that this dynamic duo must keep having.  If the Colts cannot stop or at least contain these two, then they could be in for a very long day. 

Jaguars Pass Defense or lack thereof -- The biggest negative story line for the Jaguars this season has been their lack of pass defense. Their pass rushers are seemingly non existent, while the secondary gets beat nearly every play. A combo that has doomed this team from the start. Hopefully for the Jaguars they can find some semblance of a pass rush against the Colts on Sunday, but don't count on it.

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With so many storylines, its easy to forget that the Jaguars are actually still mathematically in the hunt for the AFC South crown. If they can beat the Colts this week, they will still have a chance — if they cannot then fans and media alike will begin looking towards free agency and the draft.