The Indianapolis Colts defense is playing its best ball at the right time of the season. The unit has made a complete 180 turn from the first four weeks of the season.
In Week 11, the Colts get a familiar opponent in the Jacksonville Jaguars but with a new quarterback under center in Nick Foles. Jacksonville has had rookie Gardner Minshew under center since Week 1 when Foles broke his collarbone.
One thing that works in the Colts’ favor is the familiarity the coaches have with Foles. Defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus coached against Foles when Eberflus was the linebackers coach in Dallas, and Foles was the quarterback for Philadelphia. Plus, head coach Frank Reich was Foles’ offensive coordinator when the Eagles went to the Super Bowl in 2017 with Foles as the quarterback.
The familiarity should play a major factor in Sunday’s game, but let’s look at some keys for the Colts defense against the Jaguars offense:
1. Stop the run game
The Jaguars’ mantra is to run the football, and they can do it to great success. When Jacksonville can run the ball, they win, and the stats show. In their four wins, the Jaguars have averaged 171 rush yards per game. In losses, they average only 98 yards, and in three of their five losses, they rushed for fewer than 90 yards.
Since Week 4 the Colts run defense has stiffened up. Over the first four games of the season, the Colts were allowing over 132 rush yards per game, but over the last five games, only 81 yards. One of these has to give on Sunday, and hopefully, for the Colts’ sake, it’s the Jaguars run offense.
2. Get Foles off his spot
The overall Colts pass rush has been spotty at times. There will be weeks they get multiple sacks, and some they manage to just get one. This week they have to rattle Foles and rattle him early. The pass rush, not just from Justin Houston, but the entire defense has to show up.
This is Foles’ first game since Week 1 so the Colts can’t allow Foles to sit back in the pocket and get into an early rhythm. Another thing, Foles is a statue, he is not the most mobile quarterback so if the Colts can get pressure and collapse the pocket like they did versus Joe Flacco that will help get Foles off his spot.
3. No chunk plays
While the defense has been playing very well recently, most of the scoring drives they have allowed over the past few have been from the opposing offense getting chunk plays on them. Jacksonville relies on the chunk plays in both the run game and the pass game. The Jaguars are also a very bad red-zone offense, so if the Colts make them go on long drives, they will eventually have to settle for a field goal.
One thing Reich and Eberflus will know going into the game is Foles loves throwing it deep downfield, and he is very accurate throwing downfield. Expect the Jaguars to attempt some deep throws downfield for D.J. Chark on Kenny Moore or rookie Rock Ya-Sin to try to get large chunks of yards at a time on Sunday.
