Most fans would agree that it’s go time for the Jacksonville Jaguars, who will enter Week 11 one game away from .500. Up next for them is their longtime divisional rivals in the Indianapolis Colts, who will be viewing things in the same light with them being on a two-game losing streak. It goes without saying the Colts and Jags know each other well enough to where fans on both ends are concerned heading into Sunday. Here are three concerns of our own as the Cardiac Cats travel up north to Lucas Oil Stadium:
Nick Foles showing rust
Nick Foles will be taking back his starting position Sunday after being cleared to play from the broken collarbone he sustained Week 1. With the Jags having a 4-5 record, however, he’ll need to be instantly productive for the Jags Sunday, as the game is a must-win with the Colts (who are the No. 8 seed) being ahead of the Jags (No. 10 seed) in the wild-card race.
While the Colts aren’t quite what they used to be on offense, their passing defense is ninth in the league (223.2 YPG average) and their defense as a whole is ranked tenth in terms of total yards allowed (327.6 YPG average). Simply put, this could lead to struggles in the passing game for the Jags, especially for Foles who will be playing in his first game in months.
Marlon Mack runs wild on Jags’ spotty run defense
There are times where the Jags’ rush defense looks good (see games against the New York Jets and Cincinnati Bengals), then there are times where they have looked bad (see games against Carolina Panthers and Houston Texans). Simply put, it’s a week-to-week guess as to which defense will show up and it wouldn’t be a shocker to see the Jags have success against Colts tailback Marlon Mack or flat out struggle against him.
In Week 11’s game, the Jags must play fundamentally sound against Mack and tackle well, because if they don’t, he’ll garner a lot of yards after contact, something he excels in. However, if they can limit his impact, it’s a good chance the Jags could get a victory against a unit that is tenth in the league in rushing.
The Jags’ lack of discipline
With Sunday’s game being a divisional game, it could be a close one where the smallest self-inflicted mistakes could cost either team. If that’s the case, the Colts have the edge as they are the fourth-least penalized team in the NFL with a total of 53 penalties registered to their names for 461 yards. The Jags, however, are ranked 11th in terms of penalties with 70 for 608 yards. That number would likely be higher had they not had their bye week last week.
Entering the second half of their schedule, the Jags will need to erase the self-inflicted mistakes that have hurt them in the first half of the season, because if they don’t, their playoff hopes will be short-lived. Their offensive line, in particular, is going to have to be more disciplined, as they account for 29 of the team’s penalties heading into Week 11. That may be easier said than done in a battle that will ultimately be won in the trenches between these two rivals.
