Indianapolis Colts vs Jacksonville Jaguars Pre-Game Primer

Sep 15, 2014; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck (12) throws against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

Following a devastating 0-2 start, the Indianapolis Colts look to right the ship against the Jacksonville Jaguars (0-2) on Sunday. The Colts have started with a front-heavy schedule; consecutive losses to the currently 2-0 Denver Broncos and Philadelphia Eagles have Colts fans scratching their heads on why the Colts can’t seem to get it together.

On Sunday against the Jaguars, the Colts have the opportunity to do just that. Jacksonville hasn’t looked good in consecutive losses to NFC East opponents and is heavily favored against.

Game Information:

Sunday, September 21, 1:oo p.m. EST
Everbank Field, Jacksonville, FL
Television: CBS

Here are the things that you should be watching for in Sunday’s tilt against Jacksonville:

• Can the O-line hold?: Andrew Luck still can’t stay on his feet with this offensive line and the road’s not getting any easier. If Jacksonville has any positive on their team right now, it’s the pass rush. If the Colts want this to be an easy win, which it should be, the play of the interior linemen needs to hold up and keep Luck on his feet.
• Was last week’s running attack a fluke?: The Colts ran the ball really well against the Eagles on Monday night and will look to continue that success in Jacksonville. The Jags’ run defense ranks 28th in the NFL and should have plenty of open spaces for the running backs to run through. The question now is whether Trent Richardson and Ahmad Bradshaw can continue their streak of success. The team had success with Bradshaw taking more carries last game; look  for his amount of carries to be bumped up even more against the Jaguars.
• Can Chad Henne be stopped?: Believe it or not, Chad Henne hasn’t been terrible for the Jaguars. His 3:1 touchdown to interception ratio has been doing good things for the Jaguars in the passing game, despite not having any weapons to speak about. I don’t expect Henne to torch the Colts, but don’t be surprised if he does throw for 200 yards and a score. This Colts defense primary focus right now is to force Henne into turnovers. Darius Butler has gotten close several times to making big interceptions and he tends to step up his game against Jacksonville. I’m looking for him to have a great game.
• Wide receiver consistency: In Week 1, Reggie Wayne burst out of the gate while T.Y. Hilton was a relative nonfactor. Last week, Wayne disappeared and Hilton seemed to be there on every third-down pass. The two leading receivers in Indianapolis tend to trade weeks, but have their first opportunity to both be dominant. Not to take away from the Jaguars’ defense, but Luck could easily throw for 400 yards on Sunday. Hilton may finally be able to make some plays deep downfield and Reggie will hopefully revert to the reliable third-down receiver that he’s been time and time again.

Injury updates:

Indianapolis Colts: Probable: WR T.Y. Hilton (groin), C Khaled Holmes (ankle), CB Darius Butler (neck), CB Greg Toler (ribs) | Questionable: WR Hakeem Nicks (illness), G Joe Reitz (ankle), DT Ricky Jean-Francois (ankle) | Out: DT Arthur Jones (ankle), ILB Jerrell Freeman (hamstring)

Jacksonville Jaguars: Probable:  CB Jeremy Harris (illness) | Questionable: TE Clay Harbor (calf) | Out: WR Marqise Lee