JaguarsTalk: Jacksonville vs Indianapolis - The Rematch

It has come to our attention that if we plan to finish all of the preseason game predictions before the actual season begins, we might want to get a move on. The good news is that Jacksonville plays some teams twice making those games easier to write about. One of those teams is Indianapolis - week six. We’ve covered the Colts already. To remember, we will have to take a trip in the way back machine. All the way back to week two (dripping sarcasm). I don’t want to rehash the same points we uncovered in our earlier column because I don’t expect that much will have changed in the four week period from when these teams first met. If you read our first column you will know that we just don’t think Jacksonville will be in sync (I tried my damndest to fit a “bye bye bye” nsync pun in here but it just wasn’t working out organically. My sincere apologies) enough to beat the Colts that early in the season. By week six, however, we here at JaguarsTalk are of a different mindset. Though Jacksonville would have certainly benefited from having this second meeting at TIAA Bank Field instead of Lucas Oil, Jacksonville will walk out of Lucas Oil Stadium with a dubya. This victory will make the Jaguars 4-2 on the young season, equaling the number of wins accumulated over the previous two years combined.

By week six, and coming off the high of two straight victories, the Jags will take their first big step in securing themselves an AFC South title. Entering the middle stretch of the NFL season is about the time the Jaguars will realize that winning the division is not out of the realm of possibility. It’s also the time when the rest of the NFL will realize that Jacksonville is no longer a gimme game. I can’t see anyone eagerly scheduling them as their homecoming opponent anymore (a reference back to my high school football days when my team played roughly seven homecoming games because we were the “easy win”). Back to the Colts game. Last year the Jags were 0-8 in away games, however, the Colts were actually worse at Lucas Oil than they were in other NFL stadiums (4-5). It’s difficult to compare last years teams to 2022s, since major changes have been made to both, however the Jags made more, which gives them the advantage. Most sports writers have picked the Colts to win the AFC South. It’s a very safe pick that JaguarsTalk believes was made in haste. Yes, Carson Wentz was replaced with Matt Ryan but I’m not convinced the move was an upgrade. Matt Ryan is about as mobile as Tom Brady on crutches and the speed of the Jaguars defense is going to be suffocating this year. Like in many of the Jags games this season the pass rush of Josh Allen and Travon Walker will force teams, especially those with less than mobile pocket passers, to rely heavily on their run game. As we’ve stated many times, that is what the Jags front seven was built to stop. It is Jacksonville’s bread and butter. Jonathan Taylor won’t be kept under 100 yards but both he and Matt Ryan will be held under 200 each (with Taylor maxing out around 150). 300-350 yards total will not a victory make for Indianapolis.

JaguarsTalk predicts Josh Allen will have his highest sack total of the season in week six with four Matt Ryan take downs. Travon Walker will also show up on the sack board with one of his own. Devin Lloyd will have 5 solo tackles with Foye Oluokun jumping aboard and contributing with 3 of his own. Many Jaguars games this year will be won and lost on the play of the defensive front seven. This particular game, however, will be the one when everyone else begins to take notice. Jacksonville’s win against the favored Colts in week six will finally put the Jags back on the map and in contention for the AFC South.

JaguarsTalk’s indisputable prediction: Jacksonville 27 - Indianapolis 13

As always please feel free to leave your predictions in the comment section below.

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