Jacksonville Jaguars –Indianapolis Colts
USA - NFL
Sunday 15-10-2023- 19:00 CET
The Jacksonville Jaguars went to London two weeks ago with a 1-2 record and returned with a 3-2, securing wins against the Atlanta Falcons and the Buffalo Bills. The win against the Bills by 25:20 was particularly impressive, not accurately reflecting how dominant the Jaguars were against one of the best teams in football. What Doug Pederson's team showed in the last two games is exactly what was expected of them before the season. When you have an excellent quarterback like Trevor Lawrence and playmakers such as Calvin Ridley and Travis Etienne in the offense, you can score over 25 points against any defense. The impression was marred only by the loss to the Houston Texans in Week 3, but it was simply a bad day and a series of unfortunate circumstances. Every team in the league has such a game at least once in a season. If you set that aside, the Jaguars are performing at a top level.
The Indianapolis Colts are playing much better football than anyone could have anticipated. Before the season, predictions were that they would achieve five or six wins this year, and yet they stand at 3-2 and have a chance to take a huge step towards winning the division with a potential triumph in Jacksonville. The Colts' offense has been very good in all games so far, even though they had both Anthony Richardson and Gardner Minshew at the quarterback position. This year's fourth pick from the draft (Richardson) got injured again, meaning his backup (Minshew) will play in the coming weeks. Running back Jonathan Taylor signed a new contract last week, putting an end to a saga that lasted for months. Everyone expected him to be traded, but the Colts made maximum efforts to mend relations. Taylor is still not at 100%, and it will take a few more games to regain his old form. He and Richardson will form an exceptional tandem in the next few seasons, but in this game, neither Richardson will be available, nor is Taylor at 100%.
This is the second time this season that divisional rivals will face each other. In Week 1, the Jacksonville Jaguars won on the road by 31:21. Both teams are playing better than a month ago, but the difference in quality is still in favor of the Jaguars. They are a team built to be a contender for the Super Bowl, while everyone expected this to be a rebuilding season for the Colts. If the Colts were to triumph and go to 4-2, they would have a certain advantage in the head-to-head (H2H) against the Jaguars due to the divisional score. So, for the Jaguars, this would be a double loss if it happens. Coach Pederson and Lawrence have talked about it. They know how important this game is for their ambitions and will be focused from the first to the last snap. That must be enough to outplay the Colts.