The Indianapolis Colts (1-2) finally have reason to smile after garnering their first win of the season on Sunday at the expense of the Tennessee Titans, 35-33. Now, they’ll be heading back home to Lucas Oil Stadium for a date with another AFC South division rival in the form of the Jacksonville Jaguars (1-2), who are coming off a blowout 51-17 loss to the defending Super Bowl champions. Which team will emerge victorious in Week 4?
Will the Colts make it back-to-back wins? Or will the Jaguars bounce back and pull of the upset? Read on below for a comprehensive breakdown of this intriguing matchup. And while you’re at it, check out our other Week 4 game previews: Raiders vs. Bears, Eagles vs. Redskins and Texans vs. Falcons. Enjoy.
[sc:Football ]Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Indianapolis Colts Preview
Where: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis
When: Sunday, October 4, 1:00 PM ET
Line: Jacksonville Jaguars (+9) at Indianapolis Colts (-9); total: 48.0 – view all NFL lines
TV Broadcast: CBS
Betting on the Jacksonville Jaguars
After entering the win column in Week 2 against the Miami Dolphins, the Jacksonville Jaguars were sent back down to earth emphatically by the New England Patriots on Sunday, 51-17. They clearly had no answer to Tom Brady. Brady converted 33 of his 42 passes for 358 yards along with two touchdowns that made him just the fourth quarterback in NFL history to throw 400 touchdowns.
[sc:NFL240banner ]The Jaguars, though, were also to blame for allowing the defending champions to score a season-high of 51 points. They were flagged seven times for a total of 114 yards and were completely outdone on the offensive end, compiling just 293 total yards compared to New England’s 471.
After his promising performance against the Fins, quarterback Blake Bortles barely got any offense going for Jags. Bortles only completed 17 of his 33 passes with two touchdowns, an interception and two sacks under his name.
All that being said, though, the Jaguars ought to look at this as another learning experience and continue moving forward with a positive mindset when they take on another formidable opponent in the form of the Indianapolis Colts—the reigning AFC South champions—this coming Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium.
The Colts have yet to find the offense that led the league in passing yards per game in 2014, but their win on Sunday against the Titans may have been the trigger they’ve been waiting for to finally find their groove back. If that becomes the case, the Jaguars are going to be in deep trouble in Week 4.
In order for the Jacksonville to find some success opposite the Colts, they ought to put most of their focus on strengthening their secondary that has surrendered 282.7 passing yards per contest and 7.6 yards per catch thus far this season.
Also, Bortles will need to have much better performance in this game and ensure that his pair of wideouts, Allen Hurns and Allen Robinson, gets enough touches. Both Hurns and Robinson were one of the few bright spots in the loss to New England on Sunday, combining for 138 yards on six receptions with a touchdown.
Jacksonville is 0-10 SU and 3-6-1 ATS in its previous 10 road games.
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Betting on the Indianapolis Colts
It was far from a perfect win but the Indianapolis Colts will take their first win of the season nonetheless.
Andrew Luck made sure that his Colts didn’t put themselves in a 0-3 hole for the first since 2011, as he finally gave fans a glimpse of how good he really is at the expense of the Tennessee Titans. He led his team to a thrilling 35-33 triumph and improved to 7-0 against the Titans, while finishing the game 18-of-30 for a total of 260 yards with a pair of TDs despite having two interceptions under his belt.
This game, though, was a see-saw battle as both squads each had a good share of the lead. At one point, the Titans turned on the afterburners, scoring 27 consecutive points to take a 27-14 advantage heading into the third quarter. But then the Colts responded in a big way, scoring 21 unanswered points in the final period to eventually give them the victory.
Now after finally getting their first taste of a win this year, the key for Indy is consistency and making good use of their momentum to help them emerge with a smile on their face again in Week 4 opposite the visiting Jacksonville Jaguars.
One of the weaknesses that the Colts could exploit would be the Jaguars’ shaky secondary that allowed 346 passing yards in a their 51-17 loss to the Patriots on Sunday and gives up 7.6 passing yards per catch through three games this season, the sixth-highest in the league.
That being said, the onus is on the pair of wideouts, T.Y. Hilton and Donte Moncrief, to have a big game this coming Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium. Hilton, who’s been one of Luck’s favorite and most reliable targets, had four of his team-leading seven targets for a total of 94 yards against the Titans. Moncrief, on the other hand, is averaging 12.9 yards per catch with two touchdowns to his name across three games this year.
Also, it’s good to keep an eye on running back Frank Gore to build on his game versus the Titans. Gore had his best game of the season thus far, rushing for 86 yards on 14 carries and added eight yards on a reception to help the Colts get the win.
Indianapolis is 7-3 SU and are 6-3-1 ATS in its past 10 home games.
Writer’s Prediction
Indy (-9) wins, 31-10.
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