3 Things the Colts Defense Must Accomplish to Defeat the Jaguars

The Indianapolis Colts have a bright future ahead for their young defense. However, the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 1 will be a tall task for Gus Bradley’s group.

The Week 1 regular season matchup between the Indianapolis Colts and the Jacksonville Jaguars is approaching the Circle City. Given recent years, the Colts don’t fare well against Trevor Lawrence and the dynamic receiving corps that Jacksonville possesses in a season opener.

However, even though the Colts have a younger defense and raw secondary, there is an opportunity in front of this group that could shock the AFC South right away. Can they take out Doug Pederson’s 2022 division champions with a strong showing on defense? Here are three things that have to occur for the upset.

#1) Pressure Trevor Lawrence

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Last season, the Colts split their series with the Jaguars at 1-1. However, they had completely different games as far as defensive performance.

Their first meeting was a blowout, 24-0 loss where Lawrence peppered the defense with quick throws that exhausted the secondary going deeper into the game. He would go 25-of-30 passing for 235 yards and 2 scores through the air. However, in the second meeting, the Colts' defense brought the pressure and forced even shorter throws from start to finish for the former number-one overall pick.

Lawrence would be accurate at 20-of-22 passing, but only 165 yards and a lone touchdown. The Colts would steal a 34-27 victory.

The point here is if new acquisition Samson Ebukham can be a motor off the edge, and the DeForest Buckner-Grover Stewart interior combo can push back Jacksonville, it could be effective.

Any QB that gets constant pressure from start to finish must make adjustments and bail on the passing game plan to a degree. If the Colts can do on Sunday what they did in their victory last year, it could give the defense a chance to keep the ball in front of them and get Lawrence off the field.

#2) Contain the Calvin Ridley/Christian Kirk Combo

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Whether by tackling immediately or covering like a blanket, the Colts must account for Calvin Ridley and Christian Kirk at wide receiver.

Last season, Kirk was fantastic with the Jaguars. He would haul in 84 catches for 1,108 receiving yards and 8 touchdowns. This was while Ridley was out for the year due to suspension.

Now, Ridley is returning after a blistering 2020 campaign with the Atlanta Falcons. He would snag 90 catches for 1,374 yards and 9 touchdowns. In 2021 and 2022, Ridley sat out for mental health reasons and league infractions.

Despite his absence for nearly two seasons, Ridley is now a potential monster at wide receiver with Lawrence at the helm. Pair this with Pederson’s brilliant offensive mind, and it’s even more dangerous for secondaries. Kirk complementing Ridley is also a potent duo for any level of defensive talent to handle.

Indianapolis can’t let these receivers start cutting loose too much. If they do, it will doom the chances of the Colts pulling off the upset.

This receiving combination will put veteran Kenny Moore II into tough matchups alone, but even more so for Darrell Baker Jr., Dallis Flowers, and rookie JuJu Brents. But, keeping gains short or catches in lower volumes will benefit the defense greatly in stopping this one-two receiving punch.

#3) Force Three-and-Outs

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Keeping the amount of time this Jacksonville offense sees the field to minimal quantities is preferred for the Colts’ defense.

It’s the age-old defensive approach of forcing three-and-outs. This means forcing punts as much as possible and from the first possession of the drive with the first three plays not resulting in 10 yards or more. While it will be highly difficult to accomplish, it’s the most surefire way to keep Lawrence from damaging the Colts’ chances of an upset.

Forcing the previously mentioned short throws due to pressure will be key, paired with good tackling. However, bottling up the talented Travis Etienne and rookie Tank Bigsby in the ground game will also be critical. This will come from strong linebacker play by Shaq Leonard, Zaire Franklin, and E.J. Speed, who will also need to properly shoot gaps into the backfield of Jacksonville.

If these things can happen consistently from the Colts’ defense as a whole, it will help their offensive counterparts have more time to potentially get points on the board. The less this young Colts defense has to deal with Lawrence, Ridley, and Kirk, the better off they will be.

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Outlook

The Colts aren’t being looked at favorably to win this game to kick off their season. While it will be important for quarterback Anthony Richardson to run the offense well, it’s the Colts’ defense that shoulders the toughest task.

While Jacksonville possesses a devastating offensive attack, it can also be silenced with efficient play and constant, aggressive pressure from the defensive front. Look for the Colts’ defense to be motivated to silence the doubters throughout the football world. 

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