Colts’ Keys to Victory Against Jaguars in Week 6

With the Colts still searching for their first divisional win of the season, they will need to be at their best or face potential embarrassment from the Jaguars again.

In January, the final score was 26-11.

Just four weeks ago, it ended 24-0.

Altogether, the Indianapolis Colts have lost their last two games against the Jacksonville Jaguars by a combined score of 50-11. Since the beginning of 2021, the Jaguars’ record is an abysmal 5-17. The Colts account for 40% of their wins.

Now, as we enter Week 6, the Colts will take on the Jaguars once again. This matchup will take place at Lucas Oil Stadium, where the Colts have won the last four times. At 2-2-1 and only a half-game behind the Tennessee Titans for the lead in the AFC South, this game is crucial for the Colts getting their season back on track.

Here are the keys to victory for the Colts against the Jaguars on Sunday.

[Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]

Protection MUST Be Better

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, the Colts have to fix their protection issues. Last week’s game against the Denver Broncos was the worst the protection has been all season. Matt Ryan was sacked six times and hit on numerous other occasions.

The Colts made quite a few changes to their offensive line before the matchup with the Broncos. Bernhard Raimann got the start at left tackle while Matt Pryor moved from left tackle to right tackle. Braden Smith slid inside from right tackle to right guard.

Raimann struggled to begin his first NFL start, drawing four penalties in the first half. However, Raimann settled in as the game went along, and head coach Frank Reich said this week the plan is to move forward with Raimann as the starter.

“Yeah, I mean I think that is going to be our plan with Raimann,” Reich said on Wednesday. “He did some good things. I know there were some calls and some stuff, but that’s just going to be part of the process. We feel like that was a good pick. We feel like he’s got a lot of upside. Right now, I’d be willing to tell you we think that’s going to be our left tackle.”

The Colts are hoping Raimann can provide some stability at left tackle but know there will be some growing pains for the rookie. The Jaguars sacked Ryan five times in their Week 2 matchup. We will see who plays on the right side of the line, but the protection must be better if the Colts want a shot at victory.

© Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Unio / USA TODAY NETWORK

Protect the Football

Another issue that has plagued the Colts all season is turnovers. The main culprit has been Ryan, whose 11 fumbles and seven interceptions both lead the league. While the protection issues have played a role in the turnovers, much of the blame goes to Ryan for not taking care of the football.

The fumbling issues are no longer a fluke, as Ryan has fumbled at least once in all five games this season. Ryan has fumbled more than once in four of those games. So, how do you fix the fumbling issues in a 15-year veteran?

“Honestly, the same way with a younger guy,” offensive coordinator Marcus Brady explained. “Coach the fundamentals and protecting the football and I know Scott (Milanovich) and Parks (Frazier) are doing a great job working with them during practice sessions of constantly keeping two hands on the ball, putting them in those scenarios. Obviously, live action is different than practice drills and he has to honestly translate that.”

Brady continued, “(Ryan) works hard on it. He’s very intent on trying to get better at it, and because he has been playing for so long, it is a habit that he has to break. We have to keep drilling it, keep drilling it and he’s just got to protect it better during the game.”

In Week 2, Ryan was 16-of-30 (53%) for 195 yards, three interceptions, and a fumble in the shutout. Ryan will obviously need to be much better for the Colts to win, and the easiest way to do that is to protect the football.

“We obviously didn’t play the way that we are capable of down there earlier in the season,” Ryan admitted. “We have to focus on improvement and getting better and having another opportunity to try and get that first division win.”

[Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]

No Easy Completions

In each of the last two games the Colts have played the Jaguars, Jags quarterback Trevor Lawrence has been able to settle into the game with quick passes and easy completions. The quick passes have neutralized the Colts’ pass rush and allowed Lawrence to get into a rhythm.

Lawrence has been able to make these quick passes because the Colts have generally played soft coverage. Playing off of the wide receivers may allow the Colts to keep everything in front of them, but it also allows Lawrence to hit his targets before the pass rush can have an impact.

Since the Colts lost to the Jaguars that afternoon, the defense has taken a step up and is making things more difficult for opposing offenses. They will attempt to continue that against the Jags.

“I was very impressed with their skill,” defensive coordinator Gus Bradley said this week. “Very impressed with their backs, their offensive line, the quarterback does a good job, completion percentage is very high whether you pressure him or not. They take shots but they’re looking for high completion percentage too and get it in their playmakers’ hands. Sometimes it’s a catch-and-run team… They’re a different team now than when we faced them the first time, even though it’s been a couple of weeks.”

“Play fast,” Kenny Moore II said when asked what the Colts need to do on Sunday. “I think over the course of these last few weeks, we’ve seen the playbook come alive. The guys in the backend, honestly the guys on the entire defense, we’re all trying to gel with each other to get that camaraderie, get that chemistry and like I said, just play fast.”

It is true the Colts will need to play fast on defense. But ultimately, what we will need to see is the Colts playing tighter coverage and not allowing easy completions. If a different defensive approach is not taken from Week 2, we may see much of the same success from the Jaguars’ offense.

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