Experts Weigh In On Colts' Chances vs. Jaguars
This Sunday, the Indianapolis Colts kick off their 2023 regular season by hosting the Jacksonville Jaguars at Lucas Oil Stadium.
This also brings the head coach-quarterback combo of Shane Steichen and Anthony Richardson to the NFL for the first time in a meaningful game. However, they have a mighty opponent in Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars to go against.
How do the experts at Bleacher Report see this game panning out? Let’s dive into the analysis and what the consensus thinking is with this AFC South showdown in the piece “Bleacher Report’s Expert Week 1 NFL Picks.”
For the score predictions, there are seven experts involved with the decisions. All games are covered, but for the Colts’ entry, it’s interesting what is said regarding how this divisional contest may pan out.
I like the Jaguars to win here, but I don't expect them to dominate as many might expect. Early divisional games can be tough, and the Anthony Richardson surprise factor should be enough to make this a field-goal game. The Colts' rookie QB may eventually hit a wall once teams have more tape on him, but he'll do enough to keep Jacksonville's defense off-balance and keep Indy in the game.
The Colts won't have Jonathan Taylor, but they didn't have him when they beat Jacksonville at home in Week 6 last season either.
The Jaguars are the better team and will outlast their AFC South foes, but Richardson and head coach Shane Steichen will cook up enough excitement to make Indy fascinating entering Week 2.
For many divisional games, they tend to be closer contests, regardless of how good or bad the teams in the matchup are. This description makes sense given that last season the Colts had pocket passer Matt Ryan under center. Ryan could hardly move out of the pocket when trouble came, let alone outrun anybody in pursuit.
However, Richardson can do this, and with flying colors.
If the Jaguars aren’t prepared for Richardson’s athleticism for their first encounter of the season, this Colts offense could open up. Receiving threats like wideouts Michael Pittman Jr. and Alec Pierce could start to take advantage of extended plays downfield with impact catches.
Also, newly announced slot starter Josh Downs could gobble up passes underneath if the Jaguar’s secondary gets hit with one or more vertical shots. There’s also tight end Kylen Granson, who has been a consistent target of Richardson’s through training camp.
It’s fair to say that Jacksonville is a favorite to win, but it’s due to their offensive capabilities. Their defense lost veteran corner Shaquill Griffin in free agency and can be exploited in the passing game. While they are better at running defense, it’s still not imposing enough to force Steichen to shy away from the ground attack, even with a committee backfield approach minus Jonathan Taylor.
If there’s a chance that the Colts can pull off an upset, it’s by putting pressure on the Jaguars’ defense in the vertical/ground game, mixed with the need to keep Lawrence off the field defensively. At the end of the day, however, the experts at Bleacher Report voted a strong five-to-two that the Jaguars would secure the win.
- Davenport: Jaguars
- Gagnon: Colts
- Hanford: Jaguars
- Knox: Colts
- Moton: Jaguars
- O'Donnell: Jaguars
- Sobleski: Jaguars
They would also have an overall average score prediction of Jaguars 30, Colts 16.
How will Sunday pan out for the Colts in their 2023 regular season debut? Will Jacksonville be ready for Steichen’s game plan and Richardson’s incredible athleticism? How will Taylor’s absence impact the offensive capabilities? These questions and more will be answered in the upcoming days.
