Jaguars-Colts: 5 Players to Watch

Which Jacksonville Jaguars will hold the key to a win over the Indianapolis Colts in Week 5?

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) celebrates the third touchdown for the Jaguars during the second quarter of an NFL football matchup Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. / Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Jacksonville Jaguars need to break their winless streak in Week 5, and there is no better team to potentially turn their luck around against than the Indianapolis Colts.

The Colts haven't won in Jacksonville in nearly a decade, and the Jaguars will be playing host to the best coach and best players to ever don their logo during the induction of Tom Coughlin into the team's ring of honor.

But for the Jaguars to truly get back on track in Week 5, which players will they need to see step up? We break it down below.

Trevor Lawrence

On the same day the Jaguars honor their first-ever coach during halftime, they will face another former coach from behind enemy lines.

Former Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley has been the defensive coordinator for the Colts since 2022, and the Jaguars have mostly found success against his unit while going 3-1 in the process.

Trevor Lawrence needs a slump-buster game, and he has a 7-and-2 touchdown-to-interception ratio in four games against Bradley's defense.

Lawrence is in the middle of one of the worst stretches of his career, but he has shown before that sometimes all he needs is one big performance to start to get on a roll.

Montaric Brown

The Jaguars look like they truly have something in former Day 3 draft pick Montaric Brown. The third-year cornerback flashed in spot starts a year ago but has seemingly taken a big step in 2024, disrupting plays against both the run and the pass in recent weeks.

There is a strong case to make for Brown as the Jaguars' top defensive back in 2024.

Against a team with Michael Pittman Jr, Alec Pierce, and Adonai Mitchell on the outside, Brown will certainly be challenged at one point or another.

He has shown he has the physicality and skill set to match up with big-bodied receivers, though, and the Jaguars are comfortable to lean on him due to what he has proven on the field.

Tank Bigsby

There have been few runners who have done more with their opportunities this season than Tank Bigsby. His playing time has increased in 2024, but he still has to balance out his carries with the game script and the presence of Travis Etienne, who plays more passing downs than Bigsby.

Despite not having the largest volume of carries, though, Bigsby has impressed time and time again.

Bigsby has done a great job this season of breaking tackles and creating explosive runs. He got the Jaguars out of their own end-zone twice in Week 1 and had two of the Jaguars longest gains a week ago in Houston.

To give the Jaguars' offense breathing room against a boom and bust Colts defense, Bigsby will be key.

Arik Armstead

It was a good sign for the Jaguars that Josh Hines-Allen was limited in practice on Thursday. The Jaguars' star pass-rusher didn't practice on Wednesday, so seeing him progress in the concussion protocol is exactly what the team needs.

With that said, the Jaguars will need Arik Armstead to have a big week regardless of Hines-Allen's status.

Hines-Allen and Travon Walker have led the Jaguars in pressures with 13 and 12 apiece, but they are the only Jaguars with double-digit pressures through the first four games. For the Jaguars defense to force takeaways and impact the game, they will need Armstead and their other rushers to step it up.

Brian Thomas Jr.

It feels like Week 5 could be the week Brian Thomas Jr. finally explodes. Thomas has been productive all season with and without the ball, and his volume has skyrocketed over the last two weeks.

Thomas has a legitimate case to make as the Jaguars' No. 1 receiver moving into the coming weeks, and he is drawing a good matchup this week.

The Colts have been one of the worst teams against the deep pass this season, allowing the fifth-most deep attempt yards this season per NextGenSports. With the Colts bound to run so much single-high defense, Thomas could benefit.

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