With head coach Shane Steichen ruling out Anthony Richardson on Friday, that means Joe Flacco will close out the 2024 season for the Indianapolis Colts at quarterback.
“You can’t take for granted playing football games in this league,” Flacco said last week leading up to the Giants’ game. “So any time you get the opportunity you have to put yourself back in your shoes when you were 20 years old being a college player wishing to play this game, wishing, man, am I ever going to get a chance to play out my dream?”
This will be Flacco’s second appearance this season against the Jaguars. He faced them in Jacksonville in Week 5 when Richardson was sidelined with an oblique injury.
In that game, which was a loss, the Colts’ offense put up 34 points, with Flacco putting together a very good performance, completing 33-of-44 passes for 359 yards with three interceptions and no interceptions.
This past Sunday, with Flacco getting the start against New York, was another big day for the passing game. Flacco totaled 330 passing yards with both Michael Pittman and Alec Pierce each surpassing the 100-yard mark, while Flacco threw for two scores as the offense put up over 30 points again.
Flacco’s presence in the offense has brought stability to the short and intermediate passing games, often helping Indianapolis pick up first downs and sustain drives.
However, it’s not as if it’s been all smooth sailing either. In that Giants game, Flacco would throw two interceptions.
Then in Weeks 9 and 10, when Flacco was starting over the then benched Richardson, the offense mustered just six points in Minnesota, while against Buffalo, the Colts were able to put up 20 total points, but seven came on a touchdown with two-seconds left in the game when the score was 30-13.
In general, moving the ball consistently, finding the end zone, and turnovers were all major issues in those two games.
In six appearances this season, including five starts, Flacco has completed 67% of his throws for 1,497 yards with 11 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
Among qualified quarterbacks, Flacco ranks 14th in completion rate, 17th in yards per pass attempt, and 18th in passer rating.
Similarly to the first two times these teams met, this could be another pass-heavy game for the Colts’ offense. For one, running the ball has been a greater challenge without Richardson under center and the threat of the quarterback run game, but this is also a Jaguars’ defense that ranks 12th in yards per rush allowed and 32nd in yards per pass attempt, surrendering a number of big plays through the air.