Jags vs. Colts: 5 matchups to watch in Sunday’s AFC South showdown

Myles Jack is going to have his hands full with Marlon Mack but that’s just one of many key matches to watch when the Jags and Colts meet.

The preparations for Sunday’s AFC South battle are now behind the Jacksonville Jaguars and Indianapolis Colts and all that is left to do is take the field and see who the better team is. With it being a divisional game in which both teams feel is a must-win, the battle is going to come down to a few key matchups. Here are five matchups that we’ll be watching as both teams duke it out at Lucas Oil Stadium Sunday:

LB Myles Jack vs. RB Marlon Mack

Marlon Mack will enter Sunday’s game as one of the Colts’ top weapons, while the Jags’ defense will enter it ranked 22nd against the run. They’ve had several blunders against the run as fans witnessed against the Carolina Panthers and Houston Texans (Week 9). In both of those games, they allowed over 200 rushing yards, which can’t happen against Marlon Mack, who is the league’s ninth leading rusher with 753 yards.

With the Colts ruling two of their speedster receivers out in T.Y. Hilton and Paris Campbell, they might elect to run the ball more than they ever have this year. It will then fall on Myles Jack as the defense’s enforcer at linebacker to make sure Mack doesn’t get out of hand. The Jags’ defense will need to be fundamentally sound, too, by not allowing a lot of broken tackles which Mack is good at taking advantage of.

DL Calais Campbell vs. OG Quenton Nelson

As we witnessed last year, there are going to be times where the Colts’ best offensive lineman, Quenton Nelson, lines up against the Jags’ best defensive lineman in Calais Campbell. The veteran had some success against Nelson last season, who was then a rookie, but he’s a significantly better player this year, upping his Pro Football Focus grade from a 74.3 in 2018 to an 89.4 this season.

As previously stated, the Colts could look to run the ball and Nelson is a big part of what makes them successful there, so it will be imperative for Campbell to keep him from reaching the second level. Campbell and company also need to win against Nelson during passing downs as Jacoby Brissett has shown the tendency to hold on to the ball too long in the past.

CB Tre Herndon vs. WR Zach Pascal

The Colts may be without Hilton and Campbell Sunday but that doesn’t necessarily mean they don’t have threats through the air. In fact, Zach Pascal statistically has 13 less receiving yards than Hilton, who leads the team in receiving with 360 yards. He also has on less touchdown than Hilton, who has five. That said, with a 75.0 PFF grade to his name, he’ll be the Colts’ best receiver on the outside Sunday.

Like most opponents have, the Colts will likely target Tre Herndon early and often and will likely target him when he and Pascal are lined up against each other. It’s on Herndon on whether or not he’ll be up for the task as he’s had some highs and lows since the Jags traded Jalen Ramsey.

RB Leonard Fournette vs. LB Darius Leonard

We’ll call this one the Battle of the Leonards.

As we’ve said multiple times, fans should expect a physical one in between the tackles. With Leonard Fournette only receiving 11 carries Week 9 against the Houston Texans, coordinator John DeFilippo should be looking to get him more involved Sunday because he’s the engine for the Jags’ offense.

Meanwhile, Darius Leonard is viewed in the same light for the Colts’ defense. He’s been a tackling machine, accumulating 10 or more tackles in four of the games he’s played in. Simply put, that points to him being very active if Fournette receives more than 20 carries as he should.

WR D.J. Chark Jr. vs. CB Kenny Moore II

This matchup is simply a battle between the Jags’ best receiver and the Colts’ best corner who will see a lot of each other Sunday. Chark has emerged as the Jags’ best receiver this year and is one of the league’s most improved players with just under 700 yards to his name for six touchdowns. With Nick Foles returning to the lineup, the two could be looking to link up deep as they did for the Jags’ first touchdown of the year.

Moore seems to be an improved player, too. He currently has a PFF grade of 73.1 and has been good for the Colts’ passing defense which is tenth against the pass. However, at 5-foot-9, Moore will be at a height disadvantage against the 6-foot-4 Chark when they line up against each other, which could set the second-year player up for another 100-yard day.

Colts vs Jaguars: 3 keys for the offense in Week 11

Keys for the offense in Week 11.

The Indianapolis Colts offense has been sputtering recently. The recent lack of success has been due to injuries, undisciplined play and more specifically, the offensive line hasn’t played up to their standard. It’s a combination of factors leading to the recent production.

Unlike previous years when Jacksonville had one of the best defenses in the NFL, they’re about middle of the pack this season statistically. They’re 13th in points allowed per game (21), 16th in total yards allowed (350), and 19th in yards per play (5.6).

So this Jaguars defense can be had on Sunday if the Colts focus on these three areas:

1. Win upfront

This Colts offensive line has not been playing up to par the past few weeks, and some of that could be due to the defensive lines that they’ve faced. And while there could be other reasons, but right now they’re getting whipped upfront.

Over the past three games, the Colts run offense has taken a step back only averaging 4.2 yards per rush attempt. The pass protection also hasn’t been as good, the offensive line has given up 10 sacks over the last three games while only giving up six sacks in the first six games.

The Jaguars still have a very talented front four with Calais Campbell, Taven Bryan, Josh Allen and Yannick Ngakoue. On the season Allen leads the team in sacks with seven and second is Campbell with 5.5. They get after the quarterback too, 8th in the NFL in sack percentage on 8.8% of pass plays. But they aren’t a great run defense. They are 22nd in rush yards allowed (120), and 29th in rush yards allowed per attempt (4.9).

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Jaguars vs. Colts: 3 causes for concern against Indianapolis

The Jags way be coming off their bye, but there are still some things to be concerned about as they take on the Colts.

Most fans would agree that it’s go time for the Jacksonville Jaguars, who will enter Week 11 one game away from .500. Up next for them is their longtime divisional rivals in the Indianapolis Colts, who will be viewing things in the same light with them being on a two-game losing streak. It goes without saying the Colts and Jags know each other well enough to where fans on both ends are concerned heading into Sunday. Here are three concerns of our own as the Cardiac Cats travel up north to Lucas Oil Stadium:

Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Nick Foles showing rust

Nick Foles will be taking back his starting position Sunday after being cleared to play from the broken collarbone he sustained Week 1. With the Jags having a 4-5 record, however, he’ll need to be instantly productive for the Jags Sunday, as the game is a must-win with the Colts (who are the No. 8 seed) being ahead of the Jags (No. 10 seed) in the wild-card race.

While the Colts aren’t quite what they used to be on offense, their passing defense is ninth in the league (223.2 YPG average) and their defense as a whole is ranked tenth in terms of total yards allowed (327.6 YPG average). Simply put, this could lead to struggles in the passing game for the Jags, especially for Foles who will be playing in his first game in months.

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