The Indianapolis Colts (6-4) bounced back against the Jacksonville Jaguars (4-6) on Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium with a 33-13 win.
The victory, combined with the Houston Texans’ loss, moves them into first place ahead of the Thursday night bout that features both teams. This was a complete team win with strong performances on both sides of the ball.
Here are the studs and duds from Week 11:
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STUD: RB Marlon Mack
The Colts got back to their roots of dominating in the run game. Mack, behind the offensive line, spearheaded the rushing attack. Though he eventually left with a hand injury and didn’t return, Mack was the engine that kept the offense rolling.
Mack left halfway through the third quarter but finished taking 14 carries for 109 yards and a strong touchdown. The third-year back had five runs of 10 yards or more on the day. It remains to be seen if he will be healthy enough to play on Thursday night.
Indianapolis Colts rookie cornerback Rock Ya-Sin has quickly become a staple in the secondary and now has recorded his first career interception.
On a deep ball late in the second quarter, Ya-Sin tracked the throw from Nick Foles, leaped for a contested interception and came down with the juggled catch. It came at the perfect time for the Colts.
A new week means another game for the Indianapolis Colts coming up Sunday. Following their two consecutive losses, the Colts are attempting to get back on track when they face the Jacksonville Jaguars in this big divisional matchup.
Among many reasons, the former AFC South leader has struggled in recent weeks, it was their loss of starting quarterback Jacoby Brissett which impacted them the most. The NC State product led the Colts to a 5-2 record and at one point and was a top-five leader in passing touchdowns before suffering a knee injury against the Steelers in Week 9.
Brissett’s importance to this team was evident last weekend when the Colts’ offense struggled mightily against the previously one-win Miami Dolphins in their 16-12 loss. Backup quarterback Brian Hoyer was responsible for three interceptions and looked incapable of getting the job done.
Here are three key matchups to watch in the Colts’ Week 11 bout against the Jaguars:
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RB Leonard Fournette vs. Colts’ defensive front seven
Amongst all of the skill players known on the Jaguars’ offense, one player who could and should receive the most attention from the Colts, is Leonard Fournette. The LSU product is on pace to have his best season ever to the tune of 831 rushing yards (sixth in the NFL) and a yards per carry average of 4.8.
Even though the Jaguars haven’t featured Fournette as much in recent weeks (30 combined carries in Weeks 9-10), this could be the game where they do so. So far this season, the Jaguars are 2-1 when their third-year running back receives at least 20 rushing attempts and in return, Fournette averaged 154 rushing yards per game.
Regardless of what the Jaguars’ plans are for Fournette, the Colts’ defensive front seven needs to quickly contain him in order to eliminate big plays and favorable down and distances.
