Enemy Intel: Jaguars vs Colts

"Editor’s Note: Being a part of the Fansided Network, we have the opportunity to interact with the other NFL sites that can give us insight into their teams.  Before each game we will be providing you with a quick questionnaire that the opposition’s site editor has provided us."

This week we have the opportunity to talk to Naptown’s Finest editor J.M. Nicholas who took the time to answer five questions for us here at B&T.

The Jags took their only victory of the season against the Colts earlier this season, on Thursday Night Football it will be time to see if they can do it again.

1)  Andrew Luck just broke the rookie single game passing record and is close to being the best top draft choice in a long, long time.  Will his success continue against the Jaguars?

It’s hard not to expect some kind of let down or backfire, after such an impressive start. I look at other number one overall quarterback draft picks (i.e. Cam Newton) who stumbled mightily in their second season, but right now, Luck’s immediate impact has been a breath of fresh air. Luck had over 300 passing yards and two tds against the Jags in week three, so I would expect something similar, if not better.

Reggie Wayne is the best receiver in the NFL right now and will be a nightmare for the Jags’ Defense.  Source: Jim Brown-US PRESSWIRE

2)  Reggie Wayne has been a monster at wide receiver this season, has his leadership been aiding the development of the younger wide receivers as much as Luck?

Not only has Reggie Wayne stepped up amazingly this season, he has officially stepped out of the shadow of Marvin Harrison. Many of these players on offense have no idea what to expect in the NFL from week to week, but they can definitely look to Reggie, who has been leading by example all season.

3)  Vick Ballard and Donald Brown have become a pretty good combination on the ground, will they (or more likely Ballard with Brown’s injury) be given more chances than usual to exploit a surprisingly weak Jaguars defense?

The Colts have only ran the ball more than passing it in one game this season, which was their dynamic overtime win against the Tennessee Titans in week eight. Still, the surprising development of their running game in recent weeks, has opened up more options for Luck in play-action and deep passes. The Colts haven’t been a threat in the run since the days of Edgerrin James, but this run-by-commitee could prove beneficial late in the season.

4)  Looking at the matchups for the game on Thursday there are a lot of advantages for the Colts.  Which ones could be the deciding factor?

The Colts offense has been clicking in the past few weeks, partly due to the lack of film on what they are trying to do. I don’t want to say the success is fool’s gold, but we still have brand new schemes on both sides of the ball, and have also been through two seperate head coaches already this season. That being said, I think this game will rely on the Indianapolis defense stepping up, where they got stepped on by the Jags in week three. Having no Mojo Drew to deal with is obviously a big factor.

5)  The Colts are obviously hungry after losing to the Jags earlier in the season and with the possibility of playoffs in front of them.  How do you see the game on Thursday turning out?

It’s hard to say what this game will bring. Thursday night is the only prime time game for the Colts this season, and it could be a tough game, after such an inspirational win against the Miami Dolphins last Sunday. The Jags always seem to play the Colts close, no matter what the record might be for either team. I expect the jags to step up in the spotlight on Thursday night, but Luck doesn’t seem to ever give up. It may be sloppy, but I’d take the Colts in a 20-16 win. But I also predicted a big Colts win in our last discussion on the game in week three, and that didn’t work out so well. Like they say, if you’re right 52 percent of the time, then you’re wrong 48 percent of the time….

We’ll see how it plays out at the game tomorrow night!

– Luke N. Sims