Who’s That Jag? Five Important Role Players to Watch vs. Colts

The Jacksonville Jaguars are finally looking to piece together a four-quarter, turnover-free game this Sunday vs. the Indianapolis Colts.

It’s no secret that every single starter will be an important part of that happening, but what about the role players that don’t make the fancy beginning introductions you see in every broadcast?

The idea behind this weekly signature series is to take a look at not those starters who need to step up, but the reserves and role players that will be able to have game-changing impacts.

Starting this week with the Jaguars game in Indy, here is a look at five players that the Jaguars need to have solid games from in order to have a shot against the first place Colts:

CB Aaron Colvin – Colvin will finally see playing time for the Jaguars after having torn his ACL at the Senior Bowl.  With grades as high as the late first round, the Jaguars could not chance him being available past the fourth round and snagged him with the 114th overall selection.

Colvin brings great instincts and coverage ability to the Jaguars, but in all likelihood will struggle at first with the speed of the NFL receivers.  Facing a team with multiple talented receivers and tight ends, the Jaguars will be challenged thoroughly come Sunday.  If Colvin is capable of stepping up the task, he could not only surprise the Colts, but he could quickly earn himself a starting spot for the Jaguars.

RB Toby Gerhart – No longer the starter in Jacksonville, Gerhart is finally healthy and capable of being that physical back the Jaguars originally figured him to be.  With Denard “Shoelace” Robinson filled in as the solidified starter, Gerhart can erase any pressures and play with confidence.  Robinson will still see his nearly 20 carries, but Gerhart is quickly becoming a viable receiving threat out of the backfield.  Adding another weapon to assist in Bortles’ development is key in order to put some pressure on the defense.

DE/Leo Ryan Davis – Davis sure can play, but is yet to show he can consistently make plays.  Sitting directly behind Chris Clemons on the depth chart, Davis will need to continue to make the most out of his time on the field until Andre Branch returns.  With 4.5 sacks, Davis leads all of the Jaguars’ defensive ends.

Getting pressure on Andrew Luck is incredibly difficult due to his mobility and ability to continue to look downfield.  The Jaguars are coming off a terrible pass rush display against the Cowboys, and will need to dial up a few exotic blitz packages in order to get any heat on Luck.

WR/PR Marqise Lee – Lee will finally see more time at WR, but unfortunately it is not because he earned it.  With Allen Robinson being sent to the IR, Lee will need to step in at the slot.  Lee possesses the skills to become a solid WR in the NFL, but clearly he is lacking something as Jedd Fisch chose to play two other rookies ahead of him all season long.

Lee’s quickness and hands give him the ability to very quickly become a threat, so the question will remain as to whether or not he can consistently play to the level that David Caldwell originally thought he could after selected him early in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft.  The Colts will have to deal with Cecil Shorts, Allen Hurns, Lee and Marcedes Lewis, giving the Jaguars quite a few playmakers with the talent to help out turnover-happy Blake Bortles.   We have seen in multiple games that it just takes one drop to completely change the momentum, especially on a team with so many starting rookies.  Lee needs to make sure he does not fall victim.

TE Clay Harbor – With the return of Marcedes Lewis, the Jaguars will have both Lewis and Harbor on the field for the first time all season.  Harbor’s athleticism and catching ability make him a pretty solid threat on two-TE sets.  With Jedd Fisch looking to boost Bortles’ confidence, I would suspect him to throw in a few plays that feature Harbor stretching the middle of the field as we had seen quite a few times last year with both Harbor and Lewis in the game.

The Jaguars will need to play at a level that they have not near reached on offense this week in order to compete with the dangerous Andrew Luck and the Colts.  The majority of it will fall on the main playmakers of the team, but don’t forget about the impact that the key reserves and role players will have on any given play.