Enemy Intel: Jaguars vs Colts
By Luke Sims
"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 some questions for us here at B&T. We also answered some questions for NF, you can find them here.
1) The Andrew Luck era has begun and the winning attitude he brings to the field seems to have permeated the team, how do you see the first season shaping up for the rookie?
The loss of Peyton Manning was hard for the franchise and for the city of Indianapolis, but the connections and comparisons to Manning and Andrew Luck are uncanny. It’s too early to really tell, but from jump street, it looks like we got lucky. Ha (excuse the pun).
2) Chuck Pagano seems to be a colorful departure from Tony Dungy and Jim Caldwell, how is his approach to the game affecting the legacy that Peyton Manning and company left behind? Is there still a feeling of attachment to the old regime in Indy?
After an early offseason scrimmage in Lucas Oil Stadium, Chuck Pagano took the mic and announced to the fans that no one was going to come in our house and push us around. This was in June! I was hooked. Chuck is indeed a breath of fresh air, the type of coach that the Colts have never had. If I could have been able to, I would’ve packed Jim Caldwell’s bags, and drove him to the bus station myself.
3) Donald Brown is beginning to show that he can be the kind of running back the Colts hoped he would be when they drafted him, how will his season shape up? How do you think he’ll do against some of the better defenses in the AFC South?
I’m not sold on Donald Brown yet. He dropped some key passes against the Bears in week one, and he hasn’t shown much drive or durability. It’s not all his fault, as our offensive line is a beat-up mess right now. I’d keep an eye on rookie running back Vick Ballard on the goal line and late in the season.
4) The new defense for the Colts seems to be a much stronger and deeper unit than last year, is this a key component to winning games for the team or will they be focusing more on a strong offensive performance going forward?
I could expect to see a lot of moves for this defense in upcoming seasons, including the possible trade of DE Dwight Freeney. Pagano brought in some key guys with him from Baltimore, including DT Cory Redding and S Tom Zibikowski. I like the direction this defense is going, and I would expect the Colts to draft heavy on defense in 2013.
5) The Colts/Jags games have historically been pretty good and have often affected the fate of the AFC South (frequently in the favor of the Colts), how will the Blaine Gabbert and Andrew Luck era begin to unfold on Sunday?
I’d like to see these guys (and Jake Locker from the Tennessee Titans) go at it for a long time. I’m not sure if the Jaguars are all on the same page just yet, with the new managment, staff, and missing Mojo Drew for so long. Lucas Oil Stadium will be rocking onSunday, but I’ve seen Josh Scobee kick it from the parking lot to beat the Colts, so anything is possible.
Now let’s get to the game!