5 Keys to a Colts Victory Over Jaguars

Liam Coen likes quick passes - and luckily for him, so does his quarterback Trevor Lawrence. The former first-overall pick has done well against Indy throughout his career.

Lawrence runs a record of 5-2 against the Colts. His 156 completions for 1,578 yards are a clear indicator he loves to operate against Indy with quick, safe passes.

Lou Anarumo can't allow this, and names like Charvarius Ward, Mekhi Blackmon, and Kenny Moore II will be key to the formula.

We'll see how Anarumo approaches Lawrence, with the key being to make him hold the ball longer to open opportunities for big sacks.

Colts Offensive Line vs. Stout Jaguars Defensive Front

Indy's offensive line hasn't played up to par over the last few weeks, and now they draw a Jaguars team that has an overlooked defensive line.

Defensive tackle Arik Armstead and edge rushers Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker can cause issues for a struggling offensive line.

Armstead has 5.5 sacks, 41 quarterback pressures, and 33 hurries. Hines-Allen leads Jacksonville with six sacks and 10 tackles for loss, and Walker has put up a Pro Football Focus run grade of 74.2.

If there was ever a game where the Colts' offensive line bounced back, this is it. The battle in the trenches will be massive to getting this stalled offense of Shane Steichen's moving once again.

Mekhi Blackmon and Jaylon Jones

Cornerback Sauce Gardner went down with a calf strain early in the game against the Texans, thrusting Blackmon and Jaylon Jones into more playing time.

The good news is that both of these cornerbacks have starting experience.

While Jones only has one start this year, he has 28 throughout his short career. As for Blackmon, he's seen seven starts and has 50 tackles to pair with two interceptions in 2025.

Losing Gardner is massive, and luckily, the Colts still have Moore and Ward. However, it wouldn't be surprising if Lawrence attacks these Blackmon and Jones.

We'll see how they fare against names like Brian Thomas Jr., Jakobi Meyers, and Parker Washington.

Control the Time of Possession

Due to the Colts' offensive struggles over the last two games, the defense has been on the field too long. As expected, this resulted in the stop troops gassing out in crunch time.

Against the Kansas City Chiefs, the Colts only had the ball for 25:28. Against the Texans, the Colts possessed the football for just 25:02.

Indy will need to be more efficient than this. It doesn't matter who is playing on defense, if they're left on the field for too long, they'll become windbags.

Expect this to be a major point of emphasis as the Colts make the trip down south to face off against the Jaguars.

Passing Game will Be King

Colts quarterback Daniel Jones has been playing through a fractured fibula injury, and the limitations of his mobility showed against the Texans.

Jones was only sacked once, but completed just 14/27 passes. It isn't all on Jones, as the offensive line tanked, Jonathan Taylor didn't have the greatest impact, and the receivers dropped the football too often.

Taylor will be critical - but Jones must help loosen Jacksonville's defense through the air to open things up for the ground game. The Jaguars are the best rushing defense in the NFL (82.4 yards per game), but 23rd in the NFL in passing yards allowed.

Jones and Shane Steichen must attack through the air to press this defense. However, they must also be careful in that regard since the Jaguars have accumulated 13 picks and seven fumbles for 20 total takeaways.