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Is this the game that the Indianapolis Colts finally have a pass rush? That’s the hope at least in the battle of winless AFC South teams in Jacksonville on Sunday. The Jaguars are playing their home opener.  Here are three storylines to watch in the game:
Pressure the QB: This will be a weekly storyline until the Colts show they can put pressure on the quarterback on a consistent basis. They didn't get any sacks against Philadelphia in the previous game. The Jaguars, who will have two new offensive line starters, have given up 13 sacks, including 10 against Washington last week, in two games. You might as well throw your hands up if the Colts' defense can’t sack Jacksonville quarterback Chad Henne at least once. Is that too much to ask? Spread the ball around: The Colts have plenty of talent at receiver with Reggie Wayne, T.Y. Hilton and Hakeem Nicks, tight end with Dwayne Allen and Coby Fleener and in the backfield with Trent Richardson and Ahmad Bradshaw. Now it’s up to quarterback Andrew Luck to spread the ball around. Luck still relies heavily on Wayne and Hilton, who have been targeted 20 and 22 times, respectively. Bradshaw, a running back, is next in line at 12 targets. “I feel like our scheme is comprehensive enough,” offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton said. “Once teams adjust to try and take away one component or one person in our offense, we have other guys around that will make plays. The NFL season is a long season. We have 14 more games to go and it’s the ultimate chess match. Over the course of time, you’ll find out that there’ll be enough opportunities for guys to make plays throughout the offense.” Protect the ball: Richardson ran for 79 yards against the Eagles, his highest total since the Colts acquired him on Sept. 18, 2013. But he has to do a better job protecting the ball. He fumbled twice, with Wayne diving on his first fumble. Richardson’s second fumble ended up costing the Colts, as the Eagles took advantage of the turnover to score a touchdown. Going back to the Kansas City playoff game last season -- four games total -- Richardson has fumbled three times. “Trent runs extremely hard and he’s always fighting for extra yards,” coach Chuck Pagano said. “When you put the ball on the ground, guys are going to point that out in other meeting rooms in other cities and say, ‘Hey look, this guy, you know, yada yada yada.’ Trent understands that and all our backs, all those guys that touch the football know how important ball security is and we harp on it every single day, and we’ll continue to harp on it. We’ve got to do a better job of taking care of the football.”
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