|
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jaguars are a mess right now, especially on defense, which was supposed to be significantly better and keep the team in games into the second half. In the past six quarters they have given up 75 points, 299 rushing yards, forced just six punts, and forced zero turnovers. All of that came without safety Johnathan Cyprien (concussion), but his return this Sunday isn’t going to solve the defense’s biggest issues: poor tackling (they have missed 35 in two games), players getting out of position and the line not holding its gaps. The Colts have a solid one-two running back punch with Ahmad Bradshaw and Trent Richardson, and you can expect coach Chuck Pagano to attack the Jaguars’ defensive front to see if they have fixed those issues. Things aren't much better on offense. The Jaguars are coming off a loss to Washington in which they yielded 10 sacks and the line has two new starters, including rookie center Luke Bowanko. Plus, receiver Marqise Lee (hamstring) is out, receiver Allen Hurns (ankle) is iffy, and tight end Marcedes Lewis (ankle) is out for 6 to 8 weeks. Receiver Cecil Shorts (hamstring) will have limited reps if he plays. Not a lot of playmakers available for quarterback Chad Henne. My prediction: Colts 24, Jaguars 10
|
