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| Colts QB Andrew Luck will try to become the first rookie ever to have five 300-yard passing games on Thursday night against Jacksonville. (US Presswire) |
Where: EverBank Field, Jacksonville, Fla. (outdoor, grass)
When: Thursday, 8:20 p.m. ET (NFL Network)
Spread: Colts by 3
Records: Colts (overall: 5-3, AFC South: 1-1); Jaguars (overall: 1-7, AFC South: 1-1)
Past results: Three most recent meetings -- Sept. 23, 2012: Jaguars 22, Colts 17; Jan. 1, 2012: Jaguars 19, Colts 13; Nov. 13, 2011: Jaguars 17, Colts 3. Series record: Colts lead the series 15-8.
What matters: Colts road play. Indy has been erratic -- at best -- on the road this year, and they've yet to play a game at night. The Colts are fighting for a playoff spot, while Jacksonville is just trying to keep its head above water. Indianapolis needs to take care of business Thursday against the Jags -- something they did not do in Week 3 -- especially in advance of its trip north the following week to face the Patriots.
Who matters: MJD. The Jags will be without starting running back Maurice Jones-Drew, who absolutely lit up the Colts' defense in Week 3. Jones-Drew rushed 28 times for 177 yards and a score, but he will miss his third straight game with a foot injury. His absence will loom large for Jacksonville, which will be forced to look to QB Blaine Gabbert for production. In the first meeting, Gabbert was just 10 of 21 for 155 yards, though he did throw the game-winning 80-yard TD pass with less than a minute remaining in the fourth quarter to wide receiver Cecil Shorts.
Key matchups: Shorts vs. Colts defensive back to be named later. Indy's two starting cornerbacks -- Vontae Davis (knee) and Jerraud Powers (foot) -- missed Monday's practice with injuries. Davis has already been ruled out, and interim coach Bruce Arians said Monday that Powers would be day-to-day. That leaves Cassius Vaughn or Darius Butler to try and keep Shorts in check. Vaughn has been shaky in coverage, so this could end up being a matchup that the Jaguars are able to exploit. And with the uncertainty in the secondary, it may also be a chance for rookie wide receiver Justin Blackmon to have the breakout game everyone has been expecting week after week.
Injuries of note: Of course Jones-Drew will probably loom largest, but the Colts were without eight starters in practice Monday. Tight end Coby Fleener (shoulder) and Davis (knee) have already been ruled out, but offensive tackle Winston Justice (knee), Powers (foot), outside linebacker Robert Mathis (back), center Samson Satele (back), running back Donald Brown (knee), and wide receiver Donnie Avery (hip) are all questionable at this point. That's a lot to replace.
Inside stuff: Rookie wide receiver T.Y. Hilton -- who just now seems to be coming on in a big way -- had his best game as a pro in Week 3 against Jacksonville, catching four passes for 113 yards and a score. Hilton was good last week against the Dolphins, notching his second career 100-yard receiving game with six catches for 102 yards and a touchdown.
Connections: A group of former Rams will be reunited Thursday night, as Colts wide receiver Donnie Avery will face off against former cohorts defensive end George Selvie and wide receiver Laurent Robinson. The three played for St. Louis at different times through 2009 and 2010. Also four Colts -- defensive tackle Ricardo Mathews, wide receivers LaVon Brazill and Hilton, and cornerback Darius Butler -- will be returning to their home state of Florida. Mathews, in fact, hails from Jacksonville.
Stat you should know: The Colts have the sixth-best passing offense in the NFL, while the Jaguars are near the bottom of the league in defending the pass. Jacksonville is generally bad in all statistical categories, but this is the one Indianapolis is most likely to exploit.
Record watch: With a 300-yard passing game, Andrew Luck will become the first rookie quarterback in history with five games of passing for 300 yards or more. He and Peyton Manning are the only two to have four games with such production.
Looking ahead: Things get somewhat more difficult for the Colts after this one, with a trip to New England before returning home to face Buffalo. Five of Indy's final eight games will be played on the road.
Prediction: Colts 24, Jaguars 13
For more up-to-the-minute news and analysis from Colts blogger Evan Hilbert, follow @CBSColts.
