Ok, let's be real and just go ahead and admit that the Colts-Pats game in a few weeks is going to be the biggest regular season game in the history of the NFL. But before this colossal showdown we have a big issue this coming week against the Jaguars, because this game is about the AFC South and a division game is worth double any other game. So while the Colts-Pats game will get much more media attention the game this coming week is actually worth a lot more to the Colts because its all about the division lead in the AFC South. The Colts and we as fans CAN NOT look past this game!
The Jags are a better team then they were last year and the reason is simple: David Garrard is light years better than Byron "Fatty McButter Pants" Leftwich. He is accurate, good at reading defenses and makes few mental mistakes. In fact, all the way back in 2002 in the regular season finale, against the Colts, I saw Garrard play for the first time as a rookie and I said that he was their QB of the future. Fortunately, the Jags were dumb and drafted Leftwich and so they lost a few years, but now they are correcting that mistake and Garrard looks like the real deal. Fred Taylor, for whatever, reason absolutely OWNS the Colts. I think I have giving up any hope of stopping this guy so if we can "hold" him to only 100 yards I think I'll be happy.
The defense of the Jags is still very good and they know how to slow down the Colts offense. They don't use a lot of scheming, in fact, if you notice they always play their two safeties deep and then use their LB's and CB's in man to man coverage. It is a very basic defense that the execute very well because of great players like Rasheen Mathis. The Good news is that the Jags have few play makers at the skill positions. Their wide receivers and TE's are laughably bad so I want to see the Colts get very aggressive on defense. I want Bob Sanders to live in the box so much that the Colts might as well list him as the 4th starting linebacker! On offense the key is one word... patience. We need to run the ball in order to slow up Stroud and Henderson and to open up the play action pass. If we try and throw on them early we could be in for a long night.
As I said before, this is the biggest game of the year thus far and it is on Monday night. You better believe that the Jags and their fans (what few they have) are going to be fired up big time. Patience on offense and aggressiveness on defense are the two points to this game so let's go out there and show them who the Kings of the AFC South are!
Go Colts!