Q&A With The Enemy: 5 Questions Ahead Colts v Jaguars

Heading into another critical division matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars in week 7 we reached out to Big Cat Country’s Ryan Day to find out a little more about what we will be facing.

1. With the exception of week four against the Jets, the Jaguars haven’t been in many close games this season. Does this team just play really up and down, or is there another factor in play that has led to these kinds of games?

They go the way of their quarterback who is probably the least consistent guy in the league honestly. Blake Bortles is not a good player, but he can certainly be "not good" enough to win games, as we've seen by the 3-3 record so far this year. The defense is consistently a top unit, the run game is good, the offensive line is good -- it's all on the quarterback, hence why we've had such an up-and-down season.

2. From a statistical standpoint, Leonard Fournette has been outstanding so far this season. He leads the league in rushing touchdowns and is second in rushing yards. How good has he looked? Is there any merit to the idea that he is somewhat reliant upon big plays for those numbers?

He's looked every bit as good as advertised. He's like a veteran out there and it's amazing what it does to an offense to finally (finally!) have some consistently great play from the running back. He has great vision, great speed, he's tough, he can get 30 touches a game -- I don't know why we'd disparage the guy saying he relies on big plays. Isn't that what every skill player does? Kareem Hunt has three runs of over 50 yards so far. You know why? Because he's a really good player. That's what good players do. If you want to take something away from Fournette because he has long runs, well, I'm just confused.

3. The Jaguars have looked like a team poised to break out for several years but something has always seemed to hold them back. What is this team’s biggest weakness, and is this team equipped to overcome it?

Again, it's Blake Bortles and I really don't know if you "overcome" a bad quarterback. You can hide him, and I think we get a playoff game this year, but it's not a recipe for long-term success.

4. The Jaguars have what is likely the best cornerback tandem in football. They also have the most sacks in the league with 23. Given these obvious areas of strength, how should the Colts offense attack this defense to have any hope of success?

Run the ball as much as you can and then run some more. The interior of our run defense is susceptible to long, sustained drives and I'd say that's our biggest glaring weakness. Also, don't be afraid to have Jacoby Brissett move around in the pocket or move in the flat to get defenders off-balance and leave receivers open.

5. How do you see this game playing out?

I think the Jaguars win. The Colts have the second worst pass defense in the NFL, allowing nearly 300 yards per game in the air and in the bottom five in the NFL in sacks. The Jaguars should match up well against the Colts pass defense and it would seem the perfect opportunity to attempt to open up the pass game to open up the run game. I don't think the Colts run game can take the ball out of Jacoby Brissett's hands and I think our defense smothers the young quarterback. Jaguars win 27-9 with a defensive touchdown.