Matchups to watch revisited: Week 10 Colts vs. Jaguars

Colts’ pass rush vs. Jags’ offensive line

The Colts had a combined 28 total pressures against Trevor Lawrence, not allowing him to get comfortable at all in the pocket. DeForest Buckner and Kwity Paye had their best games of the season, leading the Colts’ pass rush department with contributions from players like Taylor Stallworth and Dayo Odeyingbo. The Colts will need this sort of pass-rushing production to continue if they are to beat teams like the Bills and Buccaneers in hope of making the playoffs.

Matt Eberflus vs. Trevor Lawrence

Trevor Lawrence finished the game completing 16/35 passes for just 162 yards and a 30.2 QBR. The Colts pass rush got in Lawrence’s face all game long while the secondary made plays when it mattered the most, as Kenny Moore, Rock Ya-Sin, and Isaiah Rodgers all got pass breakups. While the matchup was among the easiest the Colts will have this year, the Jaguars have always been a complicated outing, and you never know what to expect with rookie quarterbacks.

Michael Pittman Jr. vs. Shaquill Griffin

While 5 catches for 71 yards does not seem like such a big game, MPJ’s catches came right at the perfect moment, the most was a key third-down completion near the sideline. The fact that Michael Pittman Jr. can still perform when facing some of the NFL’s best cornerbacks certainly should be encouraging for the Colts, as it seems they have found their number one receiver for the future.

Eric Fisher/Braden Smith vs. Josh Allen/Dawuane Smoot

Eric Fisher got destroyed all game long by Josh Allen, as the Jaguars’ edge rusher finished the game with 9 total pressures and was in the backfield for most of the game, also stuffing the run. Josh Allen single-handedly kept the Colts’ offense in check. Braden Smith kept Dawuane Smoot in check all game long, shutting him down in the passing game while also limiting his impact in the running game.

Carson Wentz vs. Dumb mistakes

While he still tried (and completed!) yet another left-handed pass under pressure, Wentz finished another game with no turnovers. So far through 10 games, Carson Wentz has just 6 turnovers, compared to 18 last season. Wentz certainly deserves some credit for limiting his turnovers, but it would be good to see him also try to limit the risky boneheaded plays he makes at times.