The Tantalizing Ten: Jaguars Edition
Intro: Each week, we will take a look at 10 players that will have a big impact in the game. Who are the Tantalizing Ten when the Colts and Jaguars meet on Sunday afternoon?
For the third straight week, it will be Shipley in the starting lineup. The Colts offensive line is coming off a game in which the unit allowed no sacks for just the third time since the start of 2012. Shipley will face a pretty solid front seven on Sunday with those Seattle principles being brought in by former Seahawks defensive coordinator Gus Bradley.
Something has to give on Sunday. The Jaguars have allowed 13 sacks in two weeks where as the Colts have only gotten one sack. Werner had his hands full last week with one of the game's best left tackles in Jason Peters. Can Werner and the entire Colts pass rush get to Chad Henne?
This time last year, Richardson's first carry in a Colts uniform was taking him into the end zone for a one-yard touchdown. From a yardage standpoint, Richardson had his best game as a Colt but ball security plagued No. 34. Stringing games together is the next step for Richardson and he scored touchdowns in both contests versus Jacksonville last year.
The talk in Jacksonville is all about Blake Bortles and when the rookie quarterback will become the starter. Henne has gotten some unfair blame with all the injuries across the offensive unit. The veteran has handled it like a true pro though as the Bortles talk continues to build.
We've seen the Colts offense employ two different game plans in the first two weeks with some success. To turn those into truly complete efforts, Luck and the offense has to finish off drives. If Luck and the Colts can establish a lead on Sunday, it will be interesting to watch them try and put the Jaguars away, again, if given the opportunity.
There's no Maurice Jones-Drew pinballing around on Sunday afternoon. MJD is in Oakland so the Jaguars starting running back is Toby Gerhart, Andrew Luck's college teammate at Stanford. The Jaguars have struggled to establish a running game early in 2014 and the ground could play a big role on Sunday with some rain in the forecast.
It was a heavy trench-workload for Allen on Monday night. From lining up as an unbalanced tackle, Allen excelled in paving the way for the Colts 169 rushing yards. He only had one target in the passing game though and there's no doubt the Colts would like to get him more involved through the air.
With Art Jones ruled out for Sunday, Francois' health is something to watch when inactives are announced. Defensive line depth for the Colts has been tested early and Francois is a key, key ingredient to success up front.
The Jaguars second-round pick from last year is expected to be back roaming from his safety position on Sunday afternoon. In Week One, the Jaguars were pitching a shutout with Cyprien on the field for the first 27 snaps. A concussion has sidelined him since and the Jaguars defense hasn't been the same. Can Cyprien be the difference?
In last year's regular season finale against Jacksonville, Hilton set a career-high with 11 catches for 155 receiving yards. He turned that into an impressive run through the playoffs. By Hilton's standards, he's been a bit quiet so far this season. That can change in a flash with Hilton.
