Colts @ Jaguars
Final Score: Colts 20, Jaguars 37
Writer: Tyler Gentile (@808Paperboi on Twitter)
After two weeks across the pond, there was reason to be concerned that a London hangover could affect the Jacksonville Jaguars at home this Sunday. Think again. Thanks to four Gardner Minshew turnovers, Jacksonville piled up 37 points, and this contest was more or less decided by the third quarter. The Indianapolis Colts did their best to make the lopsided affair not look as such by the game’s final whistle, but ultimately the turnover battle was far too much for the Colts to overcome.
Three Up
- Michael Pittman Jr. – In comeback mode for the vast majority of the game, Pittman benefitted the most from Minshew’s 55 pass attempts, finishing with a team-high 14 targets, 9 receptions, and 109 receiving yards.
- Travis Etienne – Handed 83 percent of the snaps and every red zone carry. Etienne is locked in as the bell cow of this offense, and two more touchdowns look pretty on the stat sheet, too.
- Zack Moss – Even with Jonathan Taylor back in the fold, Moss still saw plenty of action on the field for a second consecutive week.
Three Down
- Gardner Minshew – Four turnovers are not going to do it for the Colts de facto starter.
- Josh Downs – A curious selection for some, as his touchdown grab saved the day for his fantasy managers. However, he was the second-most targeted member of the Colts, yet finished seventh on the team in receiving yards (21). Every single one of his teammates who recorded at least one reception ended up with a higher yardage total.
- Calvin Ridley – He led the Jaguars in targets (8), yet finished with only four catches for 30 yards.
Indianapolis Colts
Quarterback
Gardner Minshew: 33/55, 329 Yards, TD, 3 INT, 3 Sacks | 2 Carries, 4 Yards, 1 Fumble
Before Sunday’s kickoff, it was reported that Anthony Richardson’s shoulder could be worse than anticipated, as he’s mulling over season-ending surgery. Stepping in for him this Sunday was none other than the man with the mustache, Gardner Minshew. In a classic “revenge game,” there was reason to be optimistic for Minshew given the Jaguars’ struggles against the pass coming into the game. Unfortunately, he did not deliver and struggled mightily when pressure got to him.
He was strip-sacked on their second drive of the game and threw three picks; three of his four turnovers led to 17 points for his former team. It was a sloppy game from him, no doubt, but he did manage to put up 329 yards thanks to the 55 pass attempts he had. Roughly six yards per dropback is not going to get the job done going forward, though, so he’s best left to the waiver wire unless you’re in a 2QB league.
Notes
- Minshew lacked velocity on his ball and hardly ever threw further than 10 yards downfield.
- He had another interception called back in the first half due to a penalty on Travon Walker.
- This is not an exaggeration: there were a number of times when, under pressure, he lobbed the ball up for near interceptions for the defense.
- As abysmal as his performance was, it’s remarkable that Minshew connected with three different receivers on passes of 40 or more yards.
Missed opportunities
- Bone-headed mistake firing into double-coverage on the Jaguars 30 for the first of his three interceptions.
- Underthrew Michael Pittman in the end-zone for his fourth turnover of the game.
Running Back
Jonathan Taylor: 8 Carries, 19 Yards | 6 Targets, 5 receptions, 46 Yards
The matchup and game script played a massive part in the final stat line for JT today. The Jaguars are among the league’s best at defending the run, as the unit came in tied for the 4th lowest yards per carry allowed to opponents coming into the game; that held true during this one.
After going down quickly on the scoreboard, the Colts were forced to throw early and often and ultimately ditched the run game altogether. It was encouraging to at least see him burst out for a 40-yard catch and run where he lined up outside as a receiver. That being said, this looks like a split-backfield for the time being.
Zack Moss: 7 Carries, 21 Yards | 7 Targets, 6 Receptions, 38 Yards
Similarly, Moss couldn’t get a thing going on the ground. However, he did find paydirt late in the game on a 3-yard run. Moss and Taylor were looked at frequently by Minshew as he checked the ball down more often than not. By the game’s end, the snap count was nearly an even split with Moss holding a 27, and Taylor with 26. Moss has been effective and it’s hard to see him being shut out from the backfield just yet. A 60-40 split in favor of Taylor is probably the most likely scenario going forward.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Michael Pittman Jr: 14 Targets, 9 Receptions, 109 Yards
Pittman was the clear favorite target of Minshew’s this week and hit the century mark in yards for the first time this season. A big chunk of that came on one of the few deep balls Minshew threw, resulting in a 40-yard gain. Pittman peppered with as many targets as he saw is encouraging for fantasy owners going forward, especially with some of those targets coming deeper downfield.
Josh Downs: 8 Targets, 5 Receptions, 21 Yards
There were plenty of folks hyping up the Colts rookie wide-out before the game. Unfortunately, he failed to deliver and was rarely ever targeted deep down the field. Most of his targets came close to the line of scrimmage and his longest reception went for just nine yards. Hopefully, the target volume is a sign of better days to come for Downs.
Alec Pierce: 6 Targets, 3 Receptions, 25 Yards
Pierce made a beauty of a one-handed catch on a ball thrown well behind him but left the game early due to a shoulder injury early in the third quarter. This was just the second time all season that he saw more than three targets in a game.
Kylen Granson: 4 Targets, 3 Reception, 67 Yards
Granson caught a deep ball that went for 45 yards late in garbage time. He’s the pass-catching tight end on the team but doesn’t deserve roster consideration.
Isaiah McKenzie: 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 23 Yards
Jacksonville Jaguars
Quarterback
Trevor Lawrence: 20/30, 181 Yards, 2 TD, INT, 3 Sacks | 3 Carries, 15 Yards
Trevor Lawrence directed the offense masterfully and played relatively mistake-free football into the 4th quarter before JuJu Brents picked off an errant pass. He scrambled a few times, and logged a key first down or two along the way. Unfortunately, Lawrence left the game with about three minutes remaining; he clutched his knee when hitting the ground after being contacted by a defender and limped off the field. Fingers crossed that the injury is nothing serious.
Notes
- Benefited from a few short fields courtesy of Indianapolis Colts turnovers and a 53-yard kickoff return from Jamal Agnew. This negatively impacted his yardage total, making his performance look far worse on paper than it was in reality.
Missed opportunities
- The Colts actually missed an opportunity for a turnover at the 8-minute mark of the 2nd quarter on what was one of the uglier attempts of avoiding a sack in recent memory. Lawrence appeared to try to throw the ball away but it floated in the air and landed fortuitously in open space about 10 yards behind the line of scrimmage, away from Indianapolis defenders.
C. J. Beathard: 3 Carries, -2 Yards
He came into the game to take the final three kneel-downs and will presumably take snaps under center in practice this week until we get clarity on the severity of Lawrence’s injury.
Running Back
Travis Etienne: 18 Carries, 55 Yards, 2 TDs | 3 Targets, 3 Receptions, 28 Yards
Etienne was a force from the beginning, scoring both of the game’s first two touchdowns in the first minute of the second quarter, thanks to a Colts turnover. His yards per carry average (3.1) on the day doesn’t look very electric, but he was by far the most explosive player on the field for either team.
Mr. Touchdown Travis Etienne!
Odds via @DKSportsbook to score 2+ TDs: +475
(via @NFL, CBS)
— NBC Sports Bet (@NBCSportsBet) October 15, 2023
D’Ernest Johnson: 1 Carry, 19 Yards
Tank Bigsby: 3 Carries, 2 Yards
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Calvin Ridley: 8 Targets, 4 Receptions, 30 Yards | 1 Carry, -4 Yards
Ridley had a sizeable 15 or 20-yard gain down the sideline but couldn’t keep both feet in bounds. His fantasy managers were expecting more, as the 28-year-old was a disappointment for the third time in his last five games. Still, it’s encouraging that he led the team in targets.
Christian Kirk: 6 Targets, 3 Receptions, 49 Yards, TD
Christian Kirk was the only other wide receiver to catch a pass for the Jaguars. He was also the only Jaguars wide receiver to find the end zone. Even though he was third on the team in targets behind Ridley and Evan Engram, Kirk led the team in receiving yards.
Touchdown Jacksonville!!!
Christian Kirk #13#DUUUVAL 21#ForTheShoe 3 https://t.co/SB7smhfkGb— 10goT ®™ (@diegotee31) October 15, 2023
Evan Engram: 7 Targets, 7 Receptions, 41 Yards
Evan Engram caught everything thrown his way. His impressive one-handed grab on the sideline in the 2nd quarter was a true “Wow!” moment. Only Ridley was targeted more often in the Jaguars’ passing attack.
Brandon Strange: 3 Targets, 2 Receptions, 27 Yards, TD
Banner day for the rookie from Penn State, who notched his first career NFL touchdown and doubled his career receptions total…by catching two passes. He should remain on waiver wires in nearly all fantasy football leagues.