INDIANAPOLIS — The Indianapolis Colts have dealt with injuries to some of their most important players this season, but their quarterback is now back in the fold.
After missing the last game-and-a-half with a sprained MCL in his left knee, Jacoby Brissett will be back under center for the Colts as they play host to their visiting AFC South Division rival Jacksonville Jaguars this Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Last season, the two teams split their series with each home team coming out victorious — and by a combined nine points. The Jaguars took the last matchup, shutting the Colts out, 6-0, in Week 13. The last time Brissett started against the Jaguars was the lowest point of the Colts' 2017 season, a 27-0 shutout at Lucas Oil Stadium in which Brissett was sacked 10 times. While every season is a new one, there's a score to settle in this division rivalry.
Let's analyze this week's matchup.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
- Sunday, Nov. 17, at 1:00 p.m. ET
- Indianapolis; Lucas Oil Stadium
- TV: CBS — Andrew Catalon (play-by-play), James Lofton (color) and Michael Grady (sideline)
- Watch the Colts on Yahoo Sports or the Colts app, free on your phone or tablet. *Geographic and device restrictions apply. Local & primetime games only. Data charges may apply.
- Click here for more ways to watch.
- To find out what games will be on in your area, check here
- Radio: WFNI "1070 The Fan" and WLHK "HANK FM" — Matt Taylor (play-by-play), Jim Sorgi (color) and Larra Overton (sideline) | ESPN Radio — Jason Benetti (play-by-play) and Tom Ramsey (color)
ALL-TIME SERIES
- Colts lead, 23-13. The Jaguars have won three of the last four games dating back to 2017.
- Last game — Week 13 of 2018. Jaguars won, 6-0.
COACHING STAFF
Colts:
- HC Frank Reich
- OC Nick Sirianni
- DC Matt Eberflus
- STC Bubba Ventrone
Jaguars:
- HC Doug Marrone
- OC John DeFilippo
- DC Todd Wash
- STC Joe DeCamillis
LAST WEEK
Colts:
- Lost vs. Miami Dolphins (2-7), 16-12
Jaguars:
- BYE. Week 9 — Lost vs. vs. Houston Texans (6-3), 26-3 (London)
INJURY UPDATE
Colts:
- OUT — WR Parris Campbell (hand), WR T.Y. Hilton (calf)
- DOUBTFUL — CB Pierre Desir (hamstring)
- QUESTIONABLE — TE Mo Alie-Cox (hip), RB Jordan Wilkins (ankle)
Jaguars:
- OUT — N/A
- DOUBTFUL — TE Seth DeValve (oblique)
- QUESTIONABLE — N/A
STORYLINES/THINGS TO WATCH
- Return Of The Quarterbacks — It's not just Brissett who returns to the field this week; Jacksonville also returns its starting quarterback in Nick Foles, who broke his collarbone in Week 1. Foles won a Super Bowl in February 2018 with Colts head coach Frank Reich as his offensive coordinator. Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus spoke with reporters about preparing for Foles earlier this week: "You can look in various spots. We've played him when he was in Philly a few times where I was previously at (Dallas). We're a little bit familiar with him. Obviously, we have his coach here so that helps. We can talk to (Frank Reich) about that. We're just looking at all aspects of it to try and get a grasp of what he's good at. And we know what he's good at. He's good at a lot of stuff. He can do a lot of things. He's got great command of the offense, he's got great touch on the football and he does a lot of stuff really well."
- Emphasis On The Running Backs — With both quarterbacks returning from injury, it makes sense for both offenses to emphasize the run game, as well as use the short passing game to those backs as an extension of the run game. This matchup features two of the NFL's top-10 leading rushers in the Colts' Marlon Mack (ninth, 753 yards) and the Jaguars' Leonard Fournette (sixth, 831). Fournette is already the easy focal-point of Jacksonville's offense, and that may be the same for Mack this week against a Jaguars team that is susceptible to surrendering big rushing performances.
- Break The Hilton-Less Cycle — The Colts are 0-7 in games without wide receiver T.Y. Hilton since he was drafted in 2012. They will need to figure out ways to win without relying on his big-play ability and the attention he commands from defenses. A heavy dose of Mack and the run game makes sense, but they also have plenty of capable healthy pass-catchers in Zach Pascal, Jack Doyle, Eric Ebron and Nyheim Hines.
- Don't Beat Yourselves — Since Week 8, the Colts have committed 20 penalties and seven turnovers. In their four losses on the season, self-inflicted wounds have been a theme. The Colts should win most games if they stay clean and fix the mistakes. With how hard it is to win in the NFL, you have to make sure not to beat yourself.
- AFC South Race — The AFC South competition is still very much a thing with the first-place Houston Texans sitting at 6-3 and the last-place Jaguars sitting at 4-5, the division being separated by two games with seven weeks left in the regular season. This game is critical for both teams.
INTRIGUING MATCHUPS
- Colts OT Anthony Castonzo vs. Jaguars DE Yannick Ngakoue — In six career games against the Colts, Ngakoue has 18 tackles (six for loss), 5.5 sacks, one forced fumble, one interception and 13 quarterback hits, which are almost all career highs for him against any team. He's a handful for any offensive tackle, but the Colts are in good hands by having one of the league's best going against him in Castonzo.
- Colts DT Denico Autry vs. Jaguars IOL Brandon Linder/Andrew Norwell — Autry is a strong, athletic, lengthy defensive lineman who can line up inside or out, attack straightforward or be effective on stunts. The Jaguars have a pair of stud interior linemen to try and counter Autry in Linder and Norwell.
- Colts CB Rock Ya-Sin vs. Jaguars WR D.J. Chark — Chark's potential has been brewing in his second season, and it has hit overdrive. Colts' rookie cornerback Ya-Sin has gotten a ton of playing time this season and has shown some progress. This is a big test for him against a young, highly talented height-weight-speed player.
PROJECTED WEATHER
- (Retractable roof stadium) Cloudy, five-percent chance of precipitation, temperature in the low-40s°F, wind from the SSW at 5 mph.
REFEREE ASSIGNMENT
- Head referee: Shawn Hochuli (six years). Click here to see all referee assignments for Week 11.
BETTING LINE
- Favorite: Colts (-3.0)
- Over/Under: 43.5
REGULAR SEASON LEADERS
Colts:
- Passing — QB Jacoby Brissett (1,649 yards)
- Rushing — RB Marlon Mack (753 yards)
- Receiving — WR T.Y. Hilton (360 yards)
- Touchdowns — WR T.Y. Hilton (5)
- Tackles — LB Darius Leonard (60)
- Sacks — DE Justin Houston (7.0)
- Interceptions — LB Darius Leonard (2)
Jaguars:
- Passing — QB Gardner Minshew II (2,285 yards)
- Rushing — RB Leonard Fournette (831 yards)
- Receiving — WR D.J. Chark (692 yards)
- Touchdowns — WR D.J. Chark (6)
- Tackles — LB Myles Jack (50)
- Sacks — LB Josh Allen (7.0)
- Interceptions — S Ronnie Harrison, CB Tre Herndon (2)
COMPARING 2019 STATS
Colts:
- Total offense — 22nd (338.8 YPG)
- Scoring — 18th (21.6 PPG)
- Passing offense — 25th (211.3 YPG)
- Sacks allowed — Tied-6th (17)
- Running offense — 10th (127.4 YPG)
- Third down offense — 10th (43%)
- Red zone offense — 13th (60.6%)
- Total defense — 10th (327.6 YPG)
- Scoring defense — 17th (21.4 PPG)
- Passing defense — 10th (223.2 YPG)
- Sacks — Tied-18th (23)
- Running defense — 15th (104.3 YPG)
- Third down defense — 17th (39%)
- Red zone defense — 11th (51.7%)
- Time of possession — 9th (31:14)
- Turnover differential — 22nd (-2)
Jaguars:
- Total offense — 11th (377.1 YPG)
- Scoring — 24th (19.6 PPG)
- Passing offense — 13th (247.6 YPG)
- Sacks allowed — Tied-15th (22)
- Running offense — 9th (129.6 YPG)
- Third down offense — 25th (34%)
- Red zone offense — 30th (34.5%)
- Total defense — 17th (350.0 YPG)
- Scoring defense — Tied-13th (21.0 PPG)
- Passing defense — 13th (229.8 YPG)
- Sacks — Tied-5th (30)
- Running defense — 22nd (120.2 YPG)
- Third down defense — 18th (39%)
- Red zone defense — 13th (53.6%)
- Time of possession — 10th (31:08)
- Turnover differential — 21st (-2)
NOTES AND QUOTES
- Mack needs one 100-yard rushing performance to tie Alan Ameche (seven) for the sixth-most such games in Colts franchise history.
- Doyle needs one receiving touchdown to pass Coby Fleener (17) and tie Ken Dilger (18) for the sixth-most receiving touchdowns by a tight end in Colts franchise history.
- Ebron needs one receiving touchdown to tie Doyle and Fleener (17) for the seventh-most receiving touchdowns by a tight end in franchise history.
- Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri needs one field goal attempt to pass Morten Andersen (709) for the most career field goal attempts in NFL history.
- Reich on Vinatieri's status: "As far as Adam is concerned, Adam is our kicker. Chris (Ballard) and I have talked about the situation. We have confidence in Adam. Obviously, there have been other kickers in here working out. We have the confidence in Adam. He is not just our kicker. He is a leader on our team, he is a captain and his presence is important. We feel we need him going forward and have the utmost confidence in him."
- Eberflus on how Colts defensive lineman Tyquan Lewis has looked in practice: "He's doing really well. I wouldn't say that if he was not. I think he's doing well in practice and we're excited about where he is. The roster will be molded as we go through the week and we'll see where he is at."
- Colts defensive end Justin Houston on the challenges of preparing against a quarterback like Foles who hasn't really played this season: "Not knowing how they're going to attack you and not knowing how they're going to use him. I think they're going to protect him very well. He's fresh off an injury so I think they want to get his feet wet. They're just not going to let him open the whole playbook up. So I feel as if they're going to make sure he's comfortable in the pocket and make sure he's able to do what he wants to do. The book is open though – you're kind of unsure of how they want to attack you with him."
- This week, the Colts made the following roster moves: Signed wide receiver Deon Cain, offensive tackle Cedrick Lang, running back Darius Jackson and defensive tackle Kyle Peko to the practice squad, and placed running back Bruce Anderson III on the Practice Squad Injured list. Also, Colts offensive tackle Jackson Barton was signed to the Kansas City Chiefs' active roster from the Colts' practice squad.
CATCH BEFORE THE GAME
- Colts Hope To Make Determination On Jacoby Brissett By Wednesday
- Colts Release Week 11 Unofficial Depth Chart For Jaguars Matchup
- Colts Quick Scouting Report: Week 11 Vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
- Devin Funchess Returning To Practice Field For Colts Today
- Frank Reich On Adam Vinatieri: ‘Adam is Our Kicker’
- Colts Daily Notebook: Jacoby Brissett A Full Participant; Expected To Start Against Jaguars
- Colts Daily Notebook: Preparing For The Unknown Against Nick Foles, Jaguars
- 2019 Colts Fantasy Preview: Colts/Jaguars, Week 11
- Parris Campbell, T.Y. Hilton Ruled Out Sunday Against The Jaguars; Pierre Desir Doubtful
NEXT WEEK
Colts:
- Houston Texans (away) (Thursday Night Football)
Jaguars:
- Tennessee Titans (away)
