The Tantalizing Ten: Jaguars London 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 (1-2) make the trek to London in Week Four to take on the Jaguars (0-3)?
What a performance by The Ghost versus the Chargers. Without Donte Moncrief, the Colts needed peak T.Y. Hilton. He was atop that mountain in Week Three. Come Sunday, Hilton will likely see a lot of No. 5 overall pick Jalen Ramsey.
When Clayton Geathers hits you, the yardage gained doesn't increase. Mike Adams calls Geathers his "muscle." The defensive secondary continues to get healthier and the presence of Geathers adds some much needed sound tackling to the entire unit.
It's been a struggling start to the 2016 season for Blake Bortles. This Jaguars offense was supposed to explode in 2016 with so much young skill talent at the disposal of Bortles. After three weeks, Bortles has tossed six interceptions.
With Andrew Luck at quarterback, Chuck Pagano has lost just one divisional game as head coach---his first one, back in 2012 against the Jaguars. That's the only time the Jaguars have beaten Luck. Pagano's Colts will start a stretch this Sunday of three divisional games, all away from home, over the next month.
Against San Diego, the fifth-round pick from North Dakota State made his first career NFL start. After Joe Haeg played 32 snaps at right guard last Sunday, he then slid over to right tackle for the injured Joe Reitz. Haeg could very well be starting in one of those two spots again this week.
Andrew Luck has quarterbacked the Colts to 14 straight wins in the AFC South. Yes, Luck did have some "embarrassing" turnovers in Week Three, but the franchise quarterback bounced back from that with 13 straight completions. In Luck's last three games against Jacksonville, he has six touchdowns and zero interceptions.
A major reason why Jacksonville was the talk of the offseason in 2016 came from the defensive haul they drafted. Jalen Ramsey, a cornerback out of Florida State, was at the top of the group. Ramsey has had a nice start to 2016 and could draw the assignment of T.Y. Hilton a lot on Sunday.
With the injury news to Trent Cole, it even adds to the value that Erik Walden brings to this team. Walden was the team's top playmaking defender against the Chargers. After Walden and Robert Mathis, look for Akeem Ayers and Curt Maggitt to see more action with Cole on injured reserve.
Playing an expanded offensive role this season, Jack Doyle's 13 catches in 15 targets is the best percentage of any NFL tight end (with at least 11 targets). In Donte Moncrief's first game missed, the Colts actually leaned on more two tight end sets, versus three wide receivers.
Last season, Allen Robinson was a deserved Pro Bowl selection. Things have been a little slower for Robinson in 2016, but he have a nice two-touchdown outing in a narrow loss to the Ravens last weekend. It will be interesting to see how the Colts choose to defend Jacksonville this weekend with a cornerback group expected to have Vontae Davis, Antonio Cromartie and Patrick Robinson.
