The NFL is wading through some tough times. It seems as though every headline is about a player being arrested or suspended. We need to get back to discussing the actual games and debating who the elite QB’s are (totally kidding, this is a terrible topic that never has a true answer). Either way, I believe that Week 3 of the NFL season will get us back on track and prove to be a great week of football. Tampa Bay got destroyed last night by Atlanta as Devin Hester broke the NFL record for most returns for a TD in NFL history. See, this is what we need. Actual football stories! This weekend gives us a Super Bowl rematch as Denver takes on Seattle, an intriguing NFC North matchup between the Packers and Lions, and a Sunday night slugfest between Pittsburgh and Carolina. And, then we have Jacksonville….
Introduction
The Jacksonville Jaguars come into Week 3 with an 0-2 record, but they have one thing going for them. This week they play their first home game of the season, and every Jaguars fan hopes that a little home cooking can help the team win their first game of the season. After last week’s debacle, the Jaguars cannot play any worse on offense, defense, or special teams. The fans should see some improvement this week, as WR Cecil Shorts III returns to the field for the first time this season. He has been battling a hamstring injury and should provide a spark to the passing attack. Safety Johnathan Cyprien also returns after missing the past six quarters with a concussion. The defense has looked terrible without Cyprien and hopefully he can fix some of the problems on D.
Unfortunately for the Jaguars, their opponent this week is the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts, however, are also 0-2. While these two teams may have similar records through two weeks, there is no questioning who is the better team. Indianapolis boasts QB Andrew Luck who has been a freaking stud since he came into the league. Through two seasons, Luck is 10-2 against the AFC South. He has completely turned around the Colts franchise since Peyton Manning left after the 2011 season. Similar to the Manning years, the Colts are an offensive based team and should put up some points against a struggling Jaguars defense.
3 Players to Watch
Andrew Luck is a player to watch in this week’s matchup against the Colts.
Andrew Luck, QB (Indianapolis): Luck has been as good as advertised since coming out of Stanford. He has guided the Colts to the playoffs in each of his first two seasons and has looked like a Hall of Famer in the making. Luck threw for 23 TD’s in both of his seasons as a pro, and he cut his INT’s in half between his rookie year to second year. Although his team has lost their first two games, it has not been from Luck’s inability to play QB. I look for Luck to have a great game and continue his dominance of the AFC South. (And he’s on my fantasy team, so I need some points!)
Cecil Shorts III, WR (Jacksonville): Shorts III is going to play in his first game this season, and the Jaguars offense needs him more than ever. The WR corps for the Jaguars has mainly been a trio of rookies this season (Allen Hurns, Marqise Lee, and Allen Robinson). Even though Shorts III is only in his 4th NFL season, he is considered the veteran amongst the Jaguars wideouts. He has averaged 878 yards per season over the past two years and should provide the Jaguars with some playmaking ability on the perimeter.
Blake Bortles, QB (Jacksonville): Ok, this is just a fantasy, but I have the right to dream! WE WANT BORTLES!
Luke Bowanko, C (Jacksonville): Who? Go ahead, Google search this guy and return to this article once you’ve figured out who he is. Honestly, I write weekly articles for the Jaguars, and I had no idea who he was until he played some last week against Washington. Either way, Bowanko is going to start at center for the Jaguars this week. The rookie, sixth round pick will be replacing Jacques McClendon. The Jaguars O-line cannot play any worse than last week. Any change, be it Bowanko or whomever, is going to look like an improvement from last week. Hopefully, he can actual block, and he can open up some running lanes for RB Toby Gerhart.
Fantasy Sleeper
Holy cow! I have successfully picked two fantasy sleepers in the past two weeks that have played extremely well. I mean, how in the world did I pick Allen Hurns (23 points) and Niles Paul (15 points) in weeks 1 and 2, respectfully? I’m going to give it another shot this week by naming T.Y. Hilton as my fantasy sleeper. Hilton is a solid player and those of you who regularly follow the NFL know who he is. However, he has 0 TD’s and only 106 yards through two games for the Colts. Look for Hilton to come close to or exceed his season yardage total in this game and break into the endzone. (My buddy Brandon is smiling right now. You’ve got to love some fantasy football).
Prediction
On paper, this has all the makings of a blowout. The Colts are clearly the more talented team and have the second coming of Peyton Manning at quarterback. However, the Jaguars are 4-4 against Indianapolis dating back to 2010. The weather forecast is calling for rain, which always can play a major factor in the outcome of a game. This may mean a few extra turnovers by both teams. I think that the Jaguars will actually hang in this game, but eventually lose in the 4th quarter. Andrew Luck is simply too good.
Final Score: Colts 31-21
P.S. I will be in Jacksonville attending this game in person! I’m super stoked about the opportunity to watch my Jaguars play against their division rival. I’ll have some pictures in my next few articles from this game (weather permitting). Don’t hate me Jaguar fans, but my girlfriend will be with me at the game and she’s a Colts fan!
Go Jags!
This article Jacksonville Jaguars: Home cooking? appeared first on isportsweb by Zachary Chandler