Indianapolis Colts: Team Needs to Come out Firing Early Against Jacksonville

I’ve always said, if you let a bad team hang around long enough they’re going to beat you. The Indianapolis Colts found this out in Week 3 in their horrible 22-17 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars at home. The Colts were clearly the superior team that day, but failed to close out the game with many chances.

On Thursday night, the Colts travel to Jacksonville to take on the Jaguars on national TV. The fan base in Jacksonville is pretty much gone as their irate at their lone professional sports team. They don’t trust the GM, coach, or players. Despite all of the uncertainty and disappointment of losses, the fans will show up for the game Thursday night.

Not only will they show up, they think they have a chance. They know their lone win was against this same Colts team. Factor in a primetime nationally televised game and they will be ready to cheer on their disappointing team.

All of this though favors the Colts. How you might ask?

The Colts are clearly the better football team at this point of the season. They’re healthy, finally realizing how to win games, and have more talent. The Jaguars are at a breaking point and looking for one more loss for things to hit the fan. They’re without their star player who also is the only player on the team to have success against the Colts, banged up, and in dismay.

They’re hanging on by a thread of hope, but know what realistically can happen. With all the hype and uncertainty a couple of Colts scores early and big stops on defense and the excitement of the crowd turns into anger. It can tilt the game early and they will lose faith in the Jaguars this year. They not only won’t get them back for the game, but for the entire season.

Many Jaguars fans are upset that the Colts have rebuilt this team in less than a half of season. They’ve been rebuilding for the last two seasons and are in year three of it. They’re getting sick of the empty promises and hopes of finally being relevant. If the Colts score early and often the crowd goes from being raucous to hostile. Their hopes and dreams would be crushed and the atmosphere now favors the Colts.

If the Colts can score early, control the clock, and the line of scrimmage, this game will be over by half.