The Indianapolis Colts, with a record of 5-6, are coming off their first game without starting quarterback Andrew Luck. They lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers by the score of 28-7 on Thanksgiving Day. Backup quarterback Scott Tolzien played well, but his supporting cast did not help out much.
The New York Jets, with a record of 3-8, are coming off a five-point loss to the New England Patriots. At this point, the Jets are pretty much out of the competition for a playoff spot. However, there are some players that are still trying to prove themselves. This is a very important game for the Colts to stay alive the AFC South race. Now let’s take a look at the Indianapolis Colts Week 13 keys to victory against the New York Jets on Monday Night Football.
Indianapolis Colts Week 13 Keys to Victory
Andrew Luck’s Health
If the Colts learned anything from last week, the lesson is that they need Luck. He has been the catalyst for any success this season. There aren’t many other teams in the NFL that rely as much on the quarterback as the Colts do. According to the Indianapolis Colts Twitter page, Luck says he is healthy and ready to go this week.
"I feel great! …100% ready to go."
Andrew Luck updates the media on how he's feeling: https://t.co/rKgQgasInl
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) November 28, 2016
Luck has thrown for 2,827 yards, 19 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. Furthermore, receivers T.Y. Hilton and Donte Moncrief should both be healthy and ready to go. It will be important for the Colts offensive line to protect the quarterback. They have allowed 38 sacks, which is second most in the NFL. Keeping Luck upright is the number one key to keeping him off the injury report in the weeks to come. This is an opportunity for the Colts line to gain some momentum, considering the Jets have sacked the quarterback only 19 times, which ranks 29th among all teams.
Win the Turnover Battle
Winning the turnover battle has been a struggle for both the Colts and Jets this season. The Colts rank 23rd in the NFL with a turnover margin of minus-five. However, the Jets have been even worse, ranking 31st in the NFL with a turnover margin of minus-14. Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick has had trouble not turning the ball over, including a six-interception game against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week Three. The Jets last two games have been very close, winnable contests that could have resulted in wins if they didn’t have turnover problems, especially against the Miami Dolphins.
Turnovers cost the Colts against the Steelers last week. Tolzien threw two interceptions that helped seal the victory for the Steelers. That hurt mostly because the Colts did not score nearly enough points to be able to turn the ball over and still be successful. That is something that has been one of the underlying themes of the Colts season.
Finish the Game
The biggest problem the Colts have faced this season is their inability to finish out games. Every win they have gotten came down to the final two minutes. Most of their losses have been the same way. The Colts defense cannot seem to play four quarters of football. This matchup with the Jets could be especially interesting because both teams struggle in the final five minutes of games. The Jets problem is turning the ball over, and the Colts problem is giving up large amounts of points in short amounts of time.
Prediction
Expect Luck to have a huge game in his return from injury. Running back Frank Gore gets close to his second 100-yard rushing game of the season, but falls short by five yards. Hilton and Moncrief combine for more than 100 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Jets running back Matt Forte rebounds from three subpar performances and tallies 120 rushing yards and two total touchdowns. Forte keeps the Jets in the game. However, the Colts have a 24-7 lead at halftime which is too much for the Jets to come back from.
Indianapolis Colts 30, New York Jets 24
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