The top spot in the AFC South is on the line this Sunday in Jacksonville when the Jaguars play the Colts. Both teams sit at 3-2 with some good wins on both sides. When they faced off in the opening game of the season, the Jaguars came away with the win. The Colts, however, have put together a string of good games and play really good defense. The big storyline for Sunday, even in a game that features Trevor Lawrence, is Minshew Mania. Gardner Minshew was the Jaguars starting quarterback for a little over a year and is making his return. While he does not consider this a revenge game, there is always a different feeling when you go back to where you got your start.
How the Jaguars Will Shut Down Minshew Mania
Ultimately, the Jaguars have a better and more complete team than the Colts. Against the Bills, the Jaguars offense was on the field for 38 minutes. The defense, for the majority of the game, shut down a very good Bills offense. Even though Allen had plenty of time to sit in the pocket, the Jaguar secondary was all over Stefon Diggs and the rest of the Bills receivers. Minshew is accurate and smart, but he is not Josh Allen. On top of that, other than Michael Pittman Jr., the receiving corps leaves a lot to be desired in Indianapolis. Expect another hard-fought victory for the Jaguars, but a 10-point win should be expected on Sunday.
What Is Minshew Mania
“Minshew Mania” was born at Gardner Minshew’s alma mater Washington State University. Coming out of high school, he was not tall enough, not fast enough, and did not have a strong enough arm to get Division I scholarship offers. Instead, he started at Northwest Mississippi Community College, transferred to East Carolina, and ultimately ended up at Washington State. It was his work ethic, intelligence, and pinpoint accuracy that made Minshew a good college quarterback. It was the mustache, the jorts, and the brash personality that created “Minshew Mania.”
Minshew ended up in Jacksonville after being selected in the sixth round of the 2019 NFL Draft. He was expected to back up newly signed “franchise quarterback” Nick Foles. On a perfectly thrown touchdown pass to D.J. Chark in the first quarter of the first game in 2019, Foles broke his left clavicle. Minshew entered the game and ended up having a decent first season. He was named the starter in 2020. Minshew was loved for his cockiness, his personality, his jean shorts, and his mustache. He was not, however, a very good starting quarterback. The Jaguars ended 2020 1-15, got the first pick in the 2021 draft, and picked Trevor Lawrence.
The Hair vs. The ‘Stache
Trevor Lawrence is a better starting quarterback than Gardner Minshew. Lawrence’s hair and arm garnered him the nickname “Sunshine,” but he is a much more subdued personality than Minshew. Jacksonville embraced Minshew Mania almost immediately. Gardner Minshew was the underdog. In some ways, he was the embodiment of Jacksonville compared to other NFL seasons. Trevor Lawrence, on the other hand, is kind of the golden boy of football. From the first time he threw a pass in a high school game, he was going to be an NFL star. The two quarterbacks could not be less similar, but they are the last two quarterbacks to start a season as QB 1 for the Jaguars. As it stands right now, the Jaguars have the better part of this duo.
A Defensive Struggle
The Colts defense is really good. Kwity Paye and DeForest Buckner, on the left side of the defensive line, are one of the best tandems in the NFL. They are disruptive, good against the run, and caused Lawrence a lot of problems in week one. Paye is coming out of the concussion protocol, but he is back to full practices. Zaire Franklin is a beast in the middle and a great leader for the defense. The secondary is one of the worst in the NFL, so if the Jaguar offensive line can give Lawrence some time, the Jaguars could score some points.
The Jaguar defense is almost the complete opposite. Edge rusher Josh Allen had three sacks in the first game, but two of them were simply running Richardson out of bounds for a loss of a yard. In general, the interior of the Jaguar defensive line gets little to no pressure. Travon Walker, last year’s No. 1 overall pick, seemingly gets his name called more for big penalties than big plays. It is the secondary that makes this defense what it is. Tyson Campbell and Darious Williams are playing great. On top of that, safety Andre Cisco is a future star and Tre Herndon is playing well as a nickel.
The Jaguars Offense
This should be the difference in the game. The Jaguars have weapons all over the field, and the team is finally starting to gel. Against the Bills, Lawrence topped 300 yards, Ridley had 122 receiving yards, and Travis Etienne had 136 yards and two touchdowns. If this team can finally put it all together and the offensive line continues to improve with Walker Little, Cam Robinson, and Anton Harrison playing together, the Jaguars could have a really good 2023.
Jaguars Are 8-0 vs the Colts in Jacksonville Since 2015
The Jaguars and Colts have played eight times in Jacksonville since 2015. The Jaguars are undefeated in those games. What is most surprising about that is how bad the Jaguars have been since 2015. From 2015 through 2022, the Jaguars only won 42 games. That means in the previous eight years, almost 20 percent of Jacksonville’s wins have been at home against the Colts. This is one of the first times they are actually the better team, and it stands to reason that they will again on Sunday.
Main Photo: Mark Lebryk – USA Today Sports
