Tonight on NFL Network we have a great Thursday night matchup as two AFC South rivals battle when the 7-6 Jacksonville Jaguars play host to the 13-0 Indianapolis Colts who look to remain unbeaten. Indy has clinched but they are playing for history, and the Jaguars are playing for a playoff spot so this game should be a good one tonight.
Let's start by taking a look at the unbeaten Indianapolis Colts. They got a 28-16 win last week over the Denver Broncos despite 3 interceptions by Peyton Manning who also threw four touchdowns in that game. Dallas Clark was a red zone monster for Indy, catching 3 of Manning's 4 touchdowns. The big question is who will play for the Colts and how long will they play tonight, Indy has clinched home field advantage and the number 1 seed in the AFC so in effect they generally have nothing left to play for. However, coach Jim Caldwell said all healthy players will participate in the game tonight. Manning and company will be going up against the Jags' 26th ranked pass defense so expect Manning to attack the secondary depending on how long he plays in the game. I think that the starters will play this game all the way through, and they will rest the final two games. Rest is important going into the playoffs, but they do not want to be rusty when it's time to play when it counts.
Jacksonville on the other hand has everything to play for, they are locked in a closely contested battle for wild card position in the AFC. They lost a tough game to Miami last week by four points a win there would've made their playoff chances even better, however they couldn't get the win and they have a huge game tonight. A bonus for the Jaguars is that they will finally play in front of a capacity crowd tonight, Jacksonville's lack of fan support has been well documented at their home games, but despite that they are still 5-2 at home. The Jaguars should get a big boost from their home crowd on primetime tonight, Maurice Jones-Drew has to have a good/great game tonight for the Jags to beat the Colts. Jones-Drew seems to be wearing down late in the season, but it's a must win game and I expect Jones-Drew to have a solid outing tonight.
Game forecast
Jacksonville's defense has to keep the Indy offense in check tonight and slow down the passing attack of the Colts. David Garrard has to control the ball and not turn the ball over and make plays to complement Maurice Jones-Drew. THe Colts are undefeated, but I expect the Jaguars to come out in front of their home fans and pull out the much needed win to improve their playoff hopes.
Also, I want to say rest in peace to Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry who passed away this morning at the age of 26 after injuries sustained in an accident yesterday. Tough loss for the NFL and the Bengals and it's always sad to see a person who was turning in his life around and in the prime of his life lose it so suddenly.
Until tomorrow's preview, i'm out. Peace
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