JACKSONVILLE – Senior writer John Oehser, senior correspondent Brian Sexton, team reporter Kainani Stevens and correspondent John Shipley offer quick thoughts on the Jaguars as they prepare to play the Indianapolis Colts at EverBank Stadium Sunday
Oehser …
- Run to win. The running game has been among the Jaguars' most-improved areas through six games, and it may be one of the team's defining areas by season's end. The Jaguars focused heavily on improving this in the offseason, signing running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. as a restricted free agent and selecting guard Emmanuel Pregnon and tight end Nate Boerkircher in the 2026 NFL Draft. Running backs Bhayshul Tuten and Rodriguez through six games have been strikingly physical, and the Jaguars have run more consistently this season than last. While the Jaguars haven't yet excelled in "explosive runs," it feels like a matter of time before Tuten's "close" explosives turn into a long touchdown or two. The guess here is they will hit there soon. If the Jaguars continue improving here at the rate they did in the first six games, they could be one of the NFL's top – and most physical – running teams by season's end, which will give an already potent offense a critical dimension late in the season.
- An issue of depth. An offseason move that didn't happen is benefiting the Jaguars these days, with left tackle Walker Little preparing to make his second start of the season Sunday. That starting role is now permanent, at least in the context of this season, with left tackle Anton Harrison out for the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament. Little was among multiple players observers believed the Jaguars might trade this past offseason because while he is a starting-caliber player, there was no starting spot available at the time along a deep Jaguars line. But the NFL is a league of attrition, and the Jaguars under Head Coach Liam Coen, General Manager James Gladstone and Executive Vice President of Football Operations Tony Boselli believe in having at least eight starting-caliber offensive linemen. This commitment to being ready for injuries means they will start a player in Little with extensive starting experience in the role he now will play. That doesn't make this situation positive, but it's hardly the disaster it might have been had the Jaguars been unprepared for this scenario.
Sexton…
- Better blitz this week. The numbers said not to blitz Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud in London, because his completion percentage and yards per attempt skyrocketed when teams sent more than four pass rushers his way. The Jaguars blitzed and lost. The numbers say Colts quarterback Daniel Jones struggles when teams sends five or more. The Minnesota Vikings last Sunday blitzed on 85 percent of Jones' dropbacks, and he threw interceptions, fumbled and took sacks in a 16-10 Colts loss. Jaguars defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile blitzes on less than 40 percent of pass attempts, but this week he should look to the strategy employed by Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores.
- The Colts are a shell of what they once were. It almost seemed unfair when the Colts transitioned from all-time great quarterback Peyton Manning after the 2011 season to Andrew Luck in 2012, with Luck early in his career also seemingly destined for all-time great status. Luck instead retired in 2019, with a collection of quarterbacks – Jacoby Brissett, Matt Hasselback, Philip Rivers, Carson Wentz, Matt Ryan, Gardner Minshew II and Joe Flacco – trying and often failing for the Colts in the seasons since. Now, it's quarterback Daniel Jones for the Colts. It's good to remember that finding a quarterback you can build a franchise around is difficult and can take a generation or even two. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence is a guy the Jaguars have waited for since Mark Brunell left for Washington in 2004. I won't say it was worth the wait, but it's a nice spot to be today.
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Stevens …
- The Jaguars are dealing with trade deadline rumors the only way they know how. Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. remains the subject of national media speculation as a potential trade deadline candidate. Thomas has struggled with drops this season and did not play the second half of the team's last game against the Texans. However, Coen and Thomas' teammates remain encouraging. Thomas remains a firm part of the offensive game plan this week and could be primed for a breakout game against a Colts team against which he has succeeded in the past.
- The Jaguars need a hot start Sunday. The Jaguars' opponent on Sunday will be the Colts, but what players will remain on the Colts' roster then remains to be seen. They traded defensive tackle DeForest Buckner and offensive lineman Quenton Nelson earlier this week, with several other Colts players asked to be traded as the team seems poised for a rebuild after a 2-5 start to the season. Coen has been vocal with his team about not underestimating the opponent. That makes a good start crucial Sunday because the Colts' "fire sale" could galvanize the Colts' remaining players.
Shipley…
- Slowing Taylor. The focus for many defenses when it comes to the Colts starts and stops with Jonathan Taylor, and for good reason. The star running back is a constant big-play threat, and a Week 7 touchdown against the Vikings marked his 12th career rushing touchdown of more than 35 yards. That's tied for the fourth-most by any player in NFL history prior to turning 28 behind Jim Brown, Chris Johnson and Adrian Peterson. The Jaguars have done a good job against Taylor in recent matchups, and that is once again what it will take for the Jaguars to continue their decade-plus-long streak of defeating the Colts at EverBank Stadium.
- Lawrence's trajectory. Lawrence has played at perhaps the highest level of his career in 2026, throwing 14 touchdown passes in the first six games of the season – the first time in his career he has thrown more than nine touchdown passes in the first six games of a season. He has been ascending since the Jaguars' 2025 bye week. If he can be effective again Sunday with explosive plays early, he could force the Colts into the kind of game they do not want to play: a pass-happy one.
Go behind the scenes as the Jaguars' Rivalries Uniforms are prepared prior to their Week 8 game against the Indianapolis Colts!
Jacksonville, Fla. — Jaguars football equipment staff prepare the Nike NFL Rivalries uniform at the Miller Electric Center on October 20, 2026.
Jacksonville, Fla. — Jaguars football equipment staff prepare the Nike NFL Rivalries uniform at the Miller Electric Center on October 20, 2026.
Jacksonville, Fla. — Jaguars football equipment staff prepare the Nike NFL Rivalries uniform at the Miller Electric Center on October 20, 2026.
Jacksonville, Fla. — Jaguars football equipment staff prepare the Nike NFL Rivalries uniform at the Miller Electric Center on October 20, 2026.
Jacksonville, Fla. — Jaguars football equipment staff prepare the Nike NFL Rivalries uniform at the Miller Electric Center on October 20, 2026.
Jacksonville, Fla. — Jaguars football equipment staff prepare the Nike NFL Rivalries uniform at the Miller Electric Center on October 20, 2026.
Jacksonville, Fla. — Jaguars football equipment staff prepare the Nike NFL Rivalries uniform at the Miller Electric Center on October 20, 2026.
Jacksonville, Fla. — Jaguars football equipment staff prepare the Nike NFL Rivalries uniform at the Miller Electric Center on October 20, 2026.
Jacksonville, Fla. — Jaguars football equipment staff prepare the Nike NFL Rivalries uniform at the Miller Electric Center on October 20, 2026.
Jacksonville, Fla. — Jaguars football equipment staff prepare the Nike NFL Rivalries uniform at the Miller Electric Center on October 20, 2026.
Jacksonville, Fla. — Jaguars football equipment staff prepare the Nike NFL Rivalries uniform at the Miller Electric Center on October 20, 2026.
Jacksonville, Fla. — Jaguars football equipment staff prepare the Nike NFL Rivalries uniform at the Miller Electric Center on October 20, 2026.
Jacksonville, Fla. — Jaguars football equipment staff prepare the Nike NFL Rivalries uniform at the Miller Electric Center on October 20, 2026.
Jacksonville, Fla. — Jaguars football equipment staff prepare the Nike NFL Rivalries uniform at the Miller Electric Center on October 20, 2026.
Jacksonville, Fla. — Jaguars football equipment staff prepare the Nike NFL Rivalries uniform at the Miller Electric Center on October 20, 2026.
Jacksonville, Fla. — Jaguars football equipment staff prepare the Nike NFL Rivalries uniform at the Miller Electric Center on October 20, 2026.
Jacksonville, Fla. — Jaguars football equipment staff prepare the Nike NFL Rivalries uniform at the Miller Electric Center on October 20, 2026.
Jacksonville, Fla. — Jaguars football equipment staff prepare the Nike NFL Rivalries uniform at the Miller Electric Center on October 20, 2026.
Jacksonville, Fla. — Jaguars football equipment staff prepare the Nike NFL Rivalries uniform at the Miller Electric Center on October 20, 2026.
Jacksonville, Fla. — Jaguars football equipment staff prepare the Nike NFL Rivalries uniform at the Miller Electric Center on October 20, 2026.
Jacksonville, Fla. — Jaguars football equipment staff prepare the Nike NFL Rivalries uniform at the Miller Electric Center on October 20, 2026.
Jacksonville, Fla. — Jaguars football equipment staff prepare the Nike NFL Rivalries uniform at the Miller Electric Center on October 20, 2026.
Jacksonville, Fla. — Jaguars football equipment staff prepare the Nike NFL Rivalries uniform at the Miller Electric Center on October 20, 2026.
Jacksonville, Fla. — Jaguars football equipment staff prepare the Nike NFL Rivalries uniform at the Miller Electric Center on October 20, 2026.
Jacksonville, Fla. — Jaguars football equipment staff prepare the Nike NFL Rivalries uniform at the Miller Electric Center on October 20, 2026.
Jacksonville, Fla. — Jaguars football equipment staff prepare the Nike NFL Rivalries uniform at the Miller Electric Center on October 20, 2026.
Jacksonville, Fla. — Jaguars football equipment staff prepare the Nike NFL Rivalries uniform at the Miller Electric Center on October 20, 2026.
Jacksonville, Fla. — Jaguars football equipment staff prepare the Nike NFL Rivalries uniform at the Miller Electric Center on October 20, 2026.
Jacksonville, Fla. — Jaguars football equipment staff prepare the Nike NFL Rivalries uniform at the Miller Electric Center on October 20, 2026.
Jacksonville, Fla. — Jaguars football equipment staff prepare the Nike NFL Rivalries uniform at the Miller Electric Center on October 20, 2026.
Jacksonville, Fla. — Jaguars football equipment staff prepare the Nike NFL Rivalries uniform at the Miller Electric Center on October 20, 2026.
Jacksonville, Fla. — Jaguars football equipment staff prepare the Nike NFL Rivalries uniform at the Miller Electric Center on October 20, 2026.
Jacksonville, Fla. — Jaguars football equipment staff prepare the Nike NFL Rivalries uniform at the Miller Electric Center on October 20, 2026.
Jacksonville, Fla. — Jaguars football equipment staff prepare the Nike NFL Rivalries uniform at the Miller Electric Center on October 20, 2026.
Jacksonville, Fla. — Jaguars football equipment staff prepare the Nike NFL Rivalries uniform at the Miller Electric Center on October 20, 2026.
Jacksonville, Fla. — Jaguars football equipment staff prepare the Nike NFL Rivalries uniform at the Miller Electric Center on October 20, 2026.
Jacksonville, Fla. — Jaguars football equipment staff prepare the Nike NFL Rivalries uniform at the Miller Electric Center on October 20, 2026.
Jacksonville, Fla. — Jaguars football equipment staff prepare the Nike NFL Rivalries uniform at the Miller Electric Center on October 20, 2026.
Jacksonville, Fla. — Jaguars football equipment staff prepare the Nike NFL Rivalries uniform at the Miller Electric Center on October 20, 2026.
Jacksonville, Fla. — Jaguars football equipment staff prepare the Nike NFL Rivalries uniform at the Miller Electric Center on October 20, 2026.
Jacksonville, Fla. — Jaguars football equipment staff prepare the Nike NFL Rivalries uniform at the Miller Electric Center on October 20, 2026.
Jacksonville, Fla. — Jaguars football equipment staff prepare the Nike NFL Rivalries uniform at the Miller Electric Center on October 20, 2026.
Jacksonville, Fla. — Jaguars football equipment staff prepare the Nike NFL Rivalries uniform at the Miller Electric Center on October 20, 2026.
Jacksonville, Fla. — Jaguars football equipment staff prepare the Nike NFL Rivalries uniform at the Miller Electric Center on October 20, 2026.
