Jets vs Colts: Question and Answers with Horseshoe Heroes

When it comes to the upcoming Jets vs Colts Monday Night Football showdown, it should be a great game between two teams hungry for a win. The Jets beat the Browns and are trying to prove to the football world it wasn’t just a fluke. The Colts on the other hand received a shocking loss at the hands of the Buffalo Bills, which means they’ll be playing angry in this one. What should fans of the Jets expect when playing one of the top teams the NFL has to offer?

We’re one of the many incredible NFL sites here on the FanSided Network as we were able to get a pretty cool breakdown on the Colts courtesy of Evan Reller, Editor of HorseshoeHeroes.com. He provided us here at The Jet Press with an awesome Q&A on the Jets vs Colts game with questions asked by yours truly. Enjoy!

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1 – We all know Andrew Luck is one of the top quarterbacks playing today, but what should the Jets’ defense actually do to contain him?

The common perception after Week 1 seems to be that blitzing Luck will stop him, but that really wasn’t the problem last week (in fact, Luck had the highest ratings against the blitz in 2014).

Yes, the offensive line isn’t that great but the Bills secondary played an amazing game where the Colts receivers found no measure of separation. It also didn’t help that Luck simply had an off day and was spraying his passes a bit.

If I’m dialing up a defense to stop him, I’m rushing four and assuming they can get pressure against an inferior offensive line while dropping the other seven into coverage.

2 – How does your receiving corps look now with the possibility of TY Hilton being out as he’s a game time decision?

It is tough to say after Week 1 where the Bills secondary was so stifling and the receiving corps struggled to get open. That said, Andre Johnson is a Hall of Fame caliber receiver and will be better this week (especially if the Colts can keep him between the numbers). Donte Moncrief is still adjusting to his role, but needs to be sharper with his route running. Rookie Phillip Dorsett will get a lot more snaps and had a couple good looking receptions late in last Sunday’s game. Dorsett also happens to be a clone of Hilton, but obviously doesn’t have that level of polish yet.

The doesn’t even count the tight ends, Dwayne Allen and Coby Fleener. I’d expect to see more sets with Fleener lined up as a receiver and Allen breaking out of the line off chip blocks with Hilton possibly out.

Nov 23, 2014; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts wide receiver T.Y. Hilton (13) celebrates his touchdown during the third quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Lucas Oil Stadium. The Colts defeated the Jaguars 23-3. Mandatory Credit: Pat Lovell-USA TODAY Sports

3 – How do you think Luck will do against Darrelle Revis? Will he try to take over Revis Island?

Luck, along with many other QBs, hasn’t had much success targeting Revis in the past. In eight targets, Luck completed two passes for four yards and an interception against Revis. I doubt he looks that way too often this week, especially with the better matchups across the field (Antonio Cromartie possibly being out would certainly help). Take a look at what my co-editor thought about this very topic over at our site.

4 – Which defensive players should Jets fans keep an eye on when we’re on offense?

Rookie defensive tackle Henry Anderson had a great opening game, leading the team in tackles. He’ll be trying hard to string together back-to-back games. I’d also watch out for defensive end Kendall Langford who had a few tackles for losses last week and was generally disruptive.

Additionally, the Colts have their own version of Revis: Vontae Davis. Passers targeting Davis only completed 43.7 percent of their passes (lowest among the top corners) and he didn’t allow a single touchdown last season (Revis gave up two). Quarterbacks had a passer rating of 38.8 against Davis, the lowest in the NFL. Ryan Fitzpatrick was 5-for-10 when targeting Davis last season, and only had success when throwing to…Andre Johnson. Fitzpatrick knows better than to try and challenge Davis, especially with the Colts so thin at CB this week.

5 – What do fans of the Colts think about the Jets’ revamped defense? Is it more that they don’t see the Jets as competitive in this game or are they worried that they’ll probably copy what the Buffalo Bills did last week to beat you guys?

A lot of fans probably just know about Revis, or Sheldon Richardson‘s wild ride over the summer. I’ve been saying how similar this team is to the Bills, while at the same time pointing out how the Colts problems last week mostly stemmed from Luck simply being off for the majority of the game (with dumb penalties killing early, promising drives).

Sep 13, 2015; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis (24) during the second half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-USA TODAY Sports

Luck has the weapons to beat the blitz, and with better playing conditions (read: no rain) the Colts should be able to move the ball more easily. I haven’t seen a QB bounce back from a bad series or bad game like Luck since Peyton Manning was in Indy. At home for the opener, good conditions and a “need to win” scenario, makes me think Luck will be dealing on Monday night.

If I’m pointing to something with the Jets that has fans optimistic, it is easily Fitzpatrick and his 1-6 record against the Colts. This game feels a bit like facing the Texans twice a year: great defense, mediocre QB, heavy run offense. The Colts excelled against this sort of opponent last season.

6 – Final score and MVP of the game?

I don’t usually do final scores, but I like the Colts to win by under a touchdown. Luck is MVP with a big bounce back performance after Week 1’s ugly game.

Next: New York Jets vs Indianapolis Colts: Injury Status Report

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