The Indianapolis Colts were anything but a favorite heading into their Week 14 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Daniel Jones was still nursing a broken fibula, and with the Jags offering some of the best pass rushing in the NFL right now, it’s honestly a surprise that the Colts didn’t close as the underdogs.
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The Colts essentially wagered on their offense coasting through the ‘lesser’ teams that remained on the schedule. But that bet fell through.
And now it’s Jones who is paying the price for it. The former New York Giant was only able to attempt six passes before succumbing to what his head coach, Shane Steichen, believes is a potentially “season-ending” injury.
“I don’t have the full details on it,” Steichen admitted at the post-game podium. “We’ll get more clarity on that.”
Indianapolis suffered a 36-19 loss to Jacksonville, relegating the once-AFC favorites to an 8-5 record while also giving the Jaguars a last-minute boost in the divisional race. Despite the loss, Steichen made it a point to commend his third-string quarterback, Riley Leonard.
“I thought Riley stepped in and did some good things in a tough situation,” the 40-year-old play caller promptly noted. “He battled like crazy.”
The rookie took the field with Indianapolis trailing 14-7. He completed 18-of-29 passes for 145 yards with no touchdowns and one interception, and ran twice for 5 yards and one touchdown.
With Jones likely to be on the mend for the duration of the season, the Colts’ playoff odds are beginning to free-fall. Their next immediate challenge will come via the Seattle Seahawks in Week 15, and if that wasn’t tough enough, there’s a matchup with a scrappy San Francisco 49ers team in Week 16.
Indianapolis’ offense, which was being regarded as the best in football just a few weeks ago, now figures to be one of its biggest liabilities. In their past four games, the Colts’ defense has allowed an average of 23.75 points per game, and without Jones, the offense will surely struggle to keep pace with any and every competent opponent.
According to Steichen, however, “…the guys did a good job in the locker room rallying around Riley.” Anthony Richardson, who has been sidelined by a broken orbital that was sustained during a pre-game warmup routine in Week 6, is technically eligible to return from the IR this season.
The only issue is that a return is doubtful, as Richardson has yet to be cleared for football. That means, for better or worse, Leonard will be the Colts’ QB1 for the foreseeable future, and it’s hard to feel good about that if you’re a fan.
