JACKSONVILLE – Senior writer John Oehser each week during the 2024 regular season will speak with a writer or media member covering the Jaguars' opponent.
Up this week:
Mike Chappell – longtime Colts beat writer for the Indianapolis Star for 25 seasons now with Fox 59 – on the Colts as they enter Sunday's 2024 Week 5 game against the Jaguars at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville.
Q: The Colts beat the previously unbeaten Pittsburgh Steelers, 27-24, in Indianapolis this past Sunday and are 2-2 – one game out of first place in the AFC South. What's the state of the Colts entering Sunday?
A: In the offseason, this is about where people thought they would be, really. The problem is they're just getting decimated with injuries – like a lot of teams in the league. Nobody outside Indy cares, but they had probably six or seven starters out or could not finish against Pittsburgh. The defense is really having its depth stressed. We'll see where they go with the quarterback (Anthony Richardson), who has a hip injury [sustained against the Steelers]. All that matters is the bottom line and they're 2-2 going to Jacksonville, where they haven't won since forever. They then have a couple of games they can win with Miami and Tennessee, then they hit the meat of the schedule. They're about where everyone thought they would be, they just have gotten there kind of in a funky way.
Q: Richardson is in his second season. The storyline around him has been whether he can stay healthy. He's injured again, so that remains the storyline, correct?
A: I didn't buy the injury-prone thing. But here he is again: He's hurt. We'll see the extent of it. He has not finished four of his eight [NFL] starts. It's a small sample size, but it's what you've got. I don't know whether it's fixable. It probably is. The hip injury against Pittsburgh … if you slide after you get 12 yards instead of trying to get 14 of 16 yards, you don't get hit. They need to get the linebacker mentality out of him. He only has played eight games. But until a guy stays on the field, you're injury prone. Here we are again. He knows it. Does he play Sunday? Probably. But thank goodness they once again went out and invested in a proven backup because Richardson has not proven he can finish what he starts.
Q: What are they offensively? What do they want to be?
A: I don't think they know yet. They need to be [running back] Jonathan Taylor. They need to be the run game with the quarterback, which has been sort of hit and miss. It has been big play or nothing so far with the shot plays, but this needs to be a run team. The offensive line's playing great, but it needs to be a team that really relies on the run game and sustained drives, which is not what they're doing. They're still getting hammered in time of possession because so far it has been shot plays in the pass game or not much else. [Veteran backup] Joe Flacco gave them finally some consistency on offense [against the Steelers]. But they need to run the ball. They need to control the clock and let the defense play. I really don't think they've had a chance to really establish their identity yet because Richardson has just been scattershot. He's 50 percent. You can't win in the NFL with your quarterback completing 50 percent of his passes.
Q: The perception is this is a good defense. Accurate perception?
A: It is. It got off to a bad start. They're banged up. They lost their top sack guy, [defensive end] Samson Ekuban, [to an Achilles injury] in training camp, and then [defensive tackle] DeForest Buckner's on injured reserve with an ankle injury. [Defensive end] Kwity Paye didn't play [Sunday because of a quadriceps injury]. [Defensive end] Tyquan Lewis is banged up [with a calf injury] They're just really getting thin on the defensive front, which is their strength. They're trying to get it back together. The last two and a half games, they've been pretty good against the run. They're holding up pretty well. I like the trajectory, but they're just banged up. At some point, your depth isn't good enough. They haven't gotten there yet, but I think they're approaching that.
Q: The Colts haven't won in Jacksonville since 2014. How big of a thing is that to the Colts?
A: They won't play into it. [Head Coach] Shane Steichen hasn't been there for all those, although he was there last year. But it's a thing until it's not a thing. This group maybe can get it right. They have a chance to break it, but until they do it, how do you pick the Colts in Jacksonville? Until they find a way to do it, it's a streak that's on their shoulders.
Q: At 2-2, the season could still go either way for the Colts. What are the expectations? What does success look like for this team this season?
A: It's a good question. Outwardly it's, "We think we should be there with Houston. We should compete for a wild card." Perhaps they still will. The tail end of the season is very conducive to a good finish. I think 9-8, maybe push for a wild card. This was supposed to be Year 2 of the Anthony Richardson Experience – give him experience he didn't get last year, and then next year is really when things should come together. I think the goal is to be relevant in December. We'll see how the quarterback thing plays out. He has played 21 games since high school, so you have to get him settled. The hope is to be competitive and be relevant in December.
