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The Indianapolis Colts (10-5) will be trying to keep their playoff hopes alive when they take on the struggling Jacksonville Jaguars (1-14) on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. ET. The Jaguars defeated the Colts 27-20 in Week 1.
Last week, the Colts lost suffered a heartbreaking 28-24 loss to the Jaguars, after they held a sizable 17-point first-half lead. Indianapolis quarterback Philip Rivers was 22-of-35 for 270 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. His lone touchdown pass went to wide receiver Zach Pascal, one of Pascal’s three receptions (six targets) for 64 yards.
On the ground, rookie running back Jonathan Taylor had a solid performance with 74 rushing yards on 18 carries and two touchdowns. However, the story was the Colts’ defense, which completely fell apart in the second half as the Steelers scored 21 unanswered points.
Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger torched Indianapolis’ defense for 342 yards and three touchdowns. Indianapolis failed to create any pressure on Roethlisberger, which gave him more than enough time to find this assortment of weapons.
As for the Jaguars, they got pummeled for the second-straight week, losing 41-17 to the Chicago Bears. It was the second consecutive game that they allowed an opponent to score 40 points. However, there was some good that came from this game. That was the Jaguars will have the first overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, after the New York Jets defeated the Cleveland Browns.
TV Info
Date: Sunday, Jan. 3
Time: 1:00 p.m. ET
Channel: CBS
Broadcast map
Notable Statistical rankings (Football Outsiders)
Jaguars: #31 Overall — #27 offense, #31 defense, #18 special teams
Colts: #10 Overall — #14 offense, #8 defense, #7 special teams
DraftKings Sportsbook odds
Jaguars: +14, +650
Colts: -14, -910
Total: 49.5
Fantasy football start/sit advice
Jaguars
D.J. Chark, WR, $4,900
We do not know if outstanding rookie running back James Robinson will play on Sunday in the regular-season finale. Therefore, the next best offensive option on the Jaguars is none other than DJ Chark. The second-year wideout has not had the best season due to injury and inconsistent play. Last week, Chark scored his first touchdown since Week 9 against the Houston Texans. The former LSU standout also posted a team-high four receptions (seven targets) for 62 yards. On Sunday, he’ll be going up against a Colts’ defense that surrendered two touchdowns to receivers.
Dare Ogunbowale, RB, $4,500
If Robinson cannot play due to an ankle injury, then Dare Ogunbowale will likely make his second-straight start in Week 17. Last week against the Bears, Ogunbowale recorded 71 yards on 14 carries. Despite not scoring a touchdown, he averaged 5.1 yards per carry, which is impressive. He’ll likely be a high-priority option on the waiver wire, but its not guaranteed he has this performance next week. We saw the Colts’ defense pretty much contain the Steelers’ running game or lack thereof in Week 16.
Colts
Jonathan Taylor, RB, $7,400
The rookie running back might’ve not recorded 100 rushing yards, but he still found a way to make an impact on the game with two rushing touchdowns. In the Colts’ last three games, Taylor has 307 rushing yards and five touchdowns. He is one of the main reasons why Indianapolis has played better down the stretch. Taylor should be in store for another tremendous performance against a Jaguars’ run defense that has been notoriously bad.
Zach Pascal, WR, $4,200
While all the attention has been on T.Y. Hilton and rookie Michael Pittman Jr. throughout various points of this season, Zach Pascal has emerged over these last two weeks as another go-to option for Rivers. Last week against the Steelers, Pascal had three receptions for 64 yards and a touchdown. This performance was coming off the heels of a two-touchdown outing in Week 15 against the Houston Texans. Pascal may be able to make some plays on Sunday against a below-average secondary in Jacksonville.