Monday Night Football: Colts at Jets
MetLife Stadium | 8:30 p.m. | ESPN
Week 13’s edition of Monday Night Football features two teams with records below .500. Despite their record, the Indianapolis Colts (5-6) have a chance to stay in the playoff race for the AFC South. The New York Jets (3-8) on the other hand, are well out of contention.
The Colts are right in the thick of the division race with a middle-of-the-road offense. Quarterback Andrew Luck will return from his concussion to take on one of the most generous secondaries in the NFL. He is enjoying a solid season, completing 62.9 percent of his passes for 2, 827 passing yards, 19 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
Running back Frank Gore just seems to keep on ticking. He is the clear workhorse back and has carried the ball 178 times for 670 rushing yards, good for 3.8 yards per carry. He has scored four rushing touchdowns but goes against one of the best rush defenses in the NFL.
Wide receiver T.Y. Hilton (back) was unable to finish the Colts’ Week 12 game but has since returned to practice in a full capacity. Donte Moncrief has returned from his injury to score a receiving touchdown in the last four games he has played in. Expect both players to have a strong outing on Monday night.Tight end Dwayne Allen and Jack Doyle have been splitting reps at tight end but both have been very inconsistent this season. Doyle has three receptions in his last two games and Allen has five receptions in that span.
The Colts defense has been brutal this season, ranking 30th in total defense. They have allowed the second-most passing yards per game and the seventh-most rushing yards per game.
The Jets have struggled mightily all season long and a lot of that has to do with the play of quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. The Jets quarterback will continue to start despite seeing major regression this season. He has completed 57.6 percent of his passes and has just 10 touchdown passes to 13 interceptions.
Running back Matt Forte is enjoying a solid season, rushing for 759 yards and scoring seven touchdowns. He has a most favorable matchup going against the Colts weak rushing defense and should continue to be a factor in the passing game.
Wide receiver Brandon Marshall has seen his production take a hit with Eric Decker injured for the year and with the lack of production from Fitzpatrick. He has 49 receptions for 668 yards and just three touchdowns. Quincy Enunwa has stepped up and has nearly out-performed Marshall as he has 43 receptions for 643 yards and four touchdowns.
The Jets have not really used a tight end this season and have made this position irrelevant in their offensive gameplan.
The Jets defense features one of the best run stoppers in the NFL, but they have been susceptible against the pass this season. They are allowing the third-fewest rushing yards per game and are only allowing 3.6 yards per carry to opposing running backs. On the flip side, they are allowing the 11th-most passing yards per game and a 64.1 percent completion percentage to opposing quarterbacks.
Kevin is from Hilton Head, SC and is very passionate about football and fantasy football. He attended Charleston Southern University where I played baseball for four years. Currently Kevin covers the New York Giants for Sports Media 101 and contributes content to QBmecca.com.
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