JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – It's a quarterback league, no question. So when one of the top quarterbacks in the league might not play, it's news. In their first three games the Jaguars have gotten all starters: Cam Newton, Ryan Tannehill and Tom Brady. This week Andrew Luck is officially listed as "questionable," but Colts head ccoach Chuck Pagano thinks Luck will play.
Jaguars Head Coach Gus Bradley says they need to be prepared for whoever is taking snaps in Indianapolis.
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"Every week you go into it, you know who the backup is and you show some clips of him. This week it might be a little bit more real so I think that you go into it, you prepare for Luck, you know everything that he likes to do, the style and mannerisms," Bradley explained. But you might spend a little bit more time on Matt Hasselbeck. I think it's probably more real than a normal week, no one can argue with that, so you have to be prepared for both."
"He looked good when he was out there," said veteran Matt Hasselbeck of Luck's practice time this week.
Another factor in the Colts' decision will be that Sunday's game against the Jaguars is followed by a Week 5 Thursday night game against the Houston Texans. Luck has not missed a game or snap because of an injury in his four seasons in the NFL. "He's an experienced NFL quarterback, experienced enough that he doesn't need to practice to play," Hasselbeck said.
When the Jaguars are on offense, Bradley expects Blake Bortles and company to be thinking about moving the ball downfield quickly.
"I think every week we understand the importance of explosive plays. I think you see us we're taking more shots, more shots downfield, because of the importance."
Against the Colts, whether it's Luck or Hasselbeck, Indy can score points. The Jaguars have to match that. Luck has more turnovers, 28, than any other player in the NFL since the beginning of 2014. If he gives the Jaguars the ball, they have to take advantage of it.
"We all know the scoring opportunities rise with explosive plays within a series, so it's always important whatever week it is. That's kind of our mentality," Bradley explained.