Nothing's guaranteed in this league. These two franchises would know.
Nearly 48 years after Super Bowl III, Joe Namath's guarantee and the Jets' league-altering upset victory over the established Colts, the two teams meet on Monday night with their preseason dreams of January dimming.
Following a protracted offseason contract dispute, the return of Ryan Fitzpatrick to the Big Apple hasn't borne fruit, and every week he risks losing his starting job to two green gunslingers in Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenberg. Once heralded as the greatest defender in Jets history and the premier shutdown corner in the league, Darrelle Revis is in the midst of his worst season as a pro and is rumored to be on his way out of East Rutherford. A promising era of Jets football led by Bowles & Maccagnan has slowed to a halt in their second season at the helm as New York limps to its sixth straight playoff-less season.
In Indianapolis, the Colts have learned that there are other positions and issues other than the quarterback that need attending to. Andrew Luck remains one of the more prolific young quarterbacks in the league, but has been failed week after week by his thin offensive line and stagnant running game. Indy's secondary, led by Vontae Davis, is just now becoming a cohesive unit after their early-season struggles. A division title is within reach if Chuck Pagano can rally his team to an undefeated December, but the Colts will have to execute and maximize their talent on both sides of the ball.
- Andrew Luck returns from concussion protocol right in the nick of time for the Colts. Indianapolis' most valuable player was sorely missed in their Thanksgiving shellacking at the hands of the playoff-hungry Steelers. Career backup Scott Tolzien played valiantly, but nowhere near the level needed for Indy to make a run in December. Luck isn't a stud in prime time (winless in his last five with a 75.8 passer rating) and his history against the Jets isn't rosy (0-2 with five picks), so how he rallies the Colts on the road with a division title hanging in the balance will foreshadow how Indy finishes this season. This is his time, and it's Luck's responsibility to will them to another postseason appearance.
- To ease back into the swing of things, Luck should find comfort in his top wideout's matchup. T.Y. Hilton, who is listed as questionable but should play, will be "stranded" on what was formally known as Revis Island, but now better resembles Panama City Beach during spring break. Hilton has struggled against the former All-Pro cornerback before, but Revis isn't the same this season. The wilting veteran has just two passes defensed and zero interceptions and has allowed receptions on 71.6 percent of targets. Revis has been fleeced by wideouts as talented as A.J. Green and as inexperienced as Malcolm Mitchell. Hilton's production is the key to Indy's success on offense -- the Colts are undefeated when he hits 80-plus yards this season and winless when he doesn't. Should he burn Revis in man-to-man as expected, the Colts could open opportunities up elsewhere.
- The aging Jets are at a crossroads, one that is best represented by their forever-sad quarterback position. New York invested heavily in Fitzpatrick for one season, hoping he could repeat last season's franchise-best output and lead the Jets on a postseason run. But the 34-year-old veteran fell hard on his descent from Mt. Leverage -- he's thrown a league-high nine fourth-quarter picks and is 31st in passer rating (72.2) -- and is effectively in limbo, piloting the Jets through a final quintet of games that have no bearing on anything but their draft position.
What is Todd Bowles to do with his aging roster? Fitzpatrick is playing such mediocre football that a switch to Petty or Hackenberg is warranted, but has been briefly attempted this season with unsavory results. Brandon Marshall remains New York's most reliable target, but Quincy Enunwa, Robby Anderson and Charone Peake need to see more targets if they want to factor into the team's future. The same goes for Darron Lee and David Harris at middle linebacker. Two generations of players deserve playing time in East Rutherford. Will Gang Green play for now or for the future?
- Thanks to another Texans loss and a Titans bye week, the Colts are within immediate striking distance at 5-6. Such is life in the putrid AFC South. There is no odds-on favorite to win this division, though Houston has held pole position throughout. With the Texans waiting in Week 14, Indy could control its own destiny with a win over the Jets; the Colts have a better division record than the 6-6 Titans. In short, Indianapolis' march to a Wild Card round home loss to the Chiefs starts on Monday night.
