Colts need Matt Hasselbeck to play better against Jaguars after poor outing

He left the game in the fourth quarter with the neck and rib injury.

My media colleagues who made the trip to Jacksonville challenged head coach Chuck Pagano, which was to be expected and justified.

Hasselbeck is making his sixth start and won the first four before the meltdown against Pittsburgh.

“I feel good right now”, he said. “I thought the defense played really well in the first half and kept us in it. I think in the second half, we had a touchdown in all three phases, which is impressive….”

Do you think the Colts will beat the Jaguars?

Indianapolis’ previous loss against the AFC South came on December 16, 2012, at Houston.

“Division games are always important”, Colts cornerback Vontae Davis said. Of course, the Colts have never been much of a ground and pound team unless we’re going back to Edgerrin James and a few of the Addai years. We had to settle for field goals again.

It’s a game the Colts should win, a game the Colts always win, having remained unbeaten in the AFC South under Chuck Pagano. Blake Bortles threw for five touchdowns in Tennessee and threw for 298 yards and a touchdown in the first Colts game. He’s only had four games in which he averaged more than four yards per carry and its been almost eight weeks since he’s had a run of 20 or more yards. Yeldon left the stadium on crutches, but declined to talk about his injury….

Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles didn’t complete passes with high accuracy, going 16 of 30. The new Mr. Robinson’s neighborhood Jaguars receiver Allen Robinson has caught 65 passes for 1,080 yards and 11 touchdowns, a trio of stats through 12 games that only two receivers have ever compiled by age 23.

Sunday’s latest Indianapolis Colts debacle reminded me of January 4, 2003, another forgettable moment in franchise history.

Second-year pro Jordan Tripp will make his first National Football League start against the Colts.

As this weird Colts season continues, Indianapolis is entering their sixth game without franchise QB Andrew Luck. The last time we got stomped like this was in 2006 and we went on to win the Super Bowl. We’ve just got to keep fighting. “We’ll know a lot more obviously tomorrow”.

Bradley’s second-leading receiver Allen Hurns was cleared for practice this week after sitting out last week with a concussion. Hurns sat out last week’s loss at San Diego because of a concussion. One reason he’s winning – the Colts are converting nearly 42 percent of third downs, a pronounced weak spot for Jacksonville’s defense (46.7 percent, dead last in the NFL).

Hasselbeck’s first interception came when he tried to force the ball to tight end Coby Fleener in the end zone after the Colts forced a turnover on the opening kickoff.

Tackle Anthony Castonzo remains week to week with his ailing right knee and linebacker Jerrell Freeman (hamstring) has the same status.

Notes: Indy has placed inside linebacker Nate Irving on injured reserve with a fractured wrist.