Insider: 17 things to watch as Colts host Jets in first Lucas Oil prime time game in 4 years

INDIANAPOLIS — Four days after a crushing overtime loss that put the AFC South title far off in the distance, the Colts have to gear back up for the first prime time game Lucas Oil Stadium has hosted since the 2017 season.

If Indianapolis (3-5) is going to claw its way back into the playoff picture, the Colts have to take care of business against the New York Jets (2-5), a team that has looked awful at times but has come up with upset wins over the AFC South-leading Titans and a Cincinnati Bengals team that was in the AFC’s top spot heading into last week.

New York presents an intriguing test, and that means there will still be plenty to watch when the Colts kick off in prime time for the third time this season.

The Colts are playing a prime time home game

1. The Colts have long been angling for more prime time games at home, and although the overall record so far isn’t the kind that will tantalize the NFL’s schedule makers, Indianapolis has played two entertaining prime time games on the road so far. “"Hopefully, (we can) earn some respect somewhere along the line and hopefully get some more home games," said Colts linebacker Darius Leonard, who will be playing in the first home prime time game of his four-year career.

2. Jonathan Taylor, the NFL’s second-leading rusher, faces a New York run defense that has actually been pretty good. Anchored by nose tackle Quinnen Williams, the Jets rank seventh in the NFL in yards allowed per carry (3.99).

Quenton Nelson vs. Quinnen Williams

3. All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson has already played against his top matchup, Aaron Donald, this season, but the matchup against Williams should be another good one to watch. Williams has 24 tackles, nine quarterback hits, 4.5 sacks and five tackles-for-loss, and because he lines up on the nose often, Williams will be a good test not only for Nelson, but for Colts center Ryan Kelly.

4. The interior game should be the highlight. Chris Reed has mostly taken over the right guard spot from Mark Glowinski, and Jets defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins is a quick, powerful player who has two sacks, five quarterback hits and the ability to make life difficult for Carson Wentz.

Carson Wentz must bounce back from Sunday's debacle

5. Wentz, who is coming off his worst performance of the season, knows he must bounce back. When he was asked about bouncing back from an ugly two-interception, 4.5 yards per attempt performance in the loss to the Titans, Wentz said the best thing was that he had a chance to go back out and put it behind him right away. The Colts need Wentz to play the way he has for most of the first half of the season.

6. New York’s pass defense should offer Wentz opportunities. The Jets rank 27th in the NFL in passing yards allowed (275.3 per game), 23rd in yards per attempt (7.4) and they’ve intercepted just one pass, the lowest mark in the NFL. If Wentz can stay disciplined and only take shots when they’re there, he should have some opportunities to make big plays.

7. The Jets know Wentz is going to try to get the ball to Michael Pittman Jr., but that doesn’t mean New York’s going to be able to keep the blossoming No. 1 target from making an impact. Pittman Jr. is tied for 11th in the NFL in receptions (45) and ranks ninth in the league in yards (594), and the Jets don’t have a cornerback capable of blanketing him.

8. Indianapolis needs somebody else to step up at the wide receiver position with T.Y. Hilton out again due to a concussion. Zach Pascal ranks second on the Colts with 26 catches, 261 yards and three touchdowns, but he hasn’t been consistent. If Indianapolis elevates veteran Keke Coutee to the active roster again, expect him to get some targets. The Colts could also activate rookie Mike Strachan, although Strachan hasn’t been a part of the team’s plans on game day in a while.

9. Nyheim Hines might have some room to run in the return game. New York ranks 29th in the NFL against opposing punt returners, allowing 11.5 yards per return.

Can the Colts stop Mike White?

10. New York quarterback Zach Wilson, the No. 2 pick in the draft, is out due to injury, and in his place Jets backup Mike White threw for 405 yards in Sunday’s win over the Bengals, but it’s the way he did it that should concern the Colts. White completed 37 of 45 passes, 82.2% and a style of taking the easy completion that seems perfectly suited to the Colts’ defensive weakness. When Indianapolis struggles defensively, it’s when the Colts aren’t getting pressure and teams complete a lot of easy passes against them.

More: Jets quarterback Mike White becomes overnight sensation heading into Colts matchup

11. The Jets offensive line has given up 22 sacks this season, but White has taken only three so far, in large part because he gets the ball out of his hands so quickly. White averaged just 2.49 seconds from snap to throw against Cincinnati, and he’ll likely try to do the same against Indianapolis.

12. The Colts need their top two picks, rookie defensive linemen Kwity Paye and Dayo Odeyingbo, to take a big leap forward. Paye has been solid against the run, but he’s still looking for his first sack, and Odeyingbo is going to have to play a bigger role due to the loss of Tyquan Lewis on the interior. Indianapolis didn’t want to put too much pressure on Paye or Odeyingbo in their rookie seasons, but the reality is the Colts need them to grow up fast.

13. New York’s best big-play receiver, Corey Davis, is doubtful for Thursday night’s game due to a hip injury, and that means the Jets won’t have the only receiver among their top six this season who is averaging more than 11 yards per catch. New York ranks in the middle of the pack with 25 passing plays of 20 yards or more, but the Jets have just three that have traveled more than 40 yards.

14. Rookie running back Michael Carter is New York’s best offensive weapon, an emerging player who leads the team in rushing yards (279) and receptions (26). Carter is going to have a tough time getting going on the ground against Grover Stewart and the rest of the Colts’ run defense, which just shut down Derrick Henry. Linebackers Darius Leonard and Bobby Okereke will have to be aware of Carter in the passing game.

15. Despite all of the success White’s had in place of Wilson so far, the young quarterback has already thrown four interceptions in just 77 attempts, and few teams are more opportunistic than the Colts, who already have nine interceptions this season.

How will the Colts' safety pairing of Andrew Sendejo and George Odum hold up?

16. With Khari Willis out of action, the Jets might try to take a few shots against the Colts’ safety pairing of Andrew Sendejo and George Odum, who both like to play aggressively near the line of scrimmage.

17. Interim kicker Michael Badgley has been perfect so far in a Colts uniform, and when Frank Reich was asked about what Indianapolis will do when Rodrigo Blankenship returns from injury, the head coach said only that the Colts hadn’t talked about it yet. Badgley has at least one more chance to make his case for the job.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Insider: 17 things to watch as Colts host Jets at Lucas Oil