INDIANAPOLIS — When Josh Downs returned to the sideline after his first touchdown of the season last week against the Pittsburgh Steelers, DJ Montgomery seemed more excited than he was.
“You just caught a touchdown from a (Super Bowl-winning) quarterback,” Montgomery exclaimed.
Clearly, Joe Flacco’s name still carries significant weight in the Indianapolis Colts locker room.
Running back Jonathan Taylor – the 2021 NFL rushing champ and first-team All-Pro – admits to being a bit of a star hit when the quarterback came into the huddle after starter Anthony Richardson had was injured at the end of the first quarter.
“When he came into the game, I was like, ‘Man, OK, I’m in the group with Joe Flacco,'” Taylor said. “So it’s been a really exciting time for me here in Indy, just being able to be next to Philip Rivers or Matt Ryan – legends.
“So I think whenever Joe is in this group, he knows exactly what’s going on. I mean, we trusted Joe completely. It’s just exciting to go see him spin the ball.
Taylor will not play Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars due to a sprained ankle he suffered in the fourth quarter against Pittsburgh.
But Flacco could make his first start with Indianapolis.
Richardson (oblique) is officially listed as questionable after being limited in all three practices this week.
Flacco – the reigning NFL Comeback Player of the Year – finished 16 of 26 for 168 yards and two touchdowns against the Steelers. But he admitted after the match that it was a different feeling.
It was only the fourth time in 189 career matches that the 39-year-old came on as a substitute.
If he has to play in Jacksonville, he will be more comfortable and better prepared.
“(We) just took a walkthrough and I was able to call the plays,” Flacco said Wednesday. “You will practice today, you can decide the games. That little bit there, how much more familiar you are with the game plan – you can sit at home and sit in a meeting room all day and review the game plan and call them to yourself and call them to your wife or whatever you do, but it’s still not quite the same as going out there and doing it and then running it and seeing it and all those things.
Flacco has seen just about every potential scenario the NFL has to offer.
In 17 seasons, he completed 61.6% of his passes for 44,104 yards and 247 touchdowns. He won Super Bowl XLVIII with the Baltimore Ravens and was named the game’s MVP. He went 4-1 as a backup starter last year for the Cleveland Browns to lead them to the playoffs.
Flacco was signed by the Colts for situations like this.
It’s clear that his teammates have the utmost confidence in Flacco’s ability to maintain his two-fight winning streak.
“I saw something in his eyes,” Downs said. “You talk to Joe during the match and he looks like killer. So, I mean, yeah, Joe got there (last week) and played really well.
INJURY REPORT
In addition to Taylor, cornerback Kenny Moore II (hip) and defensive end Kwity Paye (quadriceps) were ruled out for Sunday’s game. Moore and Paye also missed the win against the Steelers.
Richardson, center Ryan Kelly (neck) and right tackle Braden Smith (knee) were listed as questionable.
Smith and Kelly did not practice Friday.
No players have been ruled out for the Jaguars.
Linebacker Yasir Abdullah (neck), tight end Evan Engram (hamstring), defensive end Josh Hines-Allen (concussion), linebacker Devin Lloyd (knee), safety Darnell Savage (quadriceps) and Safety Daniel Thomas (hamstring) was listed as questionable.
Each of these players was limited during Friday’s practice.
