Indianapolis @ New York preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 5, 2016 ) Indianapolis 41, N.Y. Jets 10

Rookie quarterback Sam Darnold is a member of the New York Jets thanks to a trade that allowed the franchise to move up three slots in this year's draft. The team that made that trade with the Jets -- the Indianapolis Colts -- will get their first look at Darnold on Sunday at MetLife Stadium as his Jets bid for back-to-back home wins.

The 21-year-old Darnold threw for three touchdowns in an impressive 34-16 victory over the Denver Broncos last Sunday to help New York snap a three-game slide and his steady -- if not spectacular -- start has garnered some positive attention. "One of the first observations is it looks like the real deal," Colts head coach Frank Reich told reporters of Darnold. "Love his body language. I like the energy I see from him on the field. Just looks like he belongs in that regard and all those little intangibles. It's funny. You see certain quarterbacks, they have a look and feel to them on the field. You see that in Sam." Reich also sees it in his quarterback, Andrew Luck, who has completed 78 passes for 829 yards and seven TDs over the last two weeks alone. Both efforts came in defeat, however, and Indianapolis enters Sunday hoping to avoid a four-game losing streak.

TV: 1 p.m. ET, CBS. LINE: Jets -2.5. O/U: 45

ABOUT THE COLTS (1-4): Indianapolis has been off since a 38-24 loss at New England on Oct. 4, a much-needed break for a quarterback who threw the ball 121 times in a five-day span between Week 4 and Week 5, the result of slow starts that forced Luck to play catch-up. "Let's not get behind, let's play good, sound football, let's not beat ourselves in all three phases," Reich told reporters. "Let's stay in the game, don't get behind, stay patient with the runs and then have some success early with the run game that gives you the confidence to keep going back to it." Whenever Luck does go to the air Sunday, he likely won't have top receiver T.Y. Hilton (hamstring) for the second straight week while tight end Jack Doyle (hip) is expected to miss his fourth consecutive game.

ABOUT THE JETS (2-3): Isaiah Crowell ran for a franchise-record 219 yards and Robby Anderson had 123 receiving yards against the Broncos, with the latter enjoying the breakout game after a slow start that followed a tumultuous offseason. "Robby is a worker," head coach Todd Bowles told reporters of Anderson, who was targeted a career high-tying 12 times against the Colts two years ago. "He just kept his head down. He knew his time was coming. He just worked and kept his head down and tried to do all of the little things to help the team win. I was proud of him about that." Crowell missed practice Wednesday due to an ankle injury but is expected to play, while cornerbacks Trumaine Johnson (quadriceps) and Buster Skrine (concussion) are question marks.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Jets defensive coordinator Kacy Rodgers is dealing with a "serious" illness and may miss his second straight game.

2. Luck was 22-of-28 for 278 yards and four TDs in a 41-10 rout of the Jets in the previous meeting in 2016.

3. Indianapolis leads the NFL in third-down conversion rate at 50.6 percent. New York ranks 25th at 36.9 percent.

PREDICTION: Colts 24, Jets 23