Jaguars Vs Colts Review
The Jaguars dominated divisiom rival Indianapolis Colts 36-19 to improve to 9-4 and first place in the AFC South. This marks the 11th straight game won at home against the Colts, and it couldn't have come at a better time.
Trevor Lawrence and the offense would take the field first but would quickly punt after just four plays. Luckily, Devin Lloyd was playing and made an immediate impact with an interception on the first play of the drive, giving the Jaguars the ball at the Colts 21-yard line. They would quickly take advantage, scoring in just four plays with a Travis Etienne 3-yard touchdown to go up 7-0.
Daniel Jones and the Colts would not back down, going right down the field and scoring a touchdown of their own in a 6-minute, 11-play drive capped off with a Jonathan Taylor touchdown. Trevor Lawrence and the offense would punch back with a quick drive of their own, going 74 yards in just 5 plays, capped off by a Jakobi Meyers 14 yard touchdown to go up 14-7.
The defense would force a punt, but not before Daniel Jones would suffer an Achilles injury, putting backup quarterback Riley Leonard into the game. Jacksonville would go three-and-out on offense, but would get the ball right back after Jarrian Jones recovered a Jonathan Taylor fumble on the second play of the drive. Travis Etienne would score a 28-yard touchdown on the first play of the drive to give Jacksonville a 21-7 lead.
Jacksonville would have the ultimate bend-dont-break defensive drive, allowing a nearly 8-minute drive on 17 plays, but would force the Colts to kick a field goal, giving the Jaguars a 21-10 lead. It was at this point in the game where Jaguars fans everywhere began to panick, after a promising drive quickly got to midfield, Bhayshul Tuten fumbled the ball at his own 47-yard line. Shades of the Texans game began to creep up, but the defense stepped up, stopping the Colts on 4th and 1 at their own 44.
With 1:45 left in the first half and the ball at their own 45-yard line, the Jaguars offense had an opportunity to get points heading into halftime. They proceeded to go 55 yards in 13 plays for a touchdown, capped off by a 7-yard pass to Tim Patrick with 15 seconds left to take a 28-10 lead.
To open the second half, the Jaguars defense would once again bend but not break, allowing a 10-play, 5-minute drive that would result in a field goal to cut the lead to 28-13. Both teams would exchange three-and-outs before the Jaguars would put together a long drive resulting in a field goal, going 13 plays over 7 minutes before kicking a 35-yard field goal to go ahead 31-13.
Three plays later, Greg Newsome would intercept Riley Leonard, giving the Jaguars the ball at their own 45-yard line. They would get all the way down to the Colts 9-yard line, with a chance to go ahead 34-13. Liam Coen elected to go for it on 4th and 1, which they failed to convert. On the very next play, Josh Hines-Allen would get pressure on Riley Leonard, sacking him in the end zone for a safety to give the Jaguars a 33-13 lead. They would quickly kick a field goal shortly after to take a 36-13 lead. The Colts would score on the next drive to cut the lead to 17 with under 2 minutes left before Nick Mullens would kneel out the game, giving the Jaguars a dominant division win to improve to 9-4.
The good
Trevor Lawrence played his best game of the season, and he did it when the team needed it most. A big problem that has plagued Lawrence is his tendency to cancel out his good plays with equally awful ones, but there was none of that in this game. Lawrence had 5 completions of 15 or more yards down the field with no turnovers in a game with less than ideal conditions. This is the player fans have been waiting years to see, and he showed up on Sunday.
The Jaguars wide receivers had a huge day, with everyone making big plays at different points in the game. Brian Thomas had just 3 catches but made the most out of it with 87 yards and an unreal 1-handed highlight reel catch. Tim Patrick had his best game of the season, catching 5 passes for 78 yards and a touchdown. Jakobi Meyers continues to be a critical piece to the offense, catching 4 passes for 39 yards and a touchdown, making this third straight game witha touchdown reception.
Travis Etienne did not have a monster game, but still scored two touchdowns and had a big 2nd quarter, rushing for 50 yards on 4 carries with a touchdown. Etienne had 7 carries for 5 or more yards, which was enough to continue drives and keep the Colts offense off the field, especially once the Jaguars took a big lead.
Coming into the game, the Jaguars were one of the worst teams on third downs, ranking 26th in third down conversion rate. Against the Colts, they went 7-15, consistently extending drives that later led to touchdowns. After allowing a sack in 7 of their last 8 games, the offensive line dominated, not allowing a single sack and only 5 pressures. Trevor Lawrence was given time throughout the day and it led to the Jaguars scoring 34 offensive points.
The defense was spectacular, especially in regards to stopping Jonathan Taylor. The star runningback was held to just 74 yards on 20 carries with a touchdown and a fumble. The biggest stop of the game came right before halftime, stopping Jonathan Taylor on 4th and 1 near midfield. The Colts had a chance to get points before halftime and gain some momentum, but the defense stood tall and forced a turnover on downs. Later in the game, Greg Newsome would get his first interception with the Jaguars, essentially ending any chance the Colts had at mounting a comeback.
The bad
The only problem the Jaguars faced in this game was themselves, committing 8 penalties for 64 yards. They came into the game as the most penalized team in the NFL, and that continued to show throughout the game. In two straight weeks, the Jaguars have committed far too many penalties, but it has not mattered as the games have not been close. While it is good that it has not cost them in these games, it has been a problem all season, and in a close game, it very well could.
Bhayshul Tuten's fumble did not prove to be costly, but it was a turnover that cannot happen, even despite the conditions. The Jaguars had dominated all first half, and his fumble could have given the Colts life when they had none.
Conclusion
This was a huge win for the Jaguars in all facets. They continue to hit their stride offensively, defensively, and are now in first place in the AFC South. With the AFC being so tightly contested, every game matters, especially against divisional opponents, making this win all the more important. They will host the New York Jets in week 15 in hopes of extending their winning streak to 5 and stay atop the AFC South standings.