The Jacksonville Jaguars are no longer without a win and can now focus on improving their defense.
Trevor Lawrence had a great game, throwing for 371 yards and two touchdowns on his 25th birthday. He set up Cam Little’s 49-yard field goal with just 17 seconds left, helping the Jaguars secure their first win of the season, 37-34, against the short-handed Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.
Tank Bigsby also had a strong performance, rushing for 101 yards and two touchdowns. This victory marked the Jaguars’ first win since December and extended their home winning streak against the Colts to ten games.
“I kind of know we don’t lose to them, so I’m like, ‘Good timing, good timing,’” said Jags defensive end Josh Hines-Allen.
Jacksonville celebrated its tenth straight home win in this matchup while wearing throwback uniforms. They also honored former coach Tom Coughlin by inducting him into their ring of honor, a fitting tribute to the man who turned the team into a contender.
However, the Jaguars still faced issues in the late game. The Colts scored 24 points in the fourth quarter, even without their quarterback Anthony Richardson, running back Jonathan Taylor, and center Ryan Kelly. They gained 447 yards and converted 7 of 14 third downs, causing more problems for new defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen.
Joe Flacco, a 39-year-old veteran who had previously beaten Jacksonville, completed 33 of 44 passes for 359 yards and three touchdowns. He led the Colts on quick scoring drives to come back from a 14-point deficit.
Flacco had one last opportunity, but Travon Walker ended the game with his third sack.
“Obviously, it’s one of those games that ends up being kind of like you want the ball last,” Flacco said. “This is the NFL. You’re going to play games like this, and you got to be able to dig deep and try to find a way to win.”
The Colts have not won in Jacksonville since 2014, and this losing streak is definitely on the team’s mind.
“I don’t have a great answer for you. I’ve been here two years,” coach Shane Steichen said. “I know some of the guys in the locker room have been around it, but we got to get that fixed for sure going forward.”
Lawrence ended his nine-game losing streak as a starter. He completed 28 of 34 passes, though he did throw his first interception of the season.
He connected with rookie Brian Thomas for an 85-yard touchdown in the second quarter and with Christian Kirk for 61 yards, which helped set up another touchdown pass. Thomas had five catches for 122 yards.
Lawrence, Thomas, and Bigsby were key players for a team that seemed close to falling apart. In the first quarter, Lawrence and receiver Gabe Davis had a heated argument on the sideline and needed to be separated. This came after a mid-week report suggested that coach Doug Pederson had lost the locker room.
Pederson and his players denied any issues and will certainly point to this win against Indy as a possible turning point.
“There was some frustration. We had a little back and forth and cleared it up. That’s all it is. I love when stuff like that happens. You confront issues. … Let’s talk about it and move on. We did a great job of that.”
