The Indianapolis Colts were hoping to get their second straight victory coming into their game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jaguars came into the game with an 0-3 record, compared to the Colts at 1-2. With a win and a loss from the Houston Texans, the Colts could have been tied for the division lead in the AFC South. However, the Jaguars controlled the game pretty much all the way through to a 30-27 victory. Now, let’s take a look at why the Indianapolis Colts are in trouble after losing to the Jaguars.
The Indianapolis Colts are in Trouble After Loss to the Jaguars
Game Recap
The Jaguars jumped out to an early 17-6 lead that they would carry into halftime. Quarterback Blake Bortles had one touchdown through the air and one on the ground in the first half. Andrew Luck was held to under 50 yards passing and an interception in the first half. Furthermore, the Jaguars would extend their lead to 23-6 in the third quarter. The Colts offense would finally come to life in the fourth quarter. They scored 14 straight points to bring the game to 23-20. Both teams would swap touchdowns again to make it a 30-27 game. Colts tight end Dwayne Allen would drop a pass on fourth down to seal the game for the Jaguars.
Luck would end up putting up respectable numbers through the air with 234 yards and two touchdowns. Wide receiver T.Y. Hilton had 42 yards and one touchdown receiving. Bortles had a good day with 207 yards passing and three touchdowns. He also did not turn the ball over. Jaguars running back T.J. Yeldon had a big day with more than 110 total yards, including 71 rushing. The Colts also struggled to stop receivers Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns as they put up over 100 yards receiving and two touchdowns. The Jaguars out-gained the Colts with 331 yards compared to 284 for Indianapolis.
Offensive Line and Defensive Struggles for the Colts
To say the Colts offensive line had a rough day is an extreme understatement. Luck was sacked six times this game, and was hurried on almost every dropback. The Colts receivers didn’t help the cause that much though, with more than five drops on the day. Colts center Ryan Kelly was also injured, which could be a long-term problem for their line. Furthermore, the Colts only gained 94 rushing yards with a measly 3.8 yards per carry. In particular, offensive tackle Anthony Castonzo struggled a lot this game. He was clearly beaten on two of the six sacks on Luck. That’s not a good sign for the Colts, considering Castonzo is usually one of their best linemen. The six sacks by themselves cost the Colts 44 yards.
While the offensive line was bad for the Colts, the defense might have been worse. The secondary struggled to make tackles and get stops at key times in the game. Cornerback Rashaan Melvin missed a key tackle on Hurns that could have stopped the Jaguars from scoring their final touchdown, which was the game-winning score. Penalties also played a huge role in the game, as the Jaguars had 11 for 145 yards and the Colts had seven for 78 yards. Many of the Colts penalties involved Antonio Cromartie interfering with Robinson.
Overall, this loss puts the Colts in a very tough position. They drop to 1-3 on the season, tied for last place in the division. Their offensive line and defense have played extremely poorly, and Luck is still taking a lot of hits. This is not a good look for a team wanting to be one of the most improved teams in the league this season.
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