Jaguars play finest videogame of season to beat Colts, take veryfirst location in AFC South

For the Jaguars, Sunday’s videogame included the kind of efficiency the NFL world hasactually been waiting for — a efficiency that would validate the preseason buzz.

There hadactually been dissatisfaction in the season opener versus the Colts — regardlessof scoring 31 points on the roadway in a double-digit triumph over a department challenger — thanks to short-yardage hasahardtime on offense. There was the catastrophe of the next 2 weeks — an offensive loser in a home loss to the Chiefs, overall collapse in a blowout loss to the Texans. 

And in London, regardlessof 2 straight triumphes to get the season back on track, we saw a Jaguars group that hadn’t quite put it together, especially on offense. Against Atlanta, it hadahardtime to turn drives that got deep inside challenger area into goals. Against the Bills, 2 scoring chances were wasted with sack-fumbles. 

That’s why Sunday was so substantial for Jacksonville (4-2), which stymied a late resurgence en path to a 37–20 triumph over Indianapolis (3-3) at EverBank Stadium to sweep the season series with the department competitor and take sole ownership of veryfirst location in the AFC South. It significant the most total efficiency we’ve seen from the Jags this season. 

Assuming the knee injury suffered by quarterback Trevor Lawrence near the end of the videogame isn’t a substantial issue — he got hurt on a third-down sack by the Colts’ Samson Ebukam on the Jaguars’ second-to-last belongings and coach Doug Pederson didn’t have an upgrade postgame — Jacksonville appears to be rounding into the genuine AFC competitor it was anticipated to endedupbeing goinginto 2023. 

“I think it’s a glance of what we can be,” coach Doug Pederson stated of Sunday’s efficiency. “There are still some locations that we have to tidy up, undoubtedly. I believe the group actually in these last 3 weeks kind of figured some things out, figured out who we are as a football group.”

Lawrence (20-for-30, 181 lawns, 2 TDs, INT) tossed an interception early in the 4th quarter, however Jacksonville still had a season-high in points and put in 4 goals (two passing, 2 hurrying). Gardner Minshew — Indianapolis’ beginning quarterback for the foreseeable future with novice No. 4 general choice Anthony Richardson on hurt reserve — was chose off a career-high 3 times, consistingof one in the end zone. 

Special groups revealed up too, with placekicker Brandon McManus going 3-for-3 on field objectives (all were from at least 48 lawns) and large receiver Jamal Agnew publishing a 53-yard kick return late in the 4th quarter. It was a full-team effort. 

The 17-point margin of success was the biggest of the season for Jacksonville. The Jaguars led by as numerous as 25 points after Lawrence discovered second-round novice tight end Brenton Strange for a 10-yard goal late in the 3rd quarter, putting the home group up 31-6. 

The Jaguars were able to lean on their defense, as they have for much of this season. They had a season-high 4 takeaways on the day: a strip sack from Josh Allen in the veryfirst quarter on top of the 3 choices. The greatest thing they did was make the Colts one-dimensional offensively — taking away the run videogame that hasactually been their strength and making them lean on Minshew’s arm. 

Entering the videogame with the league’s No. 8 hurrying attack, Indianapolis had 17 rush efforts for a season-low 44 backyards. Jonathan Taylor, in his 2nd videogame back from an ankle injury that kept him on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list to start the season, was held to 8 brings for 19 backyards.

“The takeaways are something that we as a group talk about,” Pederson stated of the defense. “It simply reduces the field for your offense. Pass rush onceagain today, there was pressure on Gardner, putting it in locations that he perhaps didn’t desire it to go. Again, simply a terrific group effort on defense to play the method they did today.”

But Sunday was likewise the most wellbalanced and constant we’ve seen the Jaguars offense be this season from start to surface. 

It wasn’t best. Jacksonville slowed down offensively in the 2nd half. There was the 17-yard sack late in the last duration that Lawrence was hurt on.  The Jags hadahardtime on 3rd down (4-of-14) and stoppedworking to transform a red-zone journey into a goal, plus Lawrence’s choice. But they still had 7 scoring drives. They required to be more conservative late in the videogame, when the durable Colts began making a return, and did enough to surface the videogame. Five pass-catchers had at least 27 lawns and a reception of at least 10 backyards (Strange, Christian Kirk, Evan Engram, Calvin Ridley, Travis Etienne). Etienne (18 brings, 55 backyards) had both hurrying ratings. 

Not just is Jacksonville presently No. 1 in its department, however now — riding a three-game winning streak, topped by its most total videogame of the season — the group may be progressing into a force in the AFC. And that’s more than the buzz talking.

“I think this is where we desire to be,” Lawrence stated. “We’re getting muchbetter every week. I believe that’s the most amazing thing, is we’re getting muchbetter every week. We’re getting better. I feel like the momentum and the energy is truly rolling for us. We got to keep that going every week.”

Ben Arthur is the AFC South pressreporter for FOX Sports. He formerly worked for The Tennessean/USA TODAY Network, where he was the Titans beat author for a year and a half. He covered the Seattle Seahawks for SeattlePI.com for 3 seasons (2018-20) prior to moving to Tennessee. You can follow Ben on Twitter at @benyarthur.