The Indianapolis Colts' (2-3) road losing streak in Duval County extended to 10 games Sunday after they fell 37-34 to the Jacksonville Jaguars (1-4).
The Colts got off to a strong start by scoring a touchdown on the opening drive but would go on to be stagnant throughout the afternoon until scoring on four straight drives in the fourth quarter.
The Indy defense made a few big plays early in the contest but allowed chunk plays often and gave up two straight touchdown drives in the fourth quarter when the offense was finding a rhythm.
Down 34-20 with 5:09 left in the fourth quarter, it looked like another bad outing in Jacksonville for the Colts but it took five plays from the offense to get back into it.
Alec Pierce was responsible for the late spark for Indianapolis. His three catches for 134 yards came on back-to-back drives, including a 65-yard touchdown to tie it up.
His heroics didn't pay off with Trevor Lawrence getting the Jags in field goal range for the game-winning 49-yard kick by Cam Little.
Here's everything we know from the Colts' Week 5 loss to the Jaguars:
Colts vs. Jaguars final score, recap Week 5
Final Score: Jaguars 37, Colts 34
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Final | |
| IND | 7 | 3 | 0 | 24 | 34 |
| JAX | 0 | 13 | 7 | 17 | 37 |
Keys to the Game
- After forcing a turnover in the final two minutes of the first half, Travon Walker bull-rushed Braden Smith and got a strip-sack fumble. This led to a field goal for Jacksonville. Giving up those three points proved costly.
- Too many explosive plays given up by the Indy defense. Allowed six 20+ yard gains which two ended in touchdowns. One did end in a Jaylon Jones forced fumble.
- No pressure on Trevor Lawrence. The Colts finished without a sack or QB hit. This led to a career-high 371 passing yards for Lawrence.
- Alec Pierce gave his team life. He made an amazing catch for 24 yards, followed that up with a 46-yard catch, and scored a 65-yard touchdown on the next drive to tie the game up.
Stars of the Game
- QB Joe Flacco: The veteran quarterback finished 34-of-44 for 359 yards, three touchdowns, and finished with a 121.3 quarterback rating. He also ran the ball three times for 22 yards, and he picked up 21 of those yards on a scamper.
- WR Alec Pierce: In his fourth-quarter spurt to give his team a chance to win this contest, Pierce set a new career-high 134 receiving yards, beating his Week 1 outing of 125 receiving yards.
- CB Jaylon Jones: He had two passes defended, one forcing a turnover on downs in the first half, and one during a three-and-out that gave the Colts before Pierce's touchdown. Jones also forced his first career forced fumble with a peanut punch.
Biggest Takeaway
The injuries on the defensive front took a toll. Not only did the Indy defense fail to generate any pressure on Trevor Lawrence, but they also allowed the Jaguars to average 5.5 YPC and 10.9 yards per pass attempt. Jacksonville finished with 497 total yards despite being three-of-10 on third downs. This loss was an example of what opposing offenses can do to Gus Bradley's defense when his defensive front isn't winning their matchups. It allowed Lawrence to sit back in the pocket, take what was given to him, and also take his shots downfield when given the opportunity.
Quick Hits
- Joe Flacco reached a top speed of 18.76 mph on his 21-yard scramble, his fastest speed as a ball carrier in the Next Gen Stats era (since 2016).
- Per Next Gen Stats, Joe Flacco completed 33-of-44 passes for 359 yards and three touchdowns, with 249 of those yards coming on passes 10+ yards downfield. He recorded a +9.7% CPOE on passes of 10+ air yards after completing just three of his 10 such attempts in Week 4 (-11.2% CPOE). He also found success using play action, going 15 of 18 for 208 yards and two touchdowns while generating +9.7 EPA. Flacco has now generated +0.34 EPA per dropback when using play action this season, 5th-most in the NFL entering the Sunday afternoon slate.
- Per Next Gen Stats, Alec Pierce entered the fourth quarter without a target on 29 routes run. All three of Pierce’s targets and receptions came 20+ yards down the field. Pierce has accumulated 295 receiving yards on deep targets this season, most in the NFL entering Sunday afternoon.
Injuries
- QB Anthony Richardson (oblique), RB Jonathan Taylor (ankle), C Ryan Kelly (neck), CB Kenny Moore II (hip), and DE Kwity Paye (quad) were inactive.
- RG Will Fries left the game with a tibia injury. Shane Steichen confirmed he will be undergoing a surgical procedure in Jacksonville.
What's next?
The Colts are on the road to visit the Tennessee Titans (1-3) for a Week 5 matchup. They have not won a road game this season.
