Jacksonville Jaguars Struggle in Season Finale, Fall to Indianapolis Colts 30-10

The Jacksonville Jaguars finished the 2013 NFL season in a manner strikingly similar to how they started it – in a blowout loss against playoff team. The Jaguars were forced to start several first year players and scrap heap free agents thanks to a slew of injuries over the last several weeks. As a result, Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts had no problems imposing their will on both the Jaguars’ offense and defense.

Dec 29, 2013; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Chad Henne (7) hands the ball off to running back Maurice Jones-Drew (32) during a game against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium. Indianapolis defeats Jacksonville 30-10. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

The Jaguars were never really in the contest as they got down 17-0 before the end of the first quarter and 27-3 going into the fourth quarter. Chad Henne was working with a highly inexperienced group of receivers, but he was off-target far too many times and was definitely a big reason for the offense’s troubles.

Here are some observations from today’s game:

• Chad Henne finished the day 30/51 for 331 yards with a touchdown and an interception. His statline is a microcosm of his performance this season – decent numbers but misleading and meaningless. Jedd Fisch gives Henne several check down options and tries not to give Henne enough control to give the game away. Henne showed us what we already knew about him going into the season – he’s a respectable backup quarterback but he certainly isn’t a franchise guy.
• It goes without saying, but Andrew Luck is really good. The Jaguars are unfortunate enough to have to play him twice a year for the next dozen years or so, but he isn’t infallible. His supporting cast is less than stellar, especially without Reggie Wayne, and the front office is going to have a hard time surrounding him with talent if they keep throwing away first round picks for players like Trent Richardson.
• Maurice Jones-Drew was less than stellar in what was likely his final game as a Jacksonville Jaguar. He gained 39 yards on 13 carries and had a hard time finding holes to run through.
• Johnathan Cyprien was very effective in the final game of his rookie season and was credited with three pass defenses. He has improved significantly in coverage from his first game and has the chance to be a real playmaker in his second season.

We’ll have a more thorough analysis with Pro Football Focus grades later in the week.

– Daniel Lago

Yell at me on Twitter @dlago89