Jaguars let the Colts hang around and lose a winnable game in Week 6

This should be frustrating. The Jacksonville Jaguars had several chances to beat a weakened Indianapolis Colts team in Week 6 and even led for most of the game but let them come back in the fourth quarter and lost 34-27, extending their losing streak of three games.

The Jags held a narrow lead at halftime but extended it in their first possession of the third quarter. Travis Etienne broke off a big run early in the drive that was originally ruled a touchdown but was turned down after review. A quarterback sneak by Trevor Lawrence capped a seven-play, 75-yard drive and gave the Jags a 21-19 lead over the Indianapolis Colts.

However, the Colts answered back, and running back Deon Jackson scored a touchdown. They then attempted a two-point conversion that was originally ruled good but was later reversed. The Jacksonville offense stalled several times in the second half but they then put together an 18-play drive in the fourth quarter that lasted a bit more than ten minutes. They then went for a two-point conversion but Trevor Lawrence’s throw to tight end Evan Engram was incomplete.

Nevertheless, the Jaguars left enough time in the clock for the Colts to strike back, and strike back they did. With 2:44 left in the fourth quarter, Matt Ryan led an 11-play, 66-yard drive that ended in a 32-yard touchdown pass by wide receiver Alec Pierce.

Down 34-27, the Jags had 17 seconds left to try to make some magic happen but couldn’t do much and ended up losing the after attempting a series of lateral passes in the last play of the game. Trevor Lawrence completed 20 of 22 passes for 163 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions. He also had two touchdown runs.

The Jaguars’ running attack was pretty effective. They finished the game with 243 yards on 33 attempts. However, they struggled on third and short throughout the game, going 5-of-10.

On the other hand, the Jaguars’ defense had no answer for Matt Ryan, who was able to find Pierce and Paris Campbell throughout most of the game. The veteran quarterback was sacked five times in Week 2 but the Jags weren’t able to bring him down even once this time around. The one time defensive end Arden Key got to Ryan, he was called for roughing the passer.

The Jaguars weren’t able to seal the deal against the Colts in Week 6

The Jaguars led threw most of the game but the Colts were always within striking distance and turn things around in the fourth quarter. Jacksonville had several chances to put the game away but they weren’t able to.

Even though the coaching staff kept leaning on the running game and dialing short passes, they punted the ball three times in the second half. But all things considered, both the offense and the defense deserve blame for the Jaguars’ third loss of the season.

The Jags had a great chance to climb back to the top of the AFC South in Week 6 but ultimately couldn’t seize it. While it’s too early to start talking about Jacksonville picking in the top 10 of the 2023 draft, losing three games in a row should be a cause for concern.