5 biggest Jaguars winners (and 2 losers) from blowout win vs. Colts

Although the Jacksonville Jaguars were favored to beat the Indianapolis Colts, head coach Liam Coen made sure his team was ready, even though the Jags hadn't lost to Indy at EverBank Stadium since 2014. The result paid off, as they steamrolled their division foe on their route to a 42-7 win.

Now, Jacksonville is back in the win column, while the Colts manage to sink further this season. Along the way, the Jags looked dominant on both sides of the ball in spite of dealing with a myriad of injuries before and during the game.

For the time being, Jacksonville should be hyped up about extending their home-game winning streak against the Colts to 12. And with this in mind, here are the biggest winners and losers from the Jags' side of things.

Biggest Jaguars winners and losers from the statement win vs. the Colts

Winner: Bhayshul Tuten, running back

Bhayshul Tuten has done a superb job of toting the rock this season. But as good as he had been, the former Virginia Tech Hokie just had his best outing of the season against the Colts, toting the rock 16 times for 104 yards. He also added two catches for 55 yards with a touchdown.

His 39-yard run was his longest this season. And even with Chris Rodriguez also getting plenty of carries, Tuten showed why he's the top option in the Jacksonville backfield.

Loser: The safety position

Already, the Jaguars were without Antonio Johnson after he was ruled out with an ankle injury. Eric Murray also left the game after kickoff with an elbow injury.

With Johnson and Murray out of the picture, Kaevon Merriweather and Rayuan Lane III started in the back end. It also helped that rookie Jalen Huskey was active for the second time this season, so Jacksonville had enough depth at safety to finish the game.

It will be worth monitoring just how serious Murray's injury is, as the Jags will next face off against the Ravens in a short week. Then again, Lane helped soften the blow. Speaking of which.

Rayuan Lane III has become a staple of the special teams and a crucial depth piece. However, he's also showing starting potential in his young NFL career.

Against the Colts, Lane made his second career start and made the most of it, picking off Daniel Jones and returning the interception to the house just before halftime.

Eric Murray may not play against the Ravens. If he doesn't, Lane did enough against the Colts to earn his third career start.

Winner: Brian Thomas Jr., wide receiver

In spite of the trade chatter, Brian Thomas Jr. was still part of the Jags' plans, at least in Week 8. On their first possession, he reeled in a 12-yard touchdown reception to put his team up 7-0. Granted, the former LSU Tiger also had a drop and didn't get many targets the rest of the game. That said, it was a step in the right direction.

Whether the Jags trade him or not, Thomas is proving that he can still play in spite of his struggles.

Loser: Davon Hamilton, defensive tackle

By now, you may have noticed a theme. The Jaguars had no trouble keeping Indianapolis at bay. The issue is that they dealt with serious injuries throughout the game, which isn't less than ideal on a short week. Aside from losing Eric Murray, Jacksonville also lost DaVon Hamilton during a failed Indianapolis trick play.

It's hard to tell just how much time Hamilton will miss, but it appeared to be serious because he grabbed his knee as soon as he hit the ground. Heck, he was carted off the field, which is never a good sign.

If Hamilton has to miss substantial time, the Jags will miss him, as he's a big reason they have one of the best run defenses in the NFL.

Apart from Hamilton, the Jaguars also watched Travon Walker leave the field. It was kind of baffling to see so many players deal with injuries. Hopefully, Walker won't miss much time, as he was having one of his best games of the season against the Colts.

Winner: Nate Boerkircher, tight end

By now you know the story: The Jags had bigger needs than tight end in the 2026 draft but picked Nate Boerkircher at No. 56, way before the consensus big board suggested. When you add it all up, general manager James Gladstone caught lots of heat for the pick.

However, Jacksonville drafted Boerkircher because it wanted to run more multiple tight-end sets. On top of that, Boerkircher was a much better pass-catcher than his stats suggested. Fast forward to Week 8, and he keeps proving Gladstone made the right call.

Leaving aside that Boerkircher has been a big reason the Jags fixed the running game, he caught his second touchdown of the year, reeling in a 31-yard catch. Simply put, the former Texas A&M Aggie has been everything Jacksonville bargained for and then some.

Winner: Chris Rodriguez, running back

As dominant as Bhayshul Tuten was against Indy, Chris Rodriguez also joined the fun, toting the rock six times for 41 yards with a touchdown. It's also worth noting that this 28-yard run was his longest of the season.

Tuten had a season-best 55 yards on 11 carries against the Houston Texans, so it's clear that his slow start to the season wasn't a sign of things to come.

Winner: Branson Combs, linebacker

Several Jaguars got to shine in Week 8. Granted, it was against a hapless Indianapolis team that just traded two of their best players as part of a fire sale, but that shouldn't take anything away from their performance.

Branson Combs, in particular, was electric, making several key stops, deflecting passes, and registering his first career interception.

Even though Ventrell Miller and Foyesade Oluokun are firmly entrenched as the starters, Combs is quietly done enough to earn more playing time.

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