by Kevin Hickey
The Indianapolis Colts (0-1) showed some fight but ultimately fell short in a 31-21 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars (1-0) on Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium.
The final score may be a difference of 10 points, but the Colts were fighting right there into the fourth quarter. However, rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson made a big mistake throwing an interception, allowing the Jaguars to eventually put the game away with a Travis Etienne touchdown.
Here’s our instant analysis from the Week 1 loss:
What went right
- QB Anthony Richardson put together a solid debut completing 24-of-37 passes for 233 yards, one touchdown, one interception and a 79.0 passer rating. He added 10 carries for 40 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown.
- The defense was strong on third downs, allowing the Jaguars to convert on just 3-of-12 attempts.
- WR Michael Pittman Jr. led the way with eight receptions on 11 targets for 97 yards and a touchdown.
- DT DeForest Buckner was a force with seven tackles (four solo), one sack, two quarterback hits, one tackle for loss, one forced fumble and a fumble recovered for a touchdown.
- LB Zaire Franklin was all over the place, recording 18 tackles (10 solo), one pass defended and a forced fumble that led to a touchdown.
What went wrong
- The Colts had no answer for Jaguars WR Calvin Ridley, who caught eight passes on 11 targets for 101 yards and a touchdown.
- On offense, the Colts converted just 2-of-12 attempts on third downs.
- They also failed to convert four of their five attempts on fourth down.
- The backfield of Deon Jackson, Evan Hull and Jake Funk combined for 16 carries for 25 rushing yards.
- Injuries hit the team pretty hard with G Quenton Nelson (toe), RB Evan Hull (knee) and TE Drew Ogletree (concussion) all suffering injuries. Nelson was the only one to return.
The Bottom Line
This is a young team still gaining experience while working in a brand new offense. All things considered, it was far more positive than negative. There are plenty of areas that need to be addressed, especially in the running game. But the Colts were extremely competitive up until the final four minutes of the game, and their electric rookie quarterback kept them in it while the defense made some impactful turnovers during crunch time.
Originally posted on coltswire.usatoday.com