by Kevin Hickey
The Indianapolis Colts (3-3) continued the long losing streak when visiting Duval County, falling 37-20 to the Jacksonville Jaguars (4-2) at TIAA Bank Field on Sunday.
It has now been nine consecutive games that the Colts have lost in Jacksonville, and it’s the first time the Jaguars have swept the season series since 2017.
Here’s our instant analysis from the Week 6 loss:
What went right
- WR Michael Pittman Jr. went over 100 yards for the first time this season and the first time since Week 6 of the 2022 season.
- The Colts out-gained the Jaguars in total yardage 354-233.
- K Matt Gay was 2-of-2 on field-goal attempts and made both of his extra-point attempts.
- CB Julius Brents grabbed his first interception while WR Josh Downs grabbed his first touchdown pass.
- The defense held the Jaguars to 4-of-14 on third-down attempts.
- CB Kenny Moore II was strong in coverage and recorded three tackles for loss.
- DE Samson Ebukam recorded his fourth sack in the last five games while adding a quarterback hit and a tackle for loss.
What went wrong
- QB Gardner Minshew was brutal, to say the least. He threw three interceptions and lost a fumble while failing to get the offense in a groove for the majority of the game.
- The Colts abandoned the run game pretty early, finishing with just 15 running back carries and 40 rushing yards total.
- The offense was 6-of-17 on third-down attempts and 3-of-6 on fourth-down attempts.
- Outside of Michael Pittman Jr., the Colts wide receivers combined for 10 receptions for 69 yards.
- The Jaguars scored 17 points off turnovers.
The Bottom Line
This was not the same team we’ve seen for the majority of the season. Few teams can turn the ball over four times and expect to compete. The lack of explosiveness on the offensive side of the ball was evident without Anthony Richardson, and it was clear that the defense didn’t fear Minshew when they had a full week to prepare.
The Colts are going to have to find a way to craft some explosiveness on offense with Minshew under center, and though we shouldn’t expect Minshew to be a liability with turnovers, he can’t put them in this kind of position and expect to win. There are some tough matchups coming up, so the Colts certainly have to clean up the play on the offensive side of the ball.
Originally posted on coltswire.usatoday.com