Jaguars' suffocating defense forces turnovers as Trevor Lawrence ignites offense, dominating rival Colts to seize AFC South lead.
The Jacksonville Jaguars are putting it all together -- and in Week 14, against their division rival, the Indianapolis Colts, it's a good time to do it.
The Jags dominated Indy in every phase of the game on a rainy Sunday at Everbank Stadium in Jacksonville, downing the Colts 36-19 to take over the top spot in the AFC South.
Head coach Liam Coen praised his team's "total team effort" after Sunday's win.
"Starting fast wasn't something we did a great job of at times this season, and I think we've done a better job of executing early in games and also taking that momentum and using it," Coen said. "Our defense did an unbelievable job, creating turnovers and then we were able to take advantage of them. So I think this team is continuing to gain confidence, especially our quarterback."
QB Trevor Lawrence went 17 for 30 for 244 yards passing and two touchdowns and no interceptions, and ended the day with a respectable 105.4 rating. The fifth-year starter also ran four times for 16 yards, took no sacks and no QB hits from the Colts.
Lawrence dismissed critics' doubts about the team this season -- a theme echoed throughout the locker room after Sunday's win.
"It's just how it is," Lawrence told reporters after the game. "We'll use that as a chip on our shoulder and keep playing."
The Jaguars demonstrated balance on offense on Sunday as RB Travis Etienne Jr. scored two rushing TDs in the first half and finished with 74 yards on 20 carries. Receivers Jakobi Meyer and Tim Patrick caught TD passes in the first and second quarters, respectively. Brian Thomas Jr. led the Jags wideout with 87 yards on three catches -- his best outing in nearly two months.
The league's top-ranked run defense, the Jaguars limited NFL rushing leader Jonathan Taylor to 74 yards. The Jags' D also caused three Colts turnovers, which Lawrence and the offense converted to points.
A final piece of the puzzle Jacksonville needs still to address is its league-leading penalties (104 for the season; an average of 8+ per game) and yards lost to penalties (861; roughly 70 yards per game). The Jags were flagged eight times for 64 yards versus the Colts -- a slight improvement, but an area of focus for the remainder of the season.
Colts QB Daniel Jones left the game in the first quarter with a right Achilles injury and did not return. His replacement, rookie Riley Leonard, took over for Indy, but the sixth-round pick out of Notre Dame was not ready for one of the NFL's top-ranked defenses.
The Colts extended their losing streak in Jacksonville to 11 games, a record of futility going back to 2014.
The fourth straight victory for the Jags puts the team in position for the No. 3 seed heading into the last four games of the season. Next Sunday, the Jags host the New York Jets (3-10), who fell 34-10 to the Dolphins in Week 14. The Jaguars then face the AFC West-leading Broncos (11-2) in Denver on Dec. 21, the Colts (8-4) in Indianapolis on Dec. 28, and the Titans (2-11) in Jacksonville to close the regular season.