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Trevor Lawrence shines, gets Jaguars back on track with 37-34 win over Colts in Week 5
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- Trevor Lawrence shines, gets Jaguars back on track with 37-34 win over Colts in Week 5
The Jacksonville Jaguars had a lot to celebrate against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.
The sun might not have shined much, but it figuratively shone brightly on Jacksonville as they picked up their 10th straight win against the Colts at home dating back to the 2015 season.
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The Jaguars defeated the Colts 37-34 after a last-second, 49-yard field goal by kicker Cam Little.
The team also inducted future Hall of Fame coach, inaugural Jaguars head coach and general manager Tom Coughlin into the Pride of the Jaguars at halftime. Coughlin became the seventh person inducted into the Pride since 2006. That list includes Tony Boselli (2006), Wayne and Delores Weaver (2012), Fred Taylor (2012), Mark Brunell (2013) and Jimmy Smith (2016).
Jaguars take down Colts at home: Game recap
Former head coach Tom Coughlin shakes hands with a familiar person on the sideline during the second quarter of an NFL football matchup Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]
Jaguars struggle to put Colts away in fourth quarter
With a 34-20 lead with six minutes left in the game, the Jaguars' offense failed to put the Colts away with a quick three-and-out after the Colts quickly got back on the board with a one-yard touchdown to running back Trey Sermon . The score cut Jacksonville's lead to 34-27.
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After Jacksonville's first three-and-out of the game, the Colts immediately went down the field to score a game-tying touchdown. Colts receiver Alec Pierce broke loose for a 65-yard touchdown catch from quarterback Joe Flacco .
JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 06: Joe Flacco #15 of the Indianapolis Colts scrambles during the fourth quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium on October 06, 2024 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images)
The touchdown tied the game up 34-34 with a bit over 2:30 remaining.
Before the Colts' first touchdown to start the comeback, the Jaguars held a 14-point lead with just over five minutes left in the game. The Colts scored in less than two minutes to close the gap completely.
Flacco completed 33 of 43 passes for 359 yards and three touchdowns. He added a 21-yard rush in the fourth quarter.
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Travon Walker , Josh Hines-Allen set up Jacksonville's final points at halftime
Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Travon Walker (44) reacts to forcing a fumble with defensive end Josh Hines-Allen (41) during the second quarter of an NFL football matchup Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]
Just before the first half ended, Jacksonville's pass rush came through for the Jaguars.
Defensive linemen Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen combined to give the ball back to the Jacksonville offense. With 15 seconds left in the first half, Flacco was strip-sacked by Walker. The ball was recovered by Hines-Allen who was tackled at the Indianapolis 12-yard line.
The Jaguars turned the strip-sack into a 30-yard field goal for Little, putting the Jaguars up 13-10 going into halftime.
Before being strip-sacked, Flacco posted a nearly perfect half completing 17 of 21 passes for 132 yards and a touchdown.
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Walker finished the game with three sacks, while Hines-Allen finished with one.
Trevor Lawrence posts near-perfect first half, finds Brian Thomas Jr. for 85-yard touchdown
Lawrence didn't take long to find his groove against the Colts on Sunday.
In the first half, Lawrence was nearly perfect completing 15 of 18 passes for 225 yards and a touchdown. Lawrence's 225 yards were the most he's posted in a single game this season. His previous high was 220 against the Cleveland Browns .
Lawrence's touchdown came via an 85-yard catch and run by rookie receiver Brian Thomas Jr., who has quickly become Jacksonville's most reliable pass catcher.
Thomas' touchdown catch was the second-longest TD pass in Jaguars history behind Allen Robinson 's 90-yard score in New Orleans in 2015.
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According to Next Gen Stats, Thomas reached a speed of 22.15 MPH.
In the first half, Lawrence targeted running back Travis Etienne , working in the flats against Gus Bradley's defense. He targeted Etienne six times for five catches and 42 yards.
Lawrence finished the game with a career-high 371 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. His previous best was 368 against the Tennessee Titans in 2022.
Tank Bigsby records bully-ball touchdown against Colts, set up by Devin Duvernay punt return
JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 06: Tank Bigsby #4 celebrates a touchdown run during the third quarter against the Indianapolis Colts at EverBank Stadium on October 06, 2024 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images)
Jaguars running back Tank Bigsby didn't hold back during his 19-yard touchdown in the third quarter to put Jacksonville up 20-10.
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Bigsby made multiple Indy defenders roll off his body before muscling and bullying his way into the end zone with help from left guard Ezra Cleveland .
The touchdown was set up by receiver/return specialist Devin Duvernay. Duvernay took a 65-yard punt from the Jacksonville 27-yard line for 53 yards to the Indy 19.
Duvernay's punt return is the second longest in the NFL this year behind KaVontae Turpin . It was the second-longest return of Duvernay's career.
Bigsby showed off again to cap the win for Jacksonville with a 65-yard touchdown run. The score put the Jaguars up 34-20 with around six minutes left in the game.
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Demetrius Harvey is the Jacksonville Jaguars reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @Demetrius82 .
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This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville Jaguars defeat Colts 37-34, earn first win of 2024 season
