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6 things learned after Jaguars Week 8 victory over Colts
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- 6 things learned after Jaguars Week 8 victory over Colts
The Jacksonville Jaguars absolutely annihilated the Indianapolis Colts in Week 8, walking away from EverBank Stadium with a 42-7 victory.
Jacksonville took control with a 98-yard touchdown drive on its first possession, built a 28-0 lead by halftime, and had the game so thoroughly in hand that quarterback Trevor Lawrence and several other starters were able to spend most of the fourth quarter on the sideline.
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There were still some areas of concern, particularly in pass protection and with injuries piling up ahead of a short week. But overall, this was exactly the kind of performance the Jaguars needed against a struggling division rival, and after losing to the Houston Texans, another division rival, before the bye.
Here are six things we learned from the Jaguars' Week 8 win.
Bhayshul Tuten is officially a major weapon
Tuten was already becoming a big part of Jacksonville's offense, but Sunday was his best performance yet, including finally achieving a 100-yard game.
Against the Colts, Tuten rushed 16 times for 104 yards and a touchdown, while adding two receptions for 55 yards and a second touchdown. His 39-yard rushing touchdown late in the second quarter was one of the best examples of what he can bring to the offense.
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Center Robert Hainsey and guard Emmanuel Pregnon opened a massive running lane, but Tuten still had work to do. Safety Cam Bynum had a chance to stop him before the end zone, and Tuten ran through the tackle to finish the play.
He was just as dangerous as a receiver. A short pass from Lawrence in the third quarter turned into a 30-yard gain after Tuten forced multiple missed tackles, and he finished the drive with a 25-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown. The Jaguars even used Travis Hunter as a decoy on that score, drawing Indianapolis' attention away from Tuten.
Chris Rodriguez Jr. also made the most of his opportunities, breaking free for a 28-yard touchdown and later adding a 17-yard reception.
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Rayuan Lane did not waste his opportunity
Jacksonville entered the game without safety Antonio Johnson, then lost Eric Murray to an elbow injury in the first quarter. That left the Jaguars dangerously thin at safety, with Rayuan Lane III suddenly forced to take on a much larger role.
He responded with arguably the best game of his young career.
Lane played tight coverage on Colts tight end Tyler Warren several times, but his biggest moment came just before halftime. Indianapolis had recovered a Lawrence fumble and had a chance to finally get on the scoreboard. Instead, Daniel Jones' pass bounced into Lane's hands near Jacksonville's goal line, and Lane took it all the way back for a pick-six.
And he still wasn't finished. Lane later came screaming into the backfield for a fourth-quarter sack of Jones.
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Jacksonville obviously wants Murray and Johnson healthy, but Lane showed that he is capable of doing far more than simply surviving when called upon. With Jalen Huskey also recording a fourth-quarter sack, the Jaguars got some genuinely encouraging play from the bottom of a depleted safety depth chart.
The predictions about Jonathan Taylor came true
Taylor is one of the league's best running backs, and Jacksonville has one of the league's best run defenses. It was predicted that the Jaguars would hold Taylor to less than 50 yards, and that is exactly what happened, despite a rough start.
On the opening drive, Taylor ripped off 19 yards almost immediately, helping Indianapolis move quickly into Jacksonville territory on its opening possession.
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And then the Jaguars essentially erased him. He finished with only 23 rushing yards on eight attempts, which means after his 19-yard opening run, Jacksonville held him to just four yards on his final seven carries.
Josh Hines-Allen dropped Taylor in the backfield late in the second quarter, and Indianapolis repeatedly failed when trying to manufacture something around its star running back. One particularly strange third-quarter play featured a double pitch back to Taylor that resulted in another loss. On the next play, he was stopped behind the line again.
Stopping Taylor was arguably Jacksonville's biggest defensive priority entering the game. With the Colts' offensive line already weakened by the trade of Quenton Nelson, the Jaguars needed to make Indianapolis rely on Jones to move the football, and they were able to do that with ease, even after losing defensive stalwart DaVon Hamilton.
The pass rush finally turned pressure into negative plays
Jacksonville has been able to create pressure this season, but opposing quarterbacks have often neutralized it by getting the ball out quickly, meaning there haven't been nearly as many sacks as the Jaguars would have liked. Against Indianapolis, Jacksonville finally converted more of those opportunities into game-changing negative plays.
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Travon Walker recorded an early sack after the Colts' promising opening possession. Later, with Indianapolis attempting to convert on fourth down in Jaguars territory, Arik Armstead and Josh Hines-Allen converged on Jones for another sack and turnover on downs. Lane added his sack in the fourth quarter, while Huskey got to Anthony Richardson after Indianapolis finally pulled Jones.
Jacksonville also forced Jones to escape pressure repeatedly throughout the afternoon.
That becomes particularly important when paired with how effectively the Jaguars stopped Taylor. Once Indianapolis could no longer rely on its running game, Jacksonville's defensive front was able to attack a quarterback who was already struggling to generate explosive plays.
The offensive line was excellent in the run game — but pass protection is a huge concern
There is an important distinction to make with Jacksonville's offensive line after this game. The run blocking was outstanding; Pregnon and Hainsey helped spring Tuten's 39-yard touchdown, Brenton Strange delivered an important block on another Lawrence escape, and the Jaguars consistently created opportunities for Tuten and Rodriguez.
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Pass protection was a different story.
Lawrence spent too much of the afternoon escaping pressure. He was sacked multiple times, including a second-quarter sack that resulted in a fumble and briefly gave Indianapolis an opportunity to score before halftime. There were several other plays where Lawrence escaped the first defender, only to find pressure waiting for him again.
Lawrence ultimately finished 10-of-14 for 210 yards and three touchdowns, but the stat line was cleaner than the performance actually was. He also made at least two dangerous throws that easily could have become interceptions, including one intended for Brian Thomas Jr. that Charvarius Ward nearly picked off.
Lawrence deserves credit for repeatedly extending plays. His 31-yard touchdown pass to Nate Boerkircher came after he avoided pressure and kept the play alive. Still, against a stronger opponent, some of those pressures and risky throws could prove much more costly. With Baltimore waiting on Thursday night, pass protection remains one of Jacksonville's biggest areas to address.
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Jacksonville finally made an inferior opponent look inferior
There was perhaps no more encouraging takeaway than how thoroughly Jacksonville handled a team it was supposed to beat.
The Jaguars started their first possession at their own 2-yard line and responded with a 12-play, 98-yard touchdown drive capped by Thomas' 12-yard score, and never really looked back.
Boerkircher scored his second touchdown in as many games. Tuten broke loose for his 39-yard score. Lane's pick-six made it 28-0 at halftime. When Indianapolis finally scored in the third quarter, Jacksonville immediately answered with another touchdown drive, rather than allowing the Colts to build any momentum.
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By early in the fourth quarter, Lawrence had been replaced by Quinn Ewers and Tuten was no longer getting touches. Jacksonville was able to protect its starters and begin looking ahead to a Thursday night matchup with the Baltimore Ravens.
There were still mistakes. The Jaguars committed too many penalties, Lawrence lost a fumble, and the injury situation will need to be monitored closely after Murray, DaVon Hamilton, Walker, and Ezra Cleveland all dealt with issues at various points. But Jacksonville never allowed those mistakes to turn a game it controlled into something unnecessarily difficult — something the Jaguars have struggled with several times this season, with self-inflicted injuries either losing them games or making them unnecessarily close. That didn't happen today. And for a team trying to establish itself as the best in the AFC South, that may be one of the most important lessons of all.
This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: 6 things learned after Jaguars Week 8 victory over Colts
