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Defense, Brian Thomas Jr. show up big in Jaguars' rout of Colts
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- Defense, Brian Thomas Jr. show up big in Jaguars' rout of Colts
Four questions and answers from the Jacksonville Jaguars ' 36-19 win over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday :
First Down
Question:How good was the Jaguars ' defense before and after the Achilles injury to Colts quarterback Daniel Jones ?
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Answer:Let us count the big plays …
Interception by linebacker Devin Lloyd ; led to a Jaguars touchdown.
Forced fumble by safety Eric Murray ; led to a Jaguars touchdown.
Stuffed Colts running back Jonathan Taylor on fourth down; led to a Jaguars touchdown.
And a safety via sack by defensive end Josh Hines-Allen .
That's how you win a division (eventually) and make a playoff run.
Second Down
Question:Receiver Brian Thomas Jr. shined for the first time in a long time. How important will he be down the stretch?
Answer:Very important and Thomas' big-play day was one of the biggest developments/biggest surprises of the win.
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Thomas was all over the field. He caught an 18-yard pass to convert a second-and-14 on the Jaguars' second drive (eventual touchdown), made a terrific one-handed catch for 39 yards on the third drive (eventual touchdown) and made a 30-yard catch in the third quarter.
OUCH: Bhayshul Tuten evaluated for a concussion vs. Colts
If the Jaguars can get regular explosive plays from Thomas, their offense will rise to a new level.
Third Down
Question:What kind of job did the Jaguars do in stopping running back Jonathan Taylor?
Answer:An excellent job by the Jaguars' top-ranked rush defense.
Through three quarters, Taylor had 19 carries for 58 yards and no catches.
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The key part was that Taylor's longest rush was 7 yards. The Jaguars won at the line of scrimmage, didn't miss tackles and rallied to the football.
Late in the second quarter, Taylor was stuffed on a fourth-and-1 play from the Jaguars' 44. The Jaguars took over and made it 28-10 entering halftime.
Taylor gained 14 yards on his first carry of the fourth quarter, but by that point, the Jaguars were up 31-13. Quarterback Riley Leonard was intercepted by cornerback Greg Newsome two plays later.
The Jaguars finally allowed a running back to gain at least 70 yard rushing.
Fourth Down
Question:The Jaguars are 9-4 and have won four consecutive games. Besides injury, what can derail their progress?
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Answer:Penalties. Period.
The Jaguars simply commit too many penalties in general and too many penalties in particular.
Against the Colts , the Jaguars had three false start penalties and one neutral zone penalty.
The way their defense plays (stops the run and produces takeaways) and offense produces (big plays), penalties are the only thing standing in their way en route to a division title.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville Jaguars' win over Colts paced by defense, Brian Thomas Jr.
