JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – We'll take it. It certainly wasn't pretty at the end, but we'll take it. The Jaguars move to 1-3 going into the bye week by holding on for a W against the Colts.
Offensively, there was a lot to be excited about. Blake Bortles had his best game of the season with two touchdown passes and more importantly no interceptions. His decision-making was much improved and he was impressive with his throws on the move. Interestingly enough, Blake is the best in the NFL with his accuracy outside the pocket. We can expect to see more of that in the games to come.
Going forward Blake needs to continue to get into an early rhythm. Early completions bring confidence for a young quarterback.
Establishing the run game early in a ball game takes a lot of pressure off the quarterback. The Jaguars were able to do that Sunday. The run game has finally arrived. TJ Yeldon and Chris Ivory combined for exactly 100 yards. That's the magic number folks -- If you can rush for over 100 yards in a game, your chance of winning increases exponentially.
Overall, it was a clean game on offense. Both the pass game and run game were efficient.
On the defensive side of the ball, the No. 1 goal was reached -- hit Andrew Luck. When facing an elite QB, there really is only one way to stop him -- You must get in his face and put pressure on him. The Jaguars were able to do just that with six sacks and constant pressure. The biggest and most important play of the day, in my opinion, was the early interception by Yannick Ngakoue after Dante Fowler Jr. tipped one of Luck's passes into the air. That play led to an early Jaguar TD, which obviously turned out to be crucial in the win.
The defense also held the Colts to only 232 yards in the air. Our secondary continues to keep the passing yards of opposing QBs down. Of course, there were some concerns at the end. A busted coverage in the fourth quarter led to a big TD and Luck seemed to move his team with ease. Obviously, some things need to be cleaned up but that's what bye weeks are for.
Congrats to the Jaguars on their first win of the season. Many more to come. Go Jags!
Former NFL QB Mark Brunell answers your questions about the game:
Why do you think the Jaguars continue to commit so many penalties?
-- Matt in Jacksonville
Brunell: Lack of discipline. Overly aggressive play. Inexperience. Poor fundamentals.
Were Bortles’ scrambles a sign of a lack of confidence in his throws?
-- Joshua in Orange Park
Brunell: No. Scrambles many times means lack of confidence in protection.
Do you think this win will save Bradley’s job?
-- Stephen in Jacksonville Beach
Brunell: I believe Gus' job was safe regardless of the outcome of this game.