A Jacksonville Jaguars fan cheers during the second half of the game against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024, in Jacksonville. | AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack
Published on October 6, 2024 at 4:33 pm
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A win. Finally.
On a day when Tom Coughlin was inducted into the Pride of the Jaguars and the team wore throwback jerseys, reminiscent of the glory days under Coughlin, there was much to celebrate.
After building a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter, the Jaguars saw the Indianapolis Colts tie the game with 2:40 remaining.
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Then it was up to Trevor Lawrence to play hero on his 25th birthday. He drove the Jaguars into field goal range, where Cam Little booted a 49-yard field goal with 21 seconds to play to give the Jaguars their first win of the season, 37-34.
Lawrence had his best game of the year. Heck, the best game since last year’s win over Houston. Brian Thomas Jr. continued to emerge as a star. Tank Bigsby made the most of his opportunities running the ball.
For a while, it looked like the celebrations would be subdued.
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After Bigsby’s 65-yard run in the fourth quarter, the Jaguars led by 14. But the Colts came back to tie it up thanks to three big receptions by wide receiver Alec Pierce. The first two set up a touchdown, the third scored it.
Rookie wide receiver Brian Thomas enjoyed his best game, catching five passes for 122 yards, including an 85-yard touchdown, the third-longest regular season play in Jaguars’ history.
Thomas was the key performer in the biggest play of the first half.
Travon Walker was the defensive hero, finishing with three sacks and a forced fumble. His sack of Flacco on the game’s last play was the exclamation mark.
In the third quarter, it was the special teams’ chance to make an impact. After Lawrence threw an interception into triple-coverage, the Jaguars forced a Colts’ punt. Devin Duvernay returned it 56 yards to the 19-yard line. On the next play, Tank Bigsby ran it in for a touchdown to give Jacksonville a 20-10 lead.
Now, the Jaguars prepare for their annual trip to London, where they will face the New England Patriots and the Chicago Bears. Both games are winnable. If the defense can solve the issues that have led to breakdowns in pass coverage and if the pass rush continues to develop, the Jaguars could sweep the two games overseas and return to Jacksonville with a record of 3-4 and a chance to make something of the season.
There are a lot of “ifs,” but the win on Sunday against the Colts keeps hope of a significant season alive. At least for now.
Cole Pepper has covered sports in Jacksonville since 1996, most recently for News4Jax. He is currently broadcast director for Sporting Club Jacksonville and has called play-by-play for a number of teams, including the Suns, Tomcats, Jacksonville University, Sharks and The Bolles School football. He also served as the studio host for the Jaguars Radio Network.
