Jaguars Beat Colts in London

The Jacksonville Jaguars had to leave the country to get their first win of 2016 on Sunday. The team made their annual pilgrimage to London and took down AFC South divisional opponent Indianapolis, 30-27.

Quarterback Blake Bortles finally showed what he is capable of and did not commit a turnover. He threw for 207 yards, going 19-of-33, moving the ball down the field well for the most part. It was not a perfect performance, but it was his best of the season as a whole. He’s thrown for more yards, completed more passes this season, but he made costly mistakes in those games. Sunday, he stayed away from the big negative play.

Head coach Gus Bradley discusses every week, that the team needs to play smart and not give up unnecessary penalties. It is easier said than done with this team. They committed 11 penalties for 145 yards Sunday and that kept the Colts in the game in the first half, at 17-6.

The Jaguars first touchdown was set up by a Yannick Ngakoue interception of Colts quarterback Andrew Luck, whose pass was tipped and picked. Jacksonville needed just five plays from there to get on the board, with Allen Robinson catching a three-yard pass from Bortles.

Indianapolis (1-3) got a 53-yard field goal from Adam Vinatieri to close the gap to 7-3 with 1:53 left in the first quarter. An 11 play drive by the Colts resulted in another field goal, making it a one-point game.

Bortles and the Jags’ answered back on the next drive, with Robinson coming up with a 17-yard catch and a six-yard catch on the drive. Bortles finished it off with a one-yard run, giving Jacksonville a 14-6 lead. On the next possession, the Jaguars were helped by an unnecessary roughness penalty and a pass interference call, leading to another field goal from Myers, a 22 yarder, to end the half.

Kicker Jason Myers kicked two field goals on the third quarter, one from 46 and another from 49 yards, making it a 23-6 contest with 2:51 left in the third.

Luck brought his team in the fourth quarter, as Frank Gore finished off a 75-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown run, 12 seconds into the final quarter, closing the gap to 23-13. Their next possession resulted in another score, with Luck finding T.Y. Hilton with a two-yard pass, to make it a three-point game, 23-20.

Bortles went to work on the next Jaguars drive. A 16-yard pass to T.J. Yeldon kicked things off and it worked so well, Bortles did it again, this time for 15 yards. Allen Hurns finished things off on what started out with nothing more than a screen pass. Hurns shook one defender, cut up field and beat the defense to the end zone, making it a 10-point game again, 30-20 with 5:31 left.

Luck, answered swiftly, when he found Phillip Dorsett streaking down the field all alone for a 64-yard touchdown. The Colts got a stop on defense and Luck had one last chance, but a drop of a short pass on fourth down with 1:36 left, preserved the Jaguars overseas victory.

For more info: Colts @ Jaguars Box Score

The Jaguars are off next week before heading to Chicago to face the Bears in two weeks.

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