Colts vs. Jaguars: Full Report Card Grades for Indianapolis
The Indianapolis Colts got their first win of the season in Week 3 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, and it wasn't really even close.
After taking a 30-0 lead before halftime, the Colts took their foot off the gas a bit in the second half and came away with an easy 44-17 win. The offense was incredibly effective, putting up 530 total yards, while the defense forced three turnovers and got four sacks.
Offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton seemed to have gotten the message that Luck is a top-tier quarterback, as he wasn't afraid to pass the ball in this game. Luck threw 39 passes, with the team attempting 43 total compared to just 29 on the ground.
The Jaguars were able to get the offense moving once rookie Blake Bortles stepped in, but even he had some trouble, throwing a pair of interceptions in the second half. The fans in Jacksonville didn't seem to mind, however, as they were chanting his name after both of his touchdowns.
Now that the Colts have gotten a win in the 2014 season, let's take a look at the position grades for each unit after Sunday's victory.
Quarterback
1 of 10
After struggling last week against the Philadelphia Eagles, Andrew Luck looked razor-sharp to start Sunday's game, going 15-of-18 with 145 yards and two touchdowns on the team's first three drives. In fact, he had a streak of 13 straight completions in the first half before Coby Fleener dropped a wide-open pass in the end zone.
Luck finished the first half with 244 yards and three touchdowns, heading into the locker room with a 30-0 lead. Those numbers alone were enough for a good day, and because of the large lead, he didn't have to do too much in the second half.
Even so, Luck still was able to drive down the field and pick up some more yards. He finished the game with 370 yards and four touchdowns on 31-of-39 passing before being replaced by Matt Hasselbeck late in the fourth quarter.
While Hasselbeck was able to get some playing time late, this grade is based mostly on Luck's performance, which was almost perfect.
Grade: A
Running Back
2 of 10
Both running backs were able to make some solid plays early on. On the second drive of the game, Trent Richardson was able to break some tackles for a 27-yard gain. Then Ahmad Bradshaw finished the drive off with a six-yard touchdown reception from Luck to give the Colts an early 10-0 lead.
The running game wasn't used a lot, but the two running backs got the job done when called upon. Bradshaw ran the ball only nine times, but he finished with 65 yards on the ground. Meanwhile, Richardson was able to pick up 57 yards on 14 carries.
Both backs were productive in the passing game as well. The two combined for five receptions, 41 yards and a touchdown from Bradshaw early in the game. Over the past two games, Bradshaw has emerged as a versatile weapon who can make plays on limited touches, and that's helped give the Colts an option when Richardson can't get things going.
This was the second straight week where the running game looked good, and that's a good sign heading into next week's game against the Tennessee Titans.
Grade: B+
Wide Receiver and Tight End
3 of 10
All of Luck's weapons got some looks in the first half, but it was quite nice to see T.Y. Hilton look like his usual self, catching five passes for 80 yards through the first 30 minutes. Reggie Wayne continued to get some work in, catching three passes for 39 yards.
The second half belonged to Donte Moncrief, the rookie receiver who finally got to see the field after Hilton left the game with an ankle injury. In the fourth quarter, he had a beautiful back-shoulder catch, somehow getting two feet in bounds just short of the end zone.
Fleener will get a bit of heat after his struggles this week. He had two drops in the first half, including one for a wide-open touchdown to end Luck's completion streak. Meanwhile, Dwayne Allen looked quite comfortable, getting four catches for 43 yards and a score.
Luck was able to find all of his weapons, with nine different players catching at least two passes. That kind of balance was great to see in the passing game, and the receivers get a solid grade despite the couple of drops from Fleener.
Grade: A-
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Offensive Line
4 of 10
For the third straight week, the Colts offensive line has looked solid. although it wasn't as dominant against the Jaguars as it was last week against Philadelphia. Luck had a clean pocket for most of the game, but did go down twice in the first half.
The offensive line continued to keep Luck upright, however, and he wasn't sacked once in the second half. The unit has done a great job through the first three weeks and has stayed relatively healthy. Hugh Thornton had an injury scare early on, but he quickly came back into the game.
The running game continued to be effective in the first half of this game, putting up 91 yards while averaging 6.1 yards per carry through the first two quarters. Both Bradshaw and Richardson had some big holes to run through, and this offensive line was the reason for that.
If it can keep this up, the offensive line could be one of the biggest surprises of the season.
Grade: A-
Defensive Line
5 of 10
Without one of its best players in Arthur Jones, the Colts defensive line was still able to hold its own in the trenches. A lot of that had to do with the fact that it was going against a very inexperienced offensive line, but it was nice to see the unit continue to play at a high level early in the year.
Cory Redding continues to look like the veteran leader of this defense, and he might be one of the few options to rush the passer. He did a solid job generating interior pressure, even getting a couple of solid hits on Chad Henne. Undrafted free agent Zach Kerr showed up as well, making a big tackle in the backfield in the third quarter.
The running game opened up a bit in the second half, but with Jones out, the defensive line definitely held its own.
Grade: B
Linebacker
6 of 10
The linebackers may have played their best game of the season, even without Jerrell Freeman. The Jaguars couldn't get anything going with their running backs or tight ends, and the outside linebackers were able to generate some pressure.
Erik Walden was able to get his second sack of the season on third down in the first half and looks much-improved compared to last season. He seems more comfortable in the defense this year, doing a better job of setting the edge and making stops when needed.
D'Qwell Jackson racked up 10 total tackles and a sack in the game, and he seemed to be in on the majority of plays. With Freeman out, he made sure to step up, because Josh McNary has little in-game experience and is still trying to feel comfortable when out on the field.
Bjoern Werner still needs to step up and get his first sack, but the rest of the linebackers looked good and were disruptive throughout.
Grade: B
Secondary
7 of 10
It was a very relaxed day for the Indianapolis secondary, as it had little to worry about early on with Henne under center. The unit ended up holding him to just 4-of-7 passing with 33 yards due to the constant pressure in his face and blankets the cornerbacks were putting on the Jacksonville receivers.
After a couple of illegal contact penalties on a drive, Vontae Davis redeemed himself with an interception on Bortles down the sideline. Greg Toler got his second interception of the season late in the fourth quarter on Bortles, then took it 47 yards back for the touchdown. The cornerback duo has looked good together, but Toler needs to stay healthy.
Even the safety play was quite solid from LaRon Landry and Mike Adams on Sunday. Landry was an aggressive enforcer, even getting a sack on a safety blitz. Mike Adams wasn't as productive as Landry, but he did have a touchdown-saving pass breakup on third down to force the Jaguars to settle for a field goal.
The Jacksonville quarterbacks weren't good, but give credit to the secondary for making sure that neither Henne nor Bortles was able to find any rhythm offensively.
Grade: B+
Special Teams
8 of 10
Once again, special teams was nearly perfect Sunday, and Pat McAfee continues to make a strong bid for his first career Pro Bowl.
While he only punted the ball twice, McAfee's bombs went for 56 and 51 yards, with both going inside the 20-yard line. His second punt was extremely impressive, coming up just short of the end zone and landing inside the Jacksonville 5-yard line.
Adam Vinatieri continues to be a reliable kicker, making all five extra points to go along with three field goals. He has yet to miss a field goal this season, but the 41-year-old is hoping to keep the streak alive for as long as possible.
With a reliable punter and kicker, the Colts seem to be winning the special teams battle week after week.
Grade: A+
Coaching
9 of 10
The coaches were under a ton of fire after last week's loss to the Eagles, but fans will calm down a bit after Sunday's blowout win.
Pep Hamilton seemed to get the message that the Colts needed to work the offense around Luck. The offense let Luck do what he wanted and sprinkled some solid run plays to complement him. Richardson wasn't as big a part of the offense this week, with Bradshaw getting some more playing time while splitting carries with the former first-round pick.
Chuck Pagano deserves some credit for the decision to go for it on 4th-and-1 inside the 5-yard line in the third quarter. Even though the Colts were up 30-3 and didn't convert, it forced the Jaguars to start with the ball deep in their own territory.
Overall, the Colts had a complete game, and the coaches did a solid job of making sure their team was ready to blow out the Jaguars.
Grade: B+
Final Grades
10 of 10
| Positional Unit | Overall Grade |
| QB | A |
| RB | B+ |
| WR/TE | A- |
| OL | A- |
| DL | B |
| LB | B |
| Secondary | B+ |
| Special Teams | A+ |
| Coaching | B+ |
| Cumulative Grade | A |
Colts fans can relax a little bit after blowing out the Jaguars. A lot of it was because the Jaguars are truly just a bottom-tier football team, but every aspect of the game seemed to go the Colts' way.
When Luck is on it, the Colts look almost unstoppable, but when their defense can force multiple turnovers and put pressure on the quarterback, there's almost no way they're going to lose. Bradshaw is starting to look like a new weapon out of the backfield in the passing game, giving Luck more options to throw to than he knows what to do with. Still, he's doing a great job of spreading the ball and making sure everyone gets touches.
The defense should have Jones and Freeman back in the near future, while Khaled Holmes should be ready to go next week. This team looked good Sunday, but it's going to need to prove that it can be dominant against actual playoff contenders before people will start buying into the Colts.
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