Indianapolis Colts vs. Jacksonville Jaguars: Jacksonville Grades, Notes & Quotes
An incredible, albeit surprising, second-half explosion propelled the Jacksonville Jaguars to a 51-16 win over the Indianapolis Colts, putting them one game behind the Colts and getting to a 5-8 record.
This game was "do-or-die" for the Jaguars, and the team didn't necessarily give much hope to the "do" part of that phrase. The first half was atrocious for both teams, but the Jaguars outscored the Colts 42-3 in the second half to secure the win.
The two halves couldn't have been greater opposites, but what matters is that the Jaguars won and did it in incredible style. This team's varying performance throughout the season may hold some excitement back, but this was the team some have been looking for all season.
The offense looked close to it's incredible performance last week against the Tennessee Titans, and the defense, despite missing linebacker Paul Posluszny, performed admirably, only allowing nine offensive points to the Colts.
Despite a first half that seemed to doom the Jaguars, they were able to come out on top. It's now time to see if they can carry their performance against a struggling Atlanta Falcons team.
Positional Grades
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Quarterback: B
When quarterback Blake Bortles failed to hit several of his passes early, there was serious concern. The Jaguars couldn't afford to have him struggle. But he erased two fumbles and some bad mistakes with a stellar second-half day.
He threw three TDs to various receivers and also ran in on the final score to top off a great day. He's still got work to do, but when Bortles is on, he may be one of the most exciting young players to watch in the NFL.
Running Back: A-
Rookie running back T.J. Yeldon carved the Colts in the first half, but after 11 rushes and 62 yards, the RB suffered a knee injury that kept him out for the duration. Almost on cue, RB Denard Robinson stepped up to finish the job.
Robinson ran for 75 yards on 14 carries and added his first TD of the season on top. The combined total for the two RBs was 137 yards, and their combined average was 5.5. Wickedly impressive.
Wide Receiver: B-
This was actually a relatively quiet game for the receivers, whether it was due to Bortles' errors or just good Colts coverage. However, WRs Allen Hurns and Allen Robinson both scored in the rout—a distinct positive.
Considering Bortles only completed 16 passes, it's not too surprising that the day was muted, but an easy matchup actually turned out tough for the group. They were clutch when they needed to be, and that helped spark the second-half explosion.
Tight Ends: B+
Tight end Julius Thomas added another consistent and productive day, bringing down five receptions for 54 yards and a TD. Fellow TE Marcedes Lewis didn't have as big of an impact, but he was able to get on the sheet with a catch for 14 yards.
The TEs have to continue to stay involved, because it's apparent Bortles looks to them to convert first downs more often than not. Thomas has really stepped up with his four touchdowns in the last four games, and that has to continue.
Offensive Line: B
The offensive line was far from perfect, but it only allowed three sacks; two of them were somewhat on Bortles' shoulders. It also continued to improve in run blocking, opening up holes for Robinson and Yeldon on the regular.
There were a couple of penalties, but it was a pretty solid game. The offensive line still makes huge mistakes at times, looking at center Stephen Wisniewski, but it's clear that they can suffice against most teams at the moment.
Defensive Line: A-
The defensive front held Colts RB Frank Gore to 60 yards and did well to get after Colts QBs Matt Hasselbeck and Charlie Whitehurst consistently, coming up with three sacks along the way.
Defensive end Andre Branch, who totaled two sacks, a tackle for loss and a forced fumble and recovery for a touchdown, had the breakout performance. We haven't seen a day like this from Branch. It's possible this could spark a streak of form.
Linebackers: B-
The LBs didn't miss Posluszny all too much, and that was thanks to another great performance from LB Telvin Smith as well as a commendable showing from undrafted free agent LB Jordan Tripp, who filled in for "Poz."
Smith continues to lead the Jaguars in tackles on a nearly weekly basis. This was a really solid day for the sophomore LB; it didn't feature any huge plays, but it was consistent and impressive.
Secondary: C+
For whatever reason, the Jaguars defense turned it on as a whole when the Colts started to march into the red zone. But coming up to those moments, the secondary let up on some huge plays and looked to be the weakest link again.
This unit too rebounded in the second half, and corner Nick Marshall deserves credit for his personal rebound. After Colts WR T.Y. Hilton torched him, Marshall came back and played a respectable game, especially for a UDFA.
Special Teams: B+
Kicker Jason Myers missed another extra-point attempt, bringing his miss total to seven on the season. Other than that miss, he was relatively solid. Punter Bryan Anger did a fine job, although his day was pretty much cut short in the second half thanks to the offensive decimation.
WR Rashad Greene didn't do too much on offense, but he scored his first return TD of the season, taking a punt 73 yards to the house. He's shown improvements in this area, and now it has paid off in a serious dividend.
Coaching: A-
This was, by far, the best coaching performance by a team ran by head coach Gus Bradley. While it took a while to get out the gate, the Jaguars didn't really struggle tactically in the first half.
Offensive coordinator Greg Olson and defensive coordinator Bob Babich's plans came through in the second half, however, and they deserve a lot of credit for a distinguished display.
Andre Branch Blows Up the Colts
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Andre Branch, since being selected in the second round of the 2012 NFL draft, has seemed close to having the standout season most fans were expecting. That won't be this season, but his incredible showing on Sunday will leave a distinct memory in a lot of people's minds.
Branch kept Jacksonville in the game after a Bortles' fumble was taken deep into the Jaguars' territory. On the ensuing play, Branch got around his blocker, smacked the ball out of Hasselbeck's hand and won the sprint race for the end zone.
That made it 9-13, and that was a lot better halftime result than the probable two- to three-score deficit the Jaguars were headed for. He may not always come through, but Branch was massive Sunday.
This spawned Branch's electric second half, and it seemed like he was in the backfield on nearly every play. It may go without saying, but this was Branch's best game of his career.
Going forward, the Jaguars will have to wonder what Branch is bringing to the table, but a dominating performance like Sunday leaves any possibility on the table.
Blake Bortles Comes Alive in the Second Half
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Bortles was obviously not the only rebound of the second half, but he was certainly the biggest. Going into the half, he completed seven of 17 passes, lost two fumbles and only had 104 yards.
In the second half, Bortles completed nine of 13 passes, threw three touchdowns and ran for another, a massive turnaround that spurned the Jaguars offense into a frenzy.
The sophomore QB seemed generally off in the first half, and that wouldn't be the first time we've seen that. I wouldn't expect it to be the last either, but whatever thing that was plaguing him certainly left after halftime.
Bortles completed passes to nine different receivers, which is one of his strongest improvements. Bortles was never habitually locked in to receivers, but there are times where he won't survey his options, and that often leads to a bad mistake.
He's learn to grow past that, and his developing composure was on display as the Jaguars roared back in the third quarter.
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Gus Bradley Discusses All-Around Execution
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The Jaguars haven't scored from the three phases of the ball since 2011, and head coach Gus Bradley had plenty to be happy and excited about since they ended that streak. The onslaught came from all sides, which is something we haven't seen this season.
But, for whatever reason, it finally clicked for the Jaguars, and they made a tremendous run in the second half. As mentioned, Bradley was very satisfied with the day, as seen in his postgame press conference on Jaguars.com.
"I look at, really, all three phases: offense, defense and special teams," Bradley said. "[Special teams] had their hand in it with the punt return, the defense scoring a touchdown and getting an interception, and then offensively, I know we started off a little slow, but we came back and [were] very efficient."
That kind of burst may not be seen every game, but the Jaguars showed they were capable of that kind of day. As the team gears up for the Falcons, Bradley will have to do his best to contain that energy and use it as momentum for an important matchup.
Blake Bortles Talks First Half Offensive Struggles
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The Jaguars offense looked stagnant early and, considering the defense's issues over the past couple of weeks, that seemed like a nearly dooming factor. If the Jaguars weren't able to get going early, especially through Bortles, how would they beat the Colts?
It wasn't looking good, but the Jaguars offense came out strong in the third quarter and didn't stop until the final whistle, scoring 35 offensive points. But before that point, it was a real struggle, as Bortles pointed out in his postgame press conference on Jaguars.com.
"Give them credit, they played well in the first half," Bortles said. "They didn't change anything or do anything we haven't seen before; we just didn't play well. Probably about it. There's not a whole lot of excuses or explanations for it."
Bortles was noticeably inaccurate in the first half, but his complete turnaround in the second half more than made up for it. He looked composed and ready to take on the challenge, even despite two lost fumbles and a fair share of misses.
He's quickly developing a strong mental attitude, and for his style of play, that may become his most important asset. Bortles will continue to make mistakes, but a confident mindset allows him to have performances like the second half on Sunday.
All stats provided by ESPN.com unless otherwise stated.
Evan Reier is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report covering the Jacksonville Jaguars. Follow Evan on Twitter @evanreier.
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