The Good, Bad, & Ugly From Colts' Home Defeat to Jaguars

Germaine Pratt grabbed his first interception of the season to prevent a go-ahead touchdown just before the half. Trevor Lawrence's pass was intended for Parker Washington, but Pratt stepped in front of the receiver to come down with a great grab in the corner of the end zone.

Pratt finished the day with 7 tackles, 2 passes defended, and an interception. There had been questions regarding Pratt's coverage abilities, but the veteran linebacker proved he can still guard quick receivers on Sunday.

Pratt is on a one-year deal, and if Lou Anarumo stays in Indy, it wouldn't be shocking if the Colts brought him back on a short-term contract.

Red Zone Defense

The Jaguars made five trips to the red zone, but the Colts held them to just two touchdowns. Both touchdowns were scored by Trevor Lawrence, one on a scramble and the other on a designed QB rush.

The Colts forced two red-zone turnovers, one of which came with a bit of luck. The Jaguars attempted a hook-and-ladder, but Travis Etienne Jr. dropped the ball, leading to a simple recovery for defensive end Samson Ebukam. The other turnover was Pratt's pick.

If the Colts were able to get more points on the board, they could have stopped the Jaguars from winning their seventh consecutive match.

The Bad

Indy's 4-Man Pass Rush

The Colts brought down Lawrence twice thanks to sacks from defensive tackle Adetomiwa Adebawore and Laiatu Latu, but the front four still struggled to generate pressure on Lawrence throughout the game.

The Colts have used so many early-round picks on their pass rushers, but there's nothing to show for it. Latu is talented and quick off the edge, but he lacks the strength to get past some of the league's bigger tackles.

The Jaguars were without two of their starting offensive linemen, which makes it even worse that the Colts could only get home twice.

Philip Rivers

It's impossible to place the blame entirely on Philip Rivers' shoulders, but he threw a fourth-quarter interception for a third straight week, and this one cost the Colts the most.

Rivers finished the day 17-of-30 for 147 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. The 44-year-old made some precise throws, but anything more than 25 yards downfield was out of play once again.

The Colts are expected to start Riley Leonard next week, giving the rookie an opportunity to shine on the road against the Texans.

The Ugly

Sauce Gardner Injured Again

After four games of being on the sidelines, Sauce Gardner made his long-awaited return this weekend. That return was cut short after Gardner reaggravated his calf injury, which kept him out of the second half.

It may have been a precautionary move, but it's not a good look to have your superstar corner hurt once again. The Colts need Gardner healthy for next season, so they may have kept him out for the second half for that reason.

Gardner's cap hit isn't humongous in 2026, but it spikes to over $30 million after next season.

Colts' Run Game

For the fourth week in a row, Jonathan Taylor finished with under four yards per carry. Taylor ended with 21 carries for 70 yards and a touchdown, which has basically been his standard stat line over the past month.

Taylor's performance wasn't atrocious, but offensive line injuries have led to a poor run game when the Colts needed one most. Taylor hasn't surpassed 100 yards since Week 10 against the Atlanta Falcons, when he ran for a whopping 244.

The Colts' season is basically over, and it'll be interesting to see how they choose to play against the Texans next Sunday.