Colts Fend Off Jags, Qualify For Playoffs
INDIANAPOLIS — Provided the help required to open a proverbial AFC playoff door, the Indianapolis Colts punched their postseason ticket with a 28-14 home win over the hapless Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Well, rookie running back Jonathan Taylor did more than punch the Jags as he ran around and through defenders for a jaw-dropping, single-game, franchise-record 253 yards rushing.
"It was a heck of a feat," Taylor said. "It was a team effort, the offensive line, all of us together."
He scored two touchdowns, and his 45-yard burst to the end zone in the fourth quarter sealed the victory and started a sideline celebration.
"We're in the playoffs, baby," said Colts defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, who had two sacks.
The Colts (11-5) will face the second-seeded Buffalo Bills (13-3) at 1:05 p.m. Saturday at Bills Stadium, where the Miami Dolphins were knocked out of the AFC playoffs in a 56-26 blowout on Sunday. That game was an early and all-too-important result for the Colts, who began game day on the outside looking in at the playoffs and in need of one contender to lose. So long, Dolphins.
"This is what we wanted," Colts third-year head coach Frank Reich said of the playoffs. "This is the first step."
The Bills are early touchdown favorites.
"We have said this since Day 1 of training camp: We believe we have a team that can win it all," Reich said. "Now that we are here, that is the belief."
The Titans (11-5) won 41-38 on a last-second field goal at Houston to clinch the AFC South title and earn the No. 4 seed. The Colts have the same record, but lost the tiebreaker for division-record win percentage.
The Colts’ clinching of a playoff spot required taking care of business at home against the NFL’s worst team. The Jaguars (1-15) were without their leading running back and wide receiver, too.
Almost before anyone blinked, the Colts were ahead 10-0 in the first quarter. The lead was 20-0 before the Jaguars scored just before halftime.
Reich had said during the week after talking to general manager Chris Ballard that out-of-town scores wouldn’t be shown on video boards.
The Bills-Dolphins result prompted a reversal on that Colts decision. Although just 7,500 fans were allowed in Lucas Oil Stadium, many of the loudest were heard when highlights of the Bills win appeared on the video boards. It’s not like the Colts were going to be able to keep that secret.
And besides, how could the Colts not be motivated and focused to defeat the Jaguars? It’s difficult to forget or understand how the Colts began this season by losing 27-20 at Jacksonville, which didn’t win another game. That should have been enough motivation.
Colts wide receiver T.Y. Hilton and Taylor scored first-half touchdowns. Taylor needed 84 yards rushing to reach 1,000 for the season and he nearly had that in the opening drive as he contributed 72 of the 78 yards before Hilton’s 6-yard scoring catch. Taylor added a 1-yard TD run as part of 137 yards in the first half.
The second-round pick out of Wisconsin ripped off a 29-yard run on the opening drive of the third quarter to set a new best of 165 rushing yards.
"J.T. thought it was Wisconsin," Colts running back Nyheim Hines said of Taylor. "That was 'Badger J.T.' If we can ride that wave, we are going to have a lot of success."
Jaguars rookie wide receiver Laviska Shenault Jr. caught a pair of touchdown passes, the latter to reduce the Colts lead to 20-14 in the third quarter. Colts fans squirmed more after a three-and-out on the ensuing series.
Frustration mounted as the Colts offense failed to score in a one-score game in the second half. Then Taylor made a defender miss and suddenly sped into the clear for the 45-yard score. Hilton caught a two-point conversion pass to provide the 14-point cushion with 3:35 remaining.
Colts kicker Rodrigo Blankenship made a pair of first-half field goals to reach 30, a franchise record for a rookie placekicker.
Buckner, acquired in March for a 2020 first-round draft choice, had two sacks to finish with a team-high 9.5.
The Colts are in the playoffs for just the second time since 2015, but the second time in Reich’s three years. Two years ago, the Colts won a first-round game at Houston before losing in the second round at Kansas City.
The Bills will be hosting a home playoff game for the first time since 1996 after winning the AFC East title for the first time since 1995.
