Colts Run Over Jaguars To Snap Two-Game Skid

Two Colts backs run for 100 yards as team amasses 264 rushing yards, most since 2006, in a home rout of Jaguars to set up Thursday showdown at Houston to decide first place in AFC South Division.

Brian Spurlock/USA TODAY Sports

What’s more inexplicable, how the Indianapolis Colts dominated with a ground-and-pound run game on Sunday or how they couldn’t do this the week before against one of the NFL’s worst defenses?

Just when it appeared as if their contention for an AFC playoff spot was slipping away with back-to-back losses, the Colts rushed for 264 yards to pound the Jacksonville Jaguars in a 33-13 home rout at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Just like that, the Colts (6-4) have set themselves up for a Thursday night showdown at the Houston Texans (6-4) in a matchup of first-place AFC South Division teams. Houston was blown out 41-7 at Baltimore on Sunday.

Where nothing seemed to work in a 16-12 home loss to the Miami Dolphins in the previous week, everything seemed to click against the Jaguars. The Colts had a pair of 100-yard rushers for the fourth time in franchise history -- the last time was 1985 -- and amassed the most rushing yards in the organization since 2006.

Marlon Mack ran for 109 yards, including a head-turning, 13-yard TD rush in which he did two outside spins to avoid defenders. Although he exited in the third quarter with a hand injury, backup Jonathon Williams kept the ground and pound going with 116 yards on 13 carries. Before Sunday, the seldom-used Williams had 1 yards rushing this season. Backup running back Nyheim Hines and quarterback Jacoby Brissett also had touchdown runs.

The 264 rushing yards are 10th highest in franchise history. The Colts had entered 10th in rushing at 127.4 yards per game while the Jaguars were 22nd in rushing defense at 120.2 yards allowed per game.

It’s the first time this season the Colts were not involved in a one-score game. It’s also the first time after seven losses since 2012 that the Colts won without injured four-time Pro Bowl wide receiver T.Y. Hilton.

The Jaguars (4-6) took an early 7-0 lead with quarterback Nick Foles making his first start since breaking a collarbone in the season opener. Foles threw a 34-yard TD pass to wide receiver DJ Chark Jr.

But the Colts responded with an 11-play, 81-yard drive culminating in Mack’s TD run. And it was almost all the Colts from there.

Brissett, who missed last week’s loss with a sprained left MCL knee injury, completed 15 of 24 passes for 148 yards with a TD pass to Marcus Johnson and one interception. An offense that had struggled to pass protect did allow three first-half sacks, but more than made up for it with solid run blocking to continually open holes for whomever was handed the ball.

The Colts punctuated the performance after Foles threw a second TD pass to Chark in the final minute. Rookie linebacker Bobby Okereke intercepted Foles’ two-point conversion pass and returned it for two points.

Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri, who has missed 11 kicks this season, converted all five of his attempts including a 34-yard field goal in the second quarter. That kick broke Morten Andersen’s NFL record for most career field goal attempts at 710. Last year, Vinatieri broke Andersen’s league records for most field goals and career points.