Halftime Update: Jaguars Trail Colts 20-7

The Jaguars are down 20-7 at halftime in Week 17, trailing the same Colts team they upset with a victory in Week 1.

The 1-14 Jacksonville Jaguars were hoping to hit the reset button in Week 17 against the Indianapolis Colts, but things quickly went against them in the first half.

The Jaguars picked up just 19 yards on five plays to open the game, eventually being forced to punt after a dump-off pass to Dare Ogunbowale on third-and-12 went nowhere. 15 of those yards came on one pass play to Chris Conley, so the offense was completely shut down to open the game's first quarter. 

Indianapolis wasn't nearly as limited when they first got the ball, however. Jonathan Taylor rushed for 72 yards on just four carries thanks to a 56-yard run in which he went untouched through the middle of the defense. It would have been a score had it not been for an excellent effort from Chris Claybrooks to chase him down from behind. 

But Claybrooks' effort to stop Taylor ended up being for nothing as a few plays later he was on the losing end of a six-yard T.Y. Hilton touchdown, giving the Colts a 7-0 lead. 

The Colts had a chance to extend their lead by another seven points after making mincemeat of Jacksonville's rushing defense. Through two drives, the Colts rushed for 127 yards on just 10 carries, a staggering 12.7 yards per carry average. This included three runs over 20 yards and 106 yards from Taylor alone,

Taylor would pound the ball into the end zone for a score, but a 15-yard flag negated the run and forced the Colts to kick a 22-yard field goal.

Things took an even worse turn for Jacksonville's stagnant offense at the start of the second quarter. One play after Kenny Moore sacked Glennon to push the defense back, Darius Leonard came clean on a blitz and brought Glennon down himself. Leonard jarred the ball loose and forced a fumble, which the Colts recovered and took to Jacksonville's 15-yard line.

Indianapolis ensured they made the most out of the fumble. Taylor carried the ball 13 yards on the second play of the drive before leaping for a one-yard touchdown to give the Colts a 17-0 lead with 11:40 left in the half.

Jacksonville would eventually push the ball near midfield thanks to an 18-yard catch by Laviska Shenault, Jacksonville's longest play of the first half. But the offense would fail to keep their momentum, eventually turning the ball over on downs due to an incompletion on fourth-and-2.

The Jaguars managed to keep a shut out off the books thanks to a last-minute drive at the end of the half. Glennon completed 7 of 7 passes for 75 yards to move the Jaguars into scoring position, eventually throwing a nine-yard touchdown pass to Laviska Shenault. It is the third touchdown Shenault has caught from Glennon this season and his fourth overall this year.