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Colts 23, Jaguars 17: Instant analysis of Indy’s Week 10 divisional win

The Indianapolis Colts (5-5) survived the Jacksonville Jaguars (2-7) with a 23-17 win at Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday.

After getting out to a big lead in the first quarter, the Colts allowed the Jaguars to chip their way back into the game throughout the second half. They got a huge, clutch play from rookie Dayo Odeyingbo to seal the win, but it was shaky toward the end.

Regardless, the Colts came away with a win before facing two of the best teams in the NFL. Here’s our instant analysis of the Week 10 win:

What went right

AP Photo/AJ Mast

The start of the game was great for the Colts. They came out firing with a 17-0 lead. On the first drive, Jonathan Taylor broke free for a 34-yard run and the offense settled for a field goal. Then, linebacker Zaire Franklin blocked a punt on the first defensive drive with E.J. Speed scooping it up for a score to give the Colts their first touchdown.

Taylor then led another drive down the field with explosive runs, capping the series off with a pile-moving, four-yard touchdown run. It was 17-0 before the first quarter was even over.

The pass rush seemed to be alive on Sunday with defensive tackle Taylor Stallworth and rookie defensive end Kwity Paye leading the way. They each had a sack and three quarterback hits while DeForest Buckner added two more quarterback hits.

Rookie defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo has still seen limited time but made a game-sealing forced fumble against Trevor Lawrence late in the fourth quarter.

The Colts also saw some big plays in the secondary from cornerbacks Rock Ya-Sin, Kenny Moore and Isaiah Rodgers, all three of which provided lock-down coverage all day.

The defense kept Lawrence out of the end zone while keeping the Jaguars offense to convert 4-of-15 on third downs.

What went wrong

AP Photo/AJ Mast

Carson Wentz struggled mightily in handling pressure from blitzes all day. His play was erratic when handling pressure while he averaged just 5.3 yards per attempt. The offensive line wasn’t consistent but there were many plays where Wentz’s fundamentals failed him to sail passes that should have been made.

Wentz also continues his love affair with risky left-handed throws or shovel passes when he’s evading pressure when throwing the ball away would mitigate those risks.

The Colts let the Jaguars get back into the game after their 17-0 lead when Jamal Agnew took a carry for 66 yards untouched to the end zone. Bad angles from Bobby Okereke and Josh Jones allowed Agnew to zoom upfield for the score.

Despite his big game, Jonathan Taylor only gained seven rushing yards in the second half. It wasn’t for a lack of trying, either, given that Taylor’s 21 carries are a season high.

The third-down offense was atrocious as they converted just 5-of-15 attempts on the day.

The Bottom Line

AP Photo/Darron Cummings

It was clear that the Colts should have dominated this game. The Jaguars proved to be inferior on several drives but the Colts simply couldn’t run away with the lead. Even after going up 17-0, the Colts scored just six points through the final three quarters of the game. That said, they saw some clutch defensive plays in big situational moments. But given the shaky play from Wentz on Sunday, it’s hard to have confidence in an upset with two games against playoff teams coming up.

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