Pass-happy Colts exact revenge on Jaguars
Matt Ryan set a franchise record for completions with 42, including a game-winning 32-yard touchdown pass to rookie Alec Pierce with 17 seconds left Sunday as the host Indianapolis Colts rallied for a 34-27 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Ryan, who attempted 58 passes and threw for 389 yards with three scores, hit Pierce for his first NFL touchdown and prevented the Colts (3-2-1) from needing to attempt a long field goal for the win.
Jacksonville (2-4) took a 27-26 lead with 2:44 remaining when Trevor Lawrence found Christian Kirk for a 4-yard scoring strike. Lawrence enjoyed an efficient if not huge statistical day, hitting 20 of 22 attempts for 163 yards and adding a pair of short touchdown runs.
The Jaguars led most of the game behind a big-play rushing attack that gashed Indianapolis for 243 yards on 33 carries. At one point late in the third quarter, they were averaging more than 12 yards per carry.
Michael Pittman caught 13 passes for 134 yards for Indianapolis, which finished with 434 total yards and a season-high point total.
As it did when it blanked Indianapolis 24-0 in Week 2, Jacksonville got off to a fast start. It took a 7-0 lead with 3:48 left in the first quarter as Lawrence scored on a 1-yard run, capping a 56-yard drive.
The Colts got on the board 1:04 into the second quarter on Chase McLaughlin’s 28-yard field goal, but the Jaguars made it 14-3 when JaMycal Hasty sprinted 61 yards for a touchdown with 11:27 remaining in the half.
Unlike the first matchup, Indianapolis fought back and made a game of it at halftime. Ryan found Parris Campbell for a 4-yard scoring strike at the 2:06 mark to pull the Colts within 14-10, followed by McLaughlin’s 42-yard field goal 21 seconds before intermission.
With running backs Jonathan Taylor (ankle) and Nyheim Hines (concussion) on the shelf, Ryan threw a whopping 37 passes in the first half, completing 26 for 232 yards.
