The Indianapolis Colts (0-1) suffered their first loss of the season, falling 31-21 against the Jacksonville Jaguars (1-0) on Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium.
It was an encouraging battle from the Colts, who were fighting strong for the majority of the game. Unfortuantely, a late interception from rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson set up a dagger touchdown from Jaguars running back Travis Etienne.
Buy Colts TicketsHere’s everything we know from the Colts’ season-opening loss:
Final Score: Jaguars 31, Colts 21
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Final | |
| Jaguars | 7 | 7 | 3 | 14 | 31 |
| Colts | 0 | 7 | 14 | 0 | 21 |
The game was over when...
Anthony Richardson threw an interception in the fourth quarter, and the Jaguars immediately answered with a 26-yard touchdown run to increase their lead to 10 points.
Keys to the game
- The Colts struggled to convert on third downs, doing so on just 2-of-10 attempts.
- The defense was stout on third downs, allowing just a conversion on 3-of-12 attempts. However, they struggled in the red zone, allowing a touchdown on all three of their trips inside the 20.
- The Colts offense failed to convert on four of their five attempts on fourth down.
- Running the ball was a massive struggle for the Colts. The running back room combined for 16 carries for 25 rushing yards.
3 Stars of the game
- QB Anthony Richardson: It was a solid debut for the rookie, who completed 24-of-37 passes for 223 yards, one touchdown pass, one interception and a 79.0 passer rating. He also added 10 carries for 40 rushing yards and a one rushing touchdown.
- LB Zaire Franklin: Collecting a whopping 18 tackles (10 solo), Franklin was a menace all day. He added a pass breakup and a heads-up play forcing a fumble that was brought back for a touchdown.
- DT DeForest Buckner: The veteran leader of the defense recorded seven tackles (four solo), one sack, two quarterback hits, one tackle for loss, one forced fumble and a fumble recovery for a touchdown.
A solid debut
For the majority of the day, it was a really strong outing for Richardson. Up until the fourth-quarter interception, Richardson looked pretty strong. He finished the day 24-of-37 for 223 yards, one passing touchdown, one interception and a 79.0 passer rating. He also added 10 carries for 40 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown. The fourth-quarter interception was a bad one as he stared down his target. But he moved well in the pocket, mostly made sound decisions and even made some impressive throws. It wasn’t enough to get the win, but it certainly was enough to show encouraging signs moving forward.
Injuries
- RB Zack Moss (forearm) was inactive due to injury.
- G Quenton Nelson (toe) exited during the second quarter but eventually returned to finish the game.
- RB Evan Hull (knee) suffered a knee injury during the second half and did not return.
- TE Andrew Ogletree (concussion) suffered a concussion and didn’t return after leaving following halftime.
Quick Hits
- CB Julius Brents (personal) was inactive.
- WR Michael Pittman Jr. led the way with 11 targets. He turned that into eight receptions for 97 yards and a touchdown.
- The Colts lost the turnover battle 2-3.
- DT Grover Stewart was a force on the interior, recording five tackles (four solo), one quarterback hit and a tackle for loss.
- DE Kwity Paye added a sack and two tackles for loss.
- CB Tony Brown recorded an interception during the first half.
What's next?
Colts head coach Shane Steichen will meet with the media Monday before the team prepares for the Week 2 matchup against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium.
