JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Two long plays in the third quarter turned an offensive struggle into a tour de force for Jacksonville as the Jaguars defeated Indianapolis 51-16 Sunday at EverBank Field.
It was the second division win of the season for the Jaguars (5-8) and the most points the team has scored in a regular-season game. Jacksonville scored 62 against Miami in a 1999 playoff game.
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“It was more of a complete game," Jaguars coach Gus Bradley said. "We've still got some things we've got to figure out, but as far as a complete game, all three phases, (it was) pretty good.”
Allen Hurns kicked off the runaway comeback victory for Jacksonville with an 80-yard touchdown catch from QB Blake Bortles in the third quarter.
The defense forced a punt on the Colts' next drive, and Rashad Greene took advantage, taking the punt 73 yards for a score to give the Jaguars a 23-13 lead.
"He just plays with poise, and he took advantage of it," Bradley said of Greene. "It's cool for him to experience that.”
After a Colts field goal, Allen Robinson padded the Jaguars' lead with a 4-yard touchdown catch -- his first catch of the game.
Julius Thomas tacked on another touchdown catch (3 yards), Denard Robinson ran in a score from 1 yard out and Bortles scored the first rushing touchdown of his NFL career to turn the game into a rout.
“It is good to get off the goose egg and have one rushing touchdown, because it's big as a quarterback to be able to use your feet and run and score in the red zone," Bortles said.
It took awhile for those offensive fireworks to spark for Jacksonville, which trailed 13-9 at the half.
The Jaguars and Colts traded fumble recoveries for touchdowns late in the second quarter.
A bad snap that Bortles couldn't handle was recovered in the end zone by the Colts' Robert Mathis for a touchdown, and the Jags' Andre Branch knocked the ball loose from QB Matt Hasselbeck and returned the fumble for a score.
“It really changed momentum at that point," Bradley said of Branch's touchdown. "I think it was a huge play in the game.”
Myers missed the extra point for the Jaguars, making the score 13-9.
Earlier in the first half, the Jaguars' defense got two key red-zone stops to hold the Colts to a pair of field goals (25 yards, 21 yards) by Adam Vinatieri.
“We've been struggling in the red zone on defense," Bradley said. "I thought those were big plays (to force field goals).”
Myers got the Jaguars on the board first with a 46-yard field goal.
Jaguars running back T.J. Yeldon suffered two injuries in the game. He left the game in the second half with a knee injury and did not return. In the first half, Yeldon suffered an ankle injury but came back in the game before halftime.
Colts third-string quarterback Charlie Whitehurst was forced to finish the game after Hasselbeck left with a rib injury in the fourth quarter.