The Colts winless drought reached six straight games down the home stretch and they will miss the playoffs for the fifth straight season following another late collapse of epic proportions.
With Sunday’s 23-17 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Indianapolis Colts left the home finale with a familiar sting that has defined how each season ends. The Colts winless drought reached six straight games down the home stretch and they will miss the playoffs for the fifth straight season following another late collapse of epic proportions.
It felt more like a senior day operation inside Lucas Oil Stadium than an actual game that had any relevance to the future of the franchise as the Colts were held to a season-low 204 total Net yards in the final home game. Colts quarterback Philip Rivers completed 17 of 30 passes for 147 passing yards and one touchdown. The 44-year-old signal caller was sacked twice and threw another fourth-quarter interception, his third turnover in three starts, that ultimately became the decisive play to shift the momentum to the Jags.
Quarterback Trevor Lawrence leaned on his legs to score both of the touchdowns to lift the Jaguars to an important win over the Colts. Jacksonville sits at 12-4 set to host a playoff game and claim the AFC South title with a win over the last place Titans in Week 18.
Indianapolis special teams was the lone bright spot, igniting the crowd on the opening kickoff with a 53-yard return by Ashton Dulin to set up the offense in favorable field position. The Colts marched into Jaguars territory before settling for a 33-yard field goal made by kicker Blake Grupe, who has delivered all eight field goal attempts in four games since making his Colts debut on Dec. 2.
The Colts caught a huge break after a botched hook-and-ladder trick play resulted in a fumble recovery by Samson Ebukam to terminate a Jaguars drive. The stampede carried that momentum as Taylor capped a 15-play, 83-yard march with a 3-yard touchdown run to put Indianapolis ahead 10-0. Indy’s three-time Pro Bowler matched a career-high with his 20th touchdown of the season.
Jacksonville answered behind Lawrence, who repeatedly hurt the Colts with both his arm and his legs. The Jaguars retaliated as Lawrence hit Parker Washington on a 21-yard strike to breach Colts territory. Lawrence scrambled into the end zone for a 4-yard rushing touchdown, finishing a 12-play drive to get Jacksonville on the scoreboard. After Lawrence hit Washington with a 37-yard bomb in the third quarter, the longest play of the game, he scored a 6-yard touchdown run that tied it up at 10 apiece.
The Colts responded quickly as Rivers hit Josh Downs for 18 yards on third down. After a defensive pass interference call moved the ball inside the 10, Rivers found veteran tight end Mo Alie-Cox for a 5-yard touchdown to reclaim a 17-14 lead. Rivers’ lone touchdown pass was the 425th passing TD of his 18-year career, which is the sixth-most in NFL history. Rivers was a full-time starter for 15 of those 18 years.
The Jaguars tied the game late in the third quarter with a 34-yard field goal after Lawrence converted multiple third downs, including a 19-yard completion to tight end Brenton Strange. Jacksonville then capitalized on a Colts interception midway through the fourth quarter, turning a short field into a 42-yard go-ahead kick.
Indianapolis had chances to answer. A promising drive stalled near midfield after a sack by Josh Hines-Allen, and the Jaguars closed out the game by bleeding the clock and setting up Little’s decisive 53-yarder — his third field goal of the day.
Lawrence finished with 263 total passing yards and two rushing touchdowns, while Washington led all receivers with 115 yards, including the 37-yard strike that flipped momentum in the third quarter. Travis Etienne added steady production on the ground as Jacksonville controlled possession for more than 32 minutes.
Taylor led the Colts with 70 rushing yards and a touchdown, and Downs recorded the team’s longest gain with an 18-yard third-quarter catch. But Indianapolis managed just 204 total yards and threw two late interceptions, the final one sealing the outcome in the closing seconds.
It would be tough to find a more epic collapse from any Colts season in the Indianapolis era after starting the 2025 season 7-1, only to lose six straight games and fall out of playoff contention to spoil the holiday weekend. The Colts became just the sixth team since the AFL-NFL merger to win seven of their first eight games and miss the playoffs.
Instead of an inspirational send-off, the home finale became yet another chapter in the frustrating finish in campaigns with this core. If this was the final farewell tour for Grandpa Phil, it proved that he can still compete among the NFL’s best players despite a five-year absence. Enough so that Steichen chose him to command the troops with nothing to play for.
The Colts hit the road for the regular season finale against the rival Houston Texans next Sunday.
Category: General Sports
