Colts Eliminated From Playoffs After Embarrassing Loss To Jaguars
BOSTON (CBS) -- In Week 15, after soaking in the victory over the hated Patriots on national TV, life was good for the Indianapolis Colts. But happiness in the NFL doesn't last long.
The Colts learned that the hard way on Sunday. Entering their Week 18 matchup in Jacksonville, all they had to do was beat the miserable Jaguars to punch their ticket to the postseason. After losing to the Raiders last week, they at least had the soft landing of the 2-14 Jags to atone for their misstep.
Yet things didn't go as planned for Indy, as the Jaguars played their best game of the entire season to pull off a most-unbelievable upset.
The Jags got out to a 7-0 lead midway through the first quarter, stretched it to 13-3 before halftime, and blew it open to 23-3 late in the third quarter en route the 26-11 victory. Trevor Lawrence had his first game with multiple touchdown passes since Week 1. And Jacksonville's defense held an opponent to fewer than 20 points for just the second time all season. Carson Wentz was 17-for-29 for 185 yards with one touchdown and one interception, and he also lost a fumble. Jonathan Taylor rushed for just 77 yards on 15 carries.
The Colts, who were 15-point favorites, were eliminated from the playoffs with the loss.
Surely, when the Colts beat the Patriots and then took down the Cardinals a week later, nobody saw this coming.
Just as surely, when the Jaguars lost 50-10 to those Patriots a week ago, nobody was expecting anything out of that team in Week 18.
But that's the NFL for you. The phrase "any given Sunday" is anything but a cliché.