Why Near Meltdown Was a Valuable Experience For Jaguars

The Jacksonville Jaguars entered the fourth quarter against the Indianapolis Colts comfortably ahead. Then, the Colts stormed back, giving the Jaguars a chance to show their resilience.

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) looks to pass during the fourth quarter of an NFL football matchup Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars edged the Colts on a field goal 37-34. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] / Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Jacksonville Jaguars entered the fourth quarter, up by two scores against the Colts. Then, the Colts exploded for 24 points in the fourth quarter, forcing Jacksonville’s offense into a shootout. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence credited his teammates on offense for keeping their heads in the game.

“I thought that, offensively, we did a really good job in the fourth quarter because we had—that was a crazy quarter just back and forth, and we had some huge plays,” Lawrence said. “Being up 14 with, I guess, five minutes or so left, a lot of times you feel like you start to relax and you feel comfortable, and you're like, ‘This game, kind of got it.’ 

“But I thought we did a nice job of staying engaged, and obviously, we were pumped and had a lot of momentum. But just telling each other, ‘Hey, we're going to have to go win it. Just be ready.’ You don't know what's going to happen. Obviously, we have faith in our defense, but you never know what's going to happen. You can't ever check out of a game because it's the NFL, and stuff like that happens every week.”

Lawrence credited the Colts defense with playing well in the fourth quarter. However, he and the Jaguars’ offense were determined to secure the team’s first victory when given the chance to, late in the game. It was a win the Jaguars sorely needed and one they hope to build upon.

“So, I thought the offense did a really nice job of just talking and staying in it,” Lawrence said. “Even the three-and-out, the defense made two good plays. They had two pass breakups where I felt like we had decent looks. They made good plays. They get paid to do the same thing. So even in that drive, it wasn't like we just completely stalled out and couldn't do anything. They just made two plays there. 

“Once we got the ball back, we knew, as well as we had played on offense all day, we had to go finish the game. I thought that's why I said after the game, I thought it was really good that we had to go win it just because, offensively, we kind of struggled early on this season, and it was good for our confidence. We just need to go do it, have the game in our hands, be able to drive down the field, and get a field goal to win the game. 

At 0-4, the Jaguars simply needed a win. Lawrence was proud of the way the team finished the game against the Colts, as finishing games has been a problem for the Jaguars since last season.

“I think that was great for us,” Lawrence said. “It just shows you, like I said, you have to play a full 60 minutes because what a shame it would be if you played a good 55 minutes and then you get beaten in the last five minutes. So, I thought it was great for our team to have to do that.”

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