Six Things the Jaguars' 42-7 Rout of the Colts Taught Jacksonville - and the Injury List Baltimore Is Watching
Bhayshul Tuten ran for 104 yards and scored twice, Rayuan Lane turned a goal-line interception into a pick-six, and Jacksonville held Jonathan Taylor to 23 yards. But Trevor Lawrence was sacked into a fumble, pass protection wobbled, and four Jaguars dealt with injuries four days before the Thursday night trip to Baltimore.
The final score - Jacksonville 42, Indianapolis 7 - is already in the books (the desk's game file is SQ-20261101-052). What Sunday taught is a separate file, and Jaguars Wire's six-things-learned account, opened and read directly by the desk this run, lays it out. First, the weapon: Bhayshul Tuten rushed 16 times for 104 yards and a touchdown and added two receptions for 55 yards and a second touchdown, his 39-yard rushing score late in the second quarter - running through a Cam Bynum tackle to finish - and a 25-yard catch-and-run score in the third, with Travis Hunter used as a decoy on the play. Chris Rodriguez Jr. added a 28-yard touchdown run.
Second, the understudy. Jacksonville entered the game without safety Antonio Johnson, then lost Eric Murray to an elbow injury in the first quarter, leaving the defense dangerously thin at safety. Rayuan Lane III responded with arguably the best game of his young career: tight coverage on Tyler Warren, a goal-line interception of a Daniel Jones pass that bounced into his hands just before halftime - returned for a pick-six - and a fourth-quarter sack of Jones, Jaguars Wire reported. Jalen Huskey added a fourth-quarter sack of Anthony Richardson. The run defense did its predicted work too: after a 19-yard opening run, Jonathan Taylor finished with 23 rushing yards on eight attempts - four yards on his final seven carries.
Third, the warning, and it is aimed at Thursday night. The run blocking was outstanding, but pass protection was a different story: Lawrence spent too much of the afternoon escaping pressure, was sacked multiple times including a second-quarter sack that produced his lost fumble, and made at least two dangerous throws, one nearly intercepted by Charvarius Ward, Jaguars Wire reported. Lawrence finished 10-of-14 for 210 yards and three touchdowns - the stat line cleaner than the performance. His 31-yard touchdown pass to Nate Boerkircher came after he avoided pressure and kept the play alive.
The rest is the shape of a contender and its cost sheet. Jacksonville opened from its own 2-yard line with a 12-play, 98-yard touchdown drive, led 28-0 at halftime, answered Indianapolis's only touchdown immediately, and had Lawrence and the starters resting by early in the fourth quarter, replaced by Quinn Ewers. But the injury situation needs monitoring on the short week: Murray, DaVon Hamilton, Travon Walker and Ezra Cleveland all dealt with issues at various points, Jaguars Wire reported - and the Times-Union's game file read this run calls Hamilton's knee injury the most worrisome, the defensive tackle carted from the field. Jacksonville (5-2) plays at Baltimore on Thursday night, where Lamar Jackson will not play (the desk's file SQ-20261101-059); what the Jaguars carry into that game health-wise is now the week's first question.
