In just nine games, the Indianapolis Colts have tripled their win total from a season ago.
Andrew Luck and the Colts won their fourth straight game and improved to 6-3 on the season with a 27-10 win over the hapless Jacksonville Jaguars on Thursday night.
Luck went 18 of 26 for 227 yards with an interception and rushed for two touchdowns for the Colts.
Luck got plenty of help from the Colts defense as well. A unit that had forced only two turnovers all season forced three turnovers from the Jaguars. Cornerback Darius Butler intercepted two passes, returning one for a touchdown, and recovered a fumble for the Colts.
The Jacksonville offense continued their struggles without the availability of running back Maurice Jones-Drew. Backup Rashad Jennings managed just 27 yards on 11 carries.
Jaguars quarterback Blaine Gabbert left the game early in the fourth quarter after being sacked by Colts’ safety Antoine Bethea. Gabbert landed hard on his left shoulder as he scrambled to his left and was attended to by the Jaguars’ training staff. Gabbert has a torn labrum in his left shoulder that has been an ongoing issue the last several weeks.
Gabbert was 18 of 31 for 209 yards and an interception at the time of the injury.
Chad Henne replaced Gabbert under center and actually breathed some life into the Jaguars’ offense. Henne led the Jaguars to their only touchdown of the night on a 4-yard touchdown pass to Cecil Shorts. He had the Jaguars on the move again before the drive stalled out and a tipped pass was intercepted by Butler.
Henne finished 10 of 16 for 121 yards, a touchdown and an interception.
After an Adam Vinatieri 31-yard field goal gave the Colts an early 3-0 lead, Luck led the Colts on an eight-play, 51-yard scoring drive that Luck finished off himself with a 5-yard touchdown run. Linebacker Moise Fokou forced a fumble from Jaguars’ receiver Laurent Robinson on the ensuing Jacksonville possession that was recovered by Butler.
Seven plays later, Luck scored again on a 1-yard run to give the Colts a 17-0 lead.
It still wasn’t the cleanest performance by the Colts either. Indianapolis turned the ball over two times as well and Luck had a second interception negated on a personal foul from Terrance Knighton.
The Colts head to New England to take on the Patriots next week while the Jaguars travel to take on the division-leading Houston Texans.