Jaguars open season with win over Colts

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The Jacksonville Jaguars defeated the Indianapolis Colts 27-20 last Sunday  at TIAA Bank Field in the season opener for both teams.

“I’m just super grateful. My mindset today was just to play one play at a time. I have got an offensive coordinator that is calling good plays, receivers that caught the ball, an offensive line that is giving me time, and a running game that really got us ahead of the chains,” said Jacksonville starting QB Gardner Minshew III. “I’m just trying to do my job one play at a time, and I’m very grateful for the opportunities and the people around me.”

Minshew played turnover-free ball and threw three touchdowns. He finished 19 of 20 for 173 yards.

Wide receiver Keelan Cole Sr. led the Jaguars (1-0) with five receptions and hauled in one of Minshew’s TD tosses. DJ Chark Jr. and rookie Laviska Shenault Jr. also caught TD passes.

Jaguars running back James Robinson became the first undrafted rookie running back to start the season opener in the last 30 years. Leonard Fournette’s replacement finished with 90 total yards on 17 touches.

Josh Lambo converted both of his field goal attempts in the victory, the first from 50 yards in the third quarter and a 46-yarder with 2:54 remaining in the game.

Jacksonville cornerback C.J. Henderson intercepted Colts’ QB Philip Rivers (36 of 46, 363 yards, TD), had five tackles and added three passes defended, including a fourth-down target to veteran wideout T.Y. Hilton in the red zone on the Colts’ final play.

“I lost the game. Two drops. Never should’ve happened,” Hilton said. “It’s just one game. We came out strong, we came out firm. It’s just the tide turned and I lost the game.”

Defensive captain and linebacker Myles Jack finished with 11 tackles, including one sack. Jack has now posted at least five tackles in nine consecutive games.

Making his Jaguars debut, safety Josh Jones led the team with 12 tackles. This marked Jones’ third career game with double-digit tackles.

The visitors held a 445-241 edge in total yards.

Colts head coach Frank Reich confirmed that starting running back Marlon Mack suffered an Achilles injury Sunday. Mack will undergo further testing to determine the severity of the injury.

The fourth-year veteran out of USF, who is coming off his first-career 1,000-yard rushing season, was off to a solid start in Sunday’s contest in Jacksonville, with four rushing attempts for 26 yards (6.5 avg.) and three receptions for 30 yards, when he went down grabbing his foot in the second quarter as he tried to haul in another pass from Rivers.

“I really believe that this team will get better as we get going,” said Jaguars’ head coach Doug Marrone.

The Jaguars play at Tennessee Sunday, Sept. 20. Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m.

JAGUARS NOTES

The win marked the Jaguars sixth consecutive home victory against Indianapolis, their third win on Kickoff Weekend in the last four seasons and their first Week 1 home victory since 2011. … Minshew earned a passer rating of 142.3 and completed passes to 11 different receivers. … On Monday, third-year CB Sidney Jones IV was promoted from the team’s practice squad, fifth-year S Jarrod Wilson (hamstring) was placed on the reserve/injured list, the Jags signed rookie CB Josh Nurse, first-year RB Craig Reynolds was assigned to the practice squad and rookie CB Amari Henderson was released  from the practice squad.