INDIANAPOLIS – Before the Colts head for vacation, they wrapped up their 2016 season on Sunday afternoon with a comeback victory over the Jaguars.
It was a very slow start to 2017 for the Colts before they roared back in the second half, outscoring the Jaguars 21-3 in the game's final two quarters.
Here's a notebook look at the Colts (8-8) season coming to a close on New Year's Day:
**Andrew Luck Sets Career-High In Completion Percentage
**The 2016 season saw a more efficient Andrew Luck in his return from a season-ending injury.
Luck's completion percentage of 63.5 was a career-high. He also set a career-high with 7.8 yards per attempt.
In playing 15 games this year, Luck finished the season 346-of-545 for 4,240 yards, 31 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.
His interception percentage (2.4 percent) and quarterback rating (96.4) were the second best seasons of his career.
It's clear that 2016 was probably the second most impressive statistical year for Luck.
His numbers improved in several key categories, despite a high drop rate and being the NFL's most pressured quarterback.
A few other numbers on Luck from Sunday:
- With 321 passing yards on Sunday, Luck tied Johnny Unitas (26) for the second most 300-yard passing games in Colts history.
- Luck has now thrown at least one touchdown pass in his last 23 games played, the longest active streak in the league. Luck has passed Matt Ryan (18,957) for the third most passing yards in a player's first five seasons in the NFL.
- Luck led the Colts to victory following an eight-play, 75-yard drive on the team's final drive of the game resulting in a one-yard touchdown pass to Jack Doyle. Taking out his spikes on the drive, Luck completed 6-of-6 passes for 70 yards and a touchdown. It was the 18th game-winning drive in the fourth quarter/overtime of his career.
**Questions Coming For Colts In 2017
**What will the Colts look like the next time they take the field in 2017?
That's a question without any answers for some time over the next handful of months.
More changes on the defensive side of the ball has to be one of the major focuses for the upcoming off-season.
Following Sunday's season finale, the team's young leaders acknowledged the need for necessary improvements, but believe things are looking up.
"I don't think it's stuck in neutral," Andrew Luck said after Sunday's win over the Jaguars.
"I think it's moving forward. Obviously, it's about having a better record and getting into the playoffs. That's what this team is about so we're going to have to figure out a way to do that."
Dwayne Allen pointed to the players as the main culprit in the Colts finishing .500 on the year.
"We had a lot of very close games this year and those close games didn't come down to coaching, it came down to execution," Allen said on Sunday. "If you remember we were in the same situation in London against the Jags and I had a fourth-down drop. That's not coaching, that's execution. It's the little things like that (which) can be overlooked. Whenever a team is not producing the way that those outside the team think they should, then all of that of course will fall on the head coach. It is unfortunate, but that is the nature of this business.
"I do believe we are headed in the right direction and we are getting better."**
Colts Finish Third In AFC South
**The final 2016 AFC South standings are as followed:
- Texans (9-7)
- Titans (9-7)
- Colts (8-8)
- Jaguars (3-13)
The Colts actually finished the season with the best point differential in the division (plus 19 for the Colts, minus 49 for the Texans and plus 3 for the Titans).
But three divisional losses, including two to the Texans, doomed the Colts' hope with the year coming to a close.
If the Colts could have turned one of those fourth-quarter losses around against the Texans, they would have won the division via their season sweep of the Titans.
The Colts have now missed the playoffs in consecutive years. If they were to miss it again in 2017, it would be the first time they've done that since the early 1990s.
Colts/Jaguars Snap Counts
- With Donte Moncrief inactive on Sunday, the wide receiver snaps went to T.Y. Hilton (69-of-71), Jacoby Brissett (64-of-71), Chester Rogers (41-of-71) and Devin Street (5-of-71).
- Robert Turbin (36 snaps) actually had more snaps than Frank Gore (32 snaps) on Sunday.
- Defensively, Mike Adams, Edwin Jackson and Vontae Davis played all 73 snaps.
- With a bevy of injuries at cornerback in Week 17, undrafted free agent Chris Milton played 70 snaps. Darryl Morris was in there for 53 snaps and Charles James logged 11 plays.
- A shoulder injury to rookie safety T.J. Green took him out of the lineup in Sunday's first half. Undrafted safety Matthias Farley then played 43 snaps.
