INDIANAPOLIS – For the second straight week, a pair of specific trends have continued in two road losses for the Colts.
For the Colts to earn the right to play into January this season, they will have to finish off drives more consistently and eliminate some of the chunk plays they are allowing.
Here's a notebook look at the Colts suffering another big loss away from home:
**Lack Of Offensive Execution Keeps Colts Scoring Down
**It was a comment Chuck Pagano had made a week prior in Pittsburgh.
The (early) chances were there on Sunday for the Colts offense.
The results were more work for Adam Vinatieri's leg though, and not the touchdowns that are needed in road environments.
"We didn't take advantage, again, of opportunities," Chuck Pagano said after the 51-16 loss to the Jaguars.
"We got the ball down in the red zone, and we had to settle for field goals, again."
The Colts were 0-for-3 in the red zone on Sunday, following up a 1-of-6 performance inside the 20-yard line last week in Pittsburgh. Jacksonville was 4-for-4 in their red-zone trips against the Colts.
"We've got to fix our red-zone offense," T.Y. Hilton said after the Week 14 loss.
"If we keep kicking field goals, we are going to be sitting at home at the end of Week 17."
Situational football, including third down, is something that certainly has to improve for the Colts. In the last two weeks, the Colts are 7-of-30 on third downs, to go along with the red-zone troubles.**
Colts Find Pass Rush, Can't Eliminate Big Plays
**What wasn't seen against Pittsburgh, was coming in every direction in the first half of Sunday's game in Jacksonville.
A disruptive Colts pass rush built up three sacks, two forced fumbles and an additional pair of quarterback hits in the first half.
It was a major reason why the Colts took a 13-3 lead and the defense giving the offense a chance for another late half score.
Then the second half happened, and the Jaguars struck with big play after big play with an absent Indy pass rush.
Even though not all of the 51 points came directly from the Colts defense, that side of the ball wasn't pleased with the performance on Sunday.
"Any man that suits up, especially as a defensive player, when a team scores 50 on you, you are going to feel some kind of embarrassment," cornerback Darius Butler said after the loss.
"As men, we've got to gather ourselves."
The entire second half, the Colts were in search of a play that would begin to change the script that the Jaguars had quickly flipped late in the first half.
It never came.
"Somebody needed to rise up and make a play here or there," Pagano said. "The only way you are going to stop it is you've got to make some plays. You've got to answer, and we didn't answer."
**Colts, Texans Lose, Stay Tied Atop AFC South
**Whoever wins the Colts/Texans matchup at Lucas Oil Stadium next Sunday will be in the driver's seat of the division for the final two weeks of the season.
With Houston losing to New England on Sunday night, the Colts and Texans are 6-7 with three weeks remaining in the regular season (the Colts are technically in first due to their Week Five tiebreaker win over Houston).
The Texans now come to Lucas Oil Stadium in Week 15, trying to win in a city they've never left victorious in 13 seasons.
Jacksonville (5-8) could still stake claim to the division, but they will need some help down the stretch.
If the winner of the Colts/Texans contest next week wins their final two games, they will represent the AFC South in the playoffs.**
Colts/Jaguars Snap Counts**
- The wide receiver snaps on Sunday went as followed: T.Y. Hilton (61-of-72), Donte Moncrief (60-of-72), Andre Johnson (41-of-72), Phillip Dorsett (25-of-72, in his first game since late October) and Griff Whalen (8-of-72).
- The running back reps were led by Frank Gore (45-of-72). Behind Gore, Zurlon Tipton (14) and Boom Herron (12) took up the rest of the running back workload.
- At tight end, the snaps were divided up with Coby Fleener receiving 51 snaps. Dwayne Allen also logged 30 snaps. Jack Doyle played 10.
- In relief of an injured Matt Hasselbeck, Charlie Whitehurst played 14 snaps.
- D'Qwell Jackson and Mike Adams played all 65 defensive snaps.
- Without Jerrell Freeman and Nate Irving, the inside linebacker snaps went to Josh McNary (46) and Sio Moore (8).
- Starting for Greg Toler, Jalil Brown played 57 of the 65 defensive snaps.
- At outside linebacker, with Erik Walden inactive, the snaps went to: Jonathan Newsome (39), Robert Mathis (37), Trent Cole (36) and Bjoern Werner (18).
