INDIANAPOLIS – For the second consecutive week, quarterback Andrew Luck and the Colts offense put together a pair of first half touchdown drives.
But just like in Week 2, that success was absent for a majority of the second half.
Luck started off the 22-17 loss to the Jaguars just like he did against the Vikings with a touchdown strike to a fellow rookie on the offense's initial drive.
Wide receiver T.Y. Hilton hauled in a 40-yard touchdown toss with 3:42 remaining in the first quarter for his first NFL touchdown.
Following a similar blueprint to the Vikings game, Luck and the offense struck again right before halftime.
The Colts received the ball with 5:30 left in the second quarter and turned the drive into a clock eater that eventually led to more two-minute work for the offense.
Luck hit running back Mewelde Moore for a four-yard touchdown with 37 seconds left in the first half to give the Colts a combined 17 points in the final two minutes of the first half the last two weeks.
"We practice it a lot," Luck said of the success the offense has had with the two-minute work. "I think Coach (Bruce) Arians, does a great job of simplifying that part of it. You're not thinking too much, you say two words and everyone knows what's going on."
The inability to carry that success in the second half is what had Luck puzzled following the narrow defeat.
Luck himself wasn't as sharp in second half, throwing his first interception in six quarters during the third quarter when Jaguars linebacker Paul Posluszny picked him off in leading to a Josh Scobee field goal.
"I point the finger at myself for some bad decisions throwing the ball straight to the Mike linebacker, a couple passes behind guys on third downs that would have kept drives going," Luck said.
Despite the interception, the offense had its chances in the second half to pad the Colts lead and potentially put the game out of reach for the Jaguars.
The Colts had just one three-and-out on Sunday but only had one drive in the second half that managed more than one first down.
* *
"I do think we had opportunities to maybe make it a two-score game, three-score game," Luck said. "Coming out at halftime, we get the ball back right after a touchdown, put another one on the board, that's big. We didn't do it and credit goes to Jacksonville for not letting us do it. Take care of those opportunities and maybe, it's a different game."
On the season, Luck is now 65-of-122 (53.3 percent) for 846 yards and five touchdowns.
The Colts will head into the earliest bye week of any in the NFL with a sour taste in their mouth that will undoubtedly linger until the Green Bay Packers roll into Indianapolis on Oct. 7.
"You do want to get out there and just focus on the next one, not let this linger and hopefully, we don't let this linger," Luck said. "Hopefully, we'll watch the tape, fix our mistakes, get our corrections in, have a couple good practices and come back fresh and completely focused on the next opponent."
