Colts' 3 standout performers in Week 17 loss vs. Jaguars

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Dec 29, 2025 - 03:30
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Colts' 3 standout performers in Week 17 loss vs. Jaguars

The Indianapolis Colts came up just short against the Jacksonville Jaguars, as they suffered their sixth consecutive loss, 23-17, on Sunday afternoon.

The Colts scored all 17 of their points in the first three quarters, before going scoreless in the fourth to open the door for the Jaguars to come back.

Two late field goals from Jacksonville kicker Cam Little helped take a six-point lead. Indianapolis had a chance late to get into field goal range, but settled for an unsuccessful Hail Mary.

Despite the loss, three players stood above the rest for their impact in Jacksonville’s Week 17 win, earning this week’s game balls: Jonathan Taylor, Phillip Rivers, and Ashton Dulin.

RB Jonathan Taylor

Not too much of a shock here, Taylor was the backbone for much of the Colts' offense against the Jaguars. The sixth-year running back racked up 70 yards and a score on 21 carries. 

He also caught three passes for 14 yards. While Taylor has been rather quiet since his explosive historic performance in Berlin, he showed that spark he had in the first half of the season was not lost overseas. He recorded consecutive games with a rushing touchdown for the first time since Oct. 26.

QB Phillip Rivers

While Rivers' performance was nothing out of the ordinary, he held Indianapolis’ offense together against a talented 11-4 Jacksonville team. There haven't been many quarterbacks in the NFL who have been able to achieve that, let alone any 44-year-old men who could. The veteran completed 17 of 29 attempts for 147 yards and threw a five-yard touchdown to Alie-Cox, his only score of the day.

He found a total of seven different receivers throughout the game, which showcased his ability to check down and make the smart play, rather than the home run shot. In fact, he never got the opportunity for the home run shot at the end of the game. Rookie quarterback Riley Leonard stepped in to deliver the would-be game-winning Hail Mary, which resulted in an interception that sealed the game.

KR Ashton Dulin

Dulin was a difference maker on special teams for the Colts. The seventh-year kick returner brought out three kicks for returns, resulting in 129 return yards, averaging 43 yards per return. Dulin then returned a kick in the third quarter for 55 yards – his longest of the day – to set up a short field for Rivers and company to work with, before the veteran QB found Mo-Alie Cox for a touchdown to give the Colts a 17-14 lead. 

Dulin also made an impact on the Colts' punt coverage unit as well.

While he has been quiet as a receiver this year, he proved he can still make an impact on the game when given a chance.

This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: Colts vs. Jaguars: Indianapolis' top 3 performers in Week 17

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