Jaguars miss chance to put away Colts in overtime loss
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Jacksonville kicker Jason Myers stood quietly at his locker Sunday, pondering what could have been.
He had two chances to win the game -- once in regulation to the right, once in overtime to the left. He missed both and the Colts took advantage.
Indianapolis quarterback Matt Hasselbeck capitalized on the second miss by leading the Colts on a 53-yard scoring drive to set up Adam Vinatieri for a 27-yard field goal that gave Indy a 16-13 victory.
"Just trying to make it," Myers said. "Try not to have it in my head about the other one."
With Andrew Luck inactive for the first time in his pro career because of an injured right shoulder, the Jaguars (1-3) had the Colts on the ropes.
With the score tied at 13, Jacksonville forced Indianapolis into back-to-back punts and even moved to the brink of Myers' field goal range with 6 seconds left.
Myers shanked the first 53-yarder to the right but he got another chance because the Colts had called timeout. The second kick also went wide right.
Then, with 8:13 left in overtime, Myers lined up a 48-yarder -- and pushed it wide left.
"It's hard, because if you make one of those field goals, we're in the locker room talking about the tremendous effort, the competitiveness, getting turnovers, scoring off the sudden change," coach Gus Bradley said. "We're talking about all these things that led to that. They're still there. But we're not quite there yet. We're close."
Close didn't cut it against the Colts' over-the-hill gang Sunday.
The 40-year-old Hasselbeck and 42-year-old Vinatieri celebrated together on what was essentially their personal throwback day.
"We kind of hugged it out for a second," Vinatieri said. "He (Hasselbeck) does a great job. Watching him have the opportunity to go out there -- hate saying `at his age' because he's younger than I am -- but I know he wanted that."
Hasselbeck deftly managed his first start in nearly three years, going 30 of 47 for 282 yards with one TD, no interceptions and fooling the Jaguars' defense with a late bootleg that put the Colts (2-2) in field-goal range.
Vinatieri broke Mike Vanderjagt's franchise scoring record with his first field goal, a 54-yarder, then became the first player in NFL history to top 1,000 points with two different teams on his second field goal, a 32-yarder. He won it with this third kick.
Thirty-two-year-old running back Frank Gore, who finished with 17 carries for 53 yards, ripped off a 22-yarder on his final run to get the ball to the Jacksonville 7-yard line.
All Hasselbeck had to do then was position the ball in the middle of the field and watch Vinatieri make the chip shot to put Indianapolis back on top of the AFC South. It also allowed Indy to tie the NFL record for consecutive wins against one division (15), which was set by the 1972-73 Miami Dolphins.
The Colts can break the record Thursday night at Houston -- with or without Luck, who remains day to day.
For the Jags (1-3), it was another frustrating finish.
Blake Bortles was 28 of 50 for 298 yards with one touchdown. Rookie T.J. Yeldon ran 22 times for 105 yards. Allen Hurns caught a career high 11 passes for a season-high 116 yards and one TD.
Luck spent most of the day coaching. Dressed in street clothes and a gray baseball hat, he clapped his hands, counseled teammates after plays and even handed water to Hasselbeck. And when Myers missed the 48-yarder, Luck pumped his fist.
But after Myers' made it 13-10 with 4 seconds left in the first half, the Colts' defense didn't allow another point.
NOTES: Vinatieri also made his 479th field goal, breaking a tie for fourth place with John Carney. ... Indy lost Inside linebacker Jerrell Freeman and cornerback Jalil Brown in the first half with groin injuries. Both will be evaluated Sunday night. ... Hurns had eight receptions in the first half, surpassing his previous career best in just two quarters. ... Three Jacksonville players did not finish the game -- middle linebacker Paul Posluszny (sprained ankle), cornerback Aaron Colvin (shoulder) and safety James Sample (shoulder).
