INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Matt Ryan threw a 32-yard touchdown pass to Alec Pierce with 17 seconds to play Sunday, leading the Indianapolis Colts to a 34-27 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The victory ends Indy’s two-game skid against their AFC South rival and marks the third time this season Ryan has led the Colts (3-2-1) to a come-from-behind victory.
It’s the fifth straight loss in Indy for the Jaguars (2-4). The home team has won 11 straight in this series.
Ryan followed a completely different script in this game than he had the previous five games. Instead of relying on the ground game, the Colts asked the 15-year veteran to lean heavily on short, quick throws and it worked. He finished with a franchise record 42 completions on 58 attempts with three touchdowns and 389 yards — passing Dan Marino for seventh on the NFL’s career list for yards passing.
Marino retired with a then league record 61,361 yards. Ryan has 61,499 after completing his 45th career game-winning drive.
It sure wasn’t easy — even after the Colts snapped a touchdown drought that stretched from the third quarter of Week 4 until just before halftime Sunday when Ryan found Parris Campbell on a 4-yard TD pass to cut the deficit to 14-10.
Nor after Trevor Lawrence took advantage of two defensive penalties and burned more than 10 minutes on a methodical, 18-play drive capped by a 4-yard TD pass to Christian Kirk to give the Jags a 27-26 lead. The 2-point conversion pass failed.
But Ryan got one more chance — and delivered yet again by marching the Colts into field-goal position before throwing deep to Pierce on third-and-3. Pierce wrestled the ball away from a defender near the goal line and got into the end zone to win it.
Lawrence was 20 of 22 with 163 yards and one score while running for two TDs.
STAT PACK
Jaguars: The Jags rushed for 150 yards in the first half against a defense allowing just 96.6 yards per game. They finished with 243. … Lawrence was sacked four times after being sacked only six times in the first five games. … Travis Etienne Jr. had 10 carries for 86 yards including a career best 48-yard run early. … JaMycal Hasty scored on a 61-yard run on his second carry of the season.
Colts: Deon Jackson had 12 carries for 42 yards and 10 catches for 79 yards. … Campbell caught seven passes for 57 yards and his 4-yard TD catch with 2:06 left in the first half ended the drought at 110 minutes, 20 seconds. … Michael Pittman Jr. had 134 yards on a career-high 13 receptions. … Pierce had three receptions for 49 yards.
UP NEXT
Jaguars: Host the New York Giants next Sunday.
Colts: Head to Tennessee next Sunday for the fifth of six division games.
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