Quick Thoughts After Jaguars’ Week 8 Win Over Colts

JACKSONVILLE – Senior writer John Oehser, senior correspondent Brian Sexton, team reporter Kainani Stevens and correspondent John Shipley offer quick thoughts on the Jaguars’ 42-7 victory over the Indianapolis Colts in a 2026 Week 8 game at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville Sunday

Methodical, impressive, necessary. The Jaguars won in impressive fashion on Sunday – and perhaps most impressively and importantly, they won in the fashion they wanted. They dominated physically, turning in their best running performance of the season – and the outcome was never in doubt after the Jaguars pulled away in a strikingly effective 21-0 second quarter. A second-quarter highlight: A 39-yard, tackle-breaking run by second-year running back Bhayshul Tuten for a 21-0 Jaguars lead with 1:50 remaining in the first half. Running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. similarly rolled through the Colts line early in the third quarter, breaking multiple tackles en route to a 28-yard touchdown run for a 35-0 lead. This game felt by then every bit as one-sided as the score. The thought here entering the game was this team wanted to establish physicality coming out of a Week 7 bye, and the Jaguars did that emphatically. “The guys came in with a little blood in the water and we wanted to be able to jump on these guys at home,” Jaguars Head Coach Liam Coen said. Yes, the Jaguars were heavily favored. And yes, the Colts were something of a mess entering the game, having traded away All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson and All-Pro defensive tackle DeForest Buckner this past week. But you play who you play, and the Jaguars dominated who they played Sunday in a manner that made them feel very worthy of their three-game lead in the AFC South as October turned into November.Uh-oh. The lone worrisome storyline for the Jaguars Sunday is very worrisome indeed, with veteran nose tackle DaVon Hamilton sustaining a knee injury early in the second quarter. “There’s not many better humans, better competitors, team guys,” Coen said. “Just the human, the competitor … I can’t say enough about him.” The injury came on a play on which the Colts fumbled, with rookie defensive end Bryan Thomas Jr. recovering to set up a 50-yard touchdown drive for a 14-0 Jaguars lead. But Hamilton’s knee buckled as he took on blocks on the play. He left the field on a cart and was quickly ruled out for the rest of the game. Hamilton ranks among the Jaguars’ most important players, particularly defensively – and while no player is irreplaceable, Hamilton is critically important to a defense that has been dominant against the run the past season and a half. No team makes deep playoff runs without overcoming a key injury or two. But this a significant one for the Jaguars, and how the run defense withstands it over the long term – if it indeed is a long-term injury – will be a key storyline in the coming weeks.The Jaguars are in control in the AFC South. They proved it on the field Sunday.  For a moment after the Jaguars’ 34-31 loss to the Houston Texans in London two weeks ago, it appeared the Texans might have something to say about the AFC South. Houston’s loss to the New York Giants last Sunday, plus the Jaguars emphatic knockout of the Colts Sunday, will silence that talk. This was exactly the kind of victory the Jaguars needed, not because they needed to prove anything to the rest of the NFL about the quality of their team, but because they needed to prove it to themselves. They missed the chance to take a big lead in the South two weeks ago in London. The Jaguars walked off the field Sunday leaving no doubt that they are the dominant team in the South, and maybe as good as any in the AFC.The Jaguars were good enough to put their starters on the bench in the fourth quarter.  That’s big because they must be ready to go on Thursday against the Baltimore Ravens in Baltimore. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence, Tuten, wide receiver Parker Washington, tight end Brenton Strange, defensive end Travon Walker, linebacker Foyesade Oluokun and a few other Jaguars players had hats and smiles on the sidelines late in the game. It wasn’t all smiles around the Jaguars late Sunday. Coen and Co. must figure out how to replace Hamilton, which seems like an impossible task. There also will be a few others – safety Eric Murray (elbow), guard Ezra Cleveland (ankle) and a few more – who will wake up sore Monday morning. But getting key players out of the game early Sunday gives them a chance to be their best in four days.