The Indianapolis Colts lost to the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 8, but most expected that. Indy is sinking, and the Jags are heading toward a loss, somewhat short of the Super Bowl. Neither organization is likely to be real winners this season.
The hope for Indy is that it gets back to being a title winner faster than Jacksonville, a team that's never been to the Super Bowl. No one wants a division rival to win a championship, of course.
Currently, though, Jacksonville is in far better shape than Indianapolis. That might last for another couple of seasons. After that, the Colts should rise again. Most Indy players didn't rise in Week 8, however.
Winners and losers for the Indianapolis Colts in Week 8 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars
Winner: Adetomiwa Adebawore
Each week, Adebawore seems like a winner. His pass-rush skills should have been used in his first two seasons, but weren't. Lou Anarumo has gotten better use out of him over the last couple of seasons, and he should be a player the Colts bring back in free agency next offseason and help rebuild with.
Against the Jags, he got solid pressure, once beating the center so quickly that the guard didn't have time to help. With the right scheme, he could be an eight-sack player.
Winner: CJ Allen
In his first career start (it is Week 8, mind you), Allen looked like he should have been starting long before. He was a good tackler, got a sack on an explosive move (yes, he was unblocked, but his speed helped make the play), and even made a tackle for loss. Indianapolis fans' confusion over why Allen was playing early in the season won't be aided by his excellence against the Jaguars.
Loser: Tyler Warren
For whatever reason, Warren hasn't been the player he was last season, and he's been fairly bad this year. He had a drop early in the first half, and then did the first thing possible deep in the Jags' territory later in the first half. Daniel Jones had a well-thrown pass hit Warren's hands; the ball bounced to a Jacksonville player, and the interception was returned 92 yards for a touchdown.
If a dropped pass could ever be counted as a fumble, the Warren drop was it. Instead of potentially being 21-7 at the half, the score was an ugly 28-0.
Loser: Shane Steichen
Bad teams find a way of making bad things happen, and the Colts did plenty of that (untimely penalties, muffed trick plays, and anything else you can think of) while getting buried early. A lot of that shows what kind of leadership the coaching staff has. Steichen might be a good offensive coach (though that unit has struggled this season), but he shouldn't be a head coach.
A great coach would be able to adjust to the weaknesses his group has and scheme to get the best out of a negative situation. Steichen hasn't shown he can do that.
Also, leaving Daniel Jones in the game down 42-7 and knowing he would be tee'd off on should be fireable offense. All because Steichen refuses to play Anthony Richardson?
Loser: Laiatu Latu
Latu was quite good last season in his second year with 61 total pressures and good run defense. The slippage this season has been astonishing (he has 20 total pressures through eight games). He had a sack in the second half, but only after rookie Caden Curry had done the hard work.
Latu isn't the difference-maker in 2026 that Indianapolis hoped he would be. Is it scheme or player? We might not know until 2027.
Loser: Lou Anarumo
The first two games of the season were ugly, and Indy allowed 37 points per game. The last five before Week 8 looked better, with the Colts allowing only 21.7 points per game. The issue is that most of those games were against flawed offenses.
The Jaguars reminded Colts fans just how bad an Anarumo-led defense can be. Sure, the unit can make some splash plays here and there, but it also gives up far too many. The Jaguars started with a 98-yard touchdown drive and were averaging 6.9 yards per play by the time it was 35-0 midway through the third quarter. Run or pass, the Jags did anything they wanted against Indy.
Loser: Jonathan Taylor
Many in the Indy media think Taylor won't be traded before the November 10 deadline. That's a shame. He deserves better than to spend his entire career with an organization and maybe only make the playoffs once. He deserves to go somewhere he has a chance to win a title. That isn't going to happen with the current mess with the Colts.
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