Coach Ke’s Week 1 Recap: A Hard Lesson from the Colts
Week 1 of the 2026 season didn’t go as planned for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Coach Ke’s squad came into the Sunday night matchup with confidence, eager to set the tone early for a year of dominance—but they walked out of Indianapolis with a 42-32 loss and a valuable reminder: in this league, nobody’s handing out wins.
The Wake-Up Call
Coach Ke put it bluntly after the game: “You gotta keep working. Nobody’s gonna give you a win just because of your name or your record last year.”
The loss stung because it was winnable. The Jaguars moved the ball efficiently through the air, putting up 368 total yards of offense, with Trevor Lawrence completing 23 of 32 passes for 310 yards. But while the passing game kept Jacksonville alive, the run game never found traction. The Jags were bottled up to just 78 rushing yards, most of that coming from Lawrence himself, who scrambled seven times for 53 yards. Rookie back Bhayshul Tuten added 23 yards on four carries, but Travis Etienne Jr. was held to just two yards on one attempt—a major red flag for a team built on offensive balance.
Offensive Breakdown
Jacksonville’s passing attack did its job on paper. Chase Claypool led the way with seven receptions for 64 yards, while D. Stribling and B. Thomas Jr. combined for 144 yards on nine catches. But despite 310 yards through the air, the Jaguars couldn’t find the end zone in the passing game. Every touchdown came on the ground, with Lawrence accounting for most of that production inside the red zone.
The problem wasn’t moving the ball—it was finishing drives. Jacksonville went 1-for-4 on third down conversions (25%) and came up empty on a crucial fourth-down try. When you can’t sustain drives, you leave your defense gassed—and that’s exactly what happened.
Defensive Struggles: The Richardson Problem
There’s no sugarcoating it: Anthony Richardson torched the Jaguars.
The Colts’ dual-threat quarterback looked unstoppable, completing 20 of 27 passes for 330 yards and 3 touchdowns, while adding 133 rushing yards on 13 carries. Every time Jacksonville thought they had him contained, he broke free. Whether it was scrambling on third down, escaping sacks, or finding Jonathan Taylor on checkdowns, Richardson dictated the game from start to finish.
The Jaguars’ defense looked a step behind all night. Andre Cisco led the team with five tackles, but the front seven couldn’t contain Richardson or Taylor, who added 36 yards and a rushing TD of his own. JT Tuimoloau provided the lone bright spot, finishing with two sacks and an interception, but it wasn’t enough to shift momentum.
By the end of the night, the Colts racked up 504 total yards of offense, converting 7 of 9 third downs (77.8%) and going a perfect 4-for-4 in the red zone. Those numbers tell the story. Jacksonville simply couldn’t get off the field.
Special Teams and Discipline
Special teams weren’t a major issue—Chad Little went 1-for-1 on field goals, drilling a 58-yarder, and 3-for-3 on extra points. But hidden yardage added up. The Colts controlled field position, and Jacksonville’s defense kept getting pinned deep after long drives.
Coach Ke pointed to “mental lapses” and “effort plays that gotta be cleaned up.” It wasn’t about one big mistake—it was a collection of small ones that built into a snowball the Jags couldn’t stop rolling downhill.
The Message from Coach Ke
After the game, Coach Ke didn’t rant—he reflected. He knows it’s early. He knows this roster has talent. But he also knows success isn’t guaranteed.
“This league humbles you fast,” Coach Ke said. “We can talk about potential all we want, but until we dominate on both sides of the ball, it don’t mean nothing. Richardson outplayed us. Their offense out-executed us. Simple as that. We’ll take it, learn from it, and get better.”
He added that the team needs to re-establish its identity in the run game and discipline on defense. The Jaguars are built to win with physicality, balance, and pressure—and none of those pillars showed up for four quarters Sunday night.
Silver Linings
There were flashes. Lawrence looked poised and accurate. Rookie receiver Thomas Jr. continued to develop chemistry with his quarterback. Tuimoloau’s playmaking on defense showed promise for the pass rush moving forward. But as Coach Ke said post-game, “Flashes don’t win games. Consistency does.”
Final Thoughts
Final Score: Colts 42 – Jaguars 32
- Jaguars: 368 yards total offense (310 pass, 78 rush)
- Colts: 504 yards total offense (330 pass, 186 rush)
- Turnovers: Jaguars 0 (-2 takeaway margin)
- 3rd Down Efficiency: Jaguars 1/4 | Colts 7/9
- Red Zone Efficiency: Jaguars 4/5 (80%) | Colts 4/6 (66.7%)
The stat sheet shows a competitive game, but the eye test showed who was more prepared. The Colts controlled tempo, dictated matchups, and closed out drives. The Jaguars flashed talent but lacked execution.
Week 1 is in the books, and for Coach Ke and the Jaguars, it’s a lesson learned the hard way: nobody’s handing out wins this season. You’ve got to earn every single one.
The message heading into Week 2?
Get back to work.
