The pattern was very familiar, and for the Jaguars, that wasn't good.
The Jaguars, four days after being outscored by three touchdowns in the first half of a one-sided loss, fell behind early again on Thursday night, and this time a flurry of errors and penalties hardly helped in a 27-10 loss to the improving Indianapolis Colts in front of an announced 63,272 at EverBank Field.
The Jaguars are now 1-8, with six consecutive losses.
"We're so close, but so far at the same time," Jaguars quarterback Blaine Gabbert said. "There are situations where we have to make plays.
"We have to do that. We didn't do it tonight."
Asked if the game had a familiar feel, Jaguars Head Coach Mike Mularkey replied, "Yes."
"I feel for the players," Mularkey said. "I really do. It's important for me that they're successful and it's not happening for them. It's frustrating."
The Jaguars not only lost at home for a fifth time this season, they lost with a flurry of penalties, finishing with 10 for 115 yards. Six of those penalties were personal fouls, with defensive end Andre Branch, wide receiver Justin Blackmon, Mularkey, defensive tackle Terrance Knighton, offensive guard Mike Brewster and safety Dawan Landry all being called.
Knighton's penalty came on the first play of the Colts' third drive, and reversed an interception by cornerback Aaron Ross.
Colts quarterback Andrew Luck scored on a 5-yard run eight plays later to give the Colts a 10-0 lead early in the second quarter.
Mularkey called the interception-reversing penalty a "momentum-changer," and said the play was indicative not just of the game, but of what has become a frustrating season to date.
"We were hoping not to come out and have the same things happen that happened in the first eight games," Mularkey said. "They happened immediately. It just proceeded from there."
The Colts outgained the Jaguars, 359-337, but held a 216-148 advantage after a first half in which they took a 17-0 lead before a 40-yard field goal by Jaguars kicker Josh Scobee cut the lead to 14 at halftime. Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri had opened the scoring with a 31-yard first-quarter field goal, and Luck snuck over from the 1 midway through the second quarter for a 17-0 lead.
Before the Scobee field goal, the Jaguars had been outscored 38-0 in the first half of the last two games.
The Jaguars now have been outscored 153-44 at home this season.
"It's not what we hoped for," Jaguars defensive tackle Tyson Alualu said. "We came hoping to turn things around. We thought this was an opportunity to do that, so we're really disappointed."
Gabbert completed 18 of 31 passes for 209 yards, but was sacked three times and left in the fourth quarter after reinjuring his left shoulder. He had left a loss in Oakland three games ago.
Chad Henne replaced Gabbert, completing 10 of 16 passes for 121 yards and a touchdown.
Trailing 17-3 at halftime, the Jaguars had an opportunity early in the third quarter, and took possession after holding the Colts on the first possession of the third quarter. On 2nd-and-6 from the Jaguars 8, however, Gabbert threw into the right flat.
Colts Cornerback Darius Butler stepped in front of the pass and returned it 11 yards for an easy interception-touchdown.
The Jaguars' lone touchdown came in the fourth quarter, with Henne throwing four yards to wide receiver Cecil Shorts to cap the drive on which Gabbert left the game.
Vinatieri clinched the Colts' victory with a 41-yard field goal with 3:23 remaining.
The Jaguars converted just 1 of 10 first downs and rushed for 37 yards, with running back Rashad Jennings rushing 11 times for 27 yards. That's the sixth consecutive game in which the team has rushed for less than 100 yards.
They also lost a fumble and Gabbert and Henne each was intercepted.
"We have to overcome ourselves before we worry about the opponent we're playing," Mularkey said. "It's the same thing. They don't need me to go in there and tell them, 'You need to be doing this and you need to be doing that.' They know that. When we start doing that, we'll start winning games."
