National Football League

Jaguars still reeling from loss to unbeaten Colts

Published Dec. 21, 2009 6:22 p.m. ET

foxsports

Reacting as though they had taken a collective punch to the gut, the Jacksonville Jaguars spent Friday reeling from a 35-31 loss to Indianapolis.

The setback left the Jaguars (7-7) no longer in control of their playoff destiny. They not only need to win out, but they need help from other teams.

``I couldn't sleep last night,'' running back Maurice Jones-Drew said. ``I put up a great front in interviews trying to stay positive and not to be all negative when we lose, but I couldn't sleep.''

Jones-Drew had 110 yards rushing and scored a pair of touchdowns, one running and one receiving, against the 14-0 Colts, but said he's frustrated by the team's situation.

``You get frustrated when you don't play your best in some games,'' he said. ``That's what we have to learn as a young team.''

The Jaguars led 31-28 in the fourth quarter and forced the Colts to punt three times in the final frame. But Peyton Manning hooked up with Reggie Wayne for a 65-yard score with 5:23 remaining that put the perennial AFC South champs ahead for good.

Jacksonville had two chances to retake the lead. But rookie Mike Thomas was called for an illegal formation penalty, which wiped out a 19-yard gain that would have put the Jaguars in Indy territory, and led to a punt. On the next possession, David Garrard's final pass sailed over Thomas' head and was intercepted.

Thomas also had a mistake in last week's loss to Miami. He was the missing player on a crucial fourth-down play in which the Jaguars had only 10 men on the field.

``What do you expect them to do? Act like a 12-year vet?'' Jones-Drew said. ``You kind of have to be like water off a duck's back. It happens. They're gonna make mistakes. We all make mistakes.''

Coach Jack Del Rio said he hasn't giving up on the idea of making the playoffs.

``So long as there's hope we're gonna continue to hold hope, keep hope,'' he said. ``For us, it's a matter of winning the next game.''

Jacksonville finishes the season at New England and then at Cleveland.

Del Rio said he is working this weekend, but will keep an eye on games around the league.

``I think that's natural,'' he said. ``You have an idea of who you'd like to see win, who you'd like to see lose, all those types of things.''

Del Rio said he won't have tell his players to keep playing.

``I think you guys are being overly dramatic,'' he said. ``We'll come back when it's time to come back. This will sting a little bit.''

Guard Vince Manuwai reflected the team's mood, but noted the remaining season shouldn't be just about other teams losing to help the Jaguars.

``We had control of our destiny of what we had to do, which was to win the last three games,'' Manuwai said. ``We had it in our hands and some of that stuff we can't control now. Do you want them to lose? Yeah. But you gotta have more pride to want to win instead of worrying about them losing. It's more that you want to go out and win because that's what you want to do as a team.''

Cornerback Rashean Mathis, who acknowledged not being much of a football watcher, will tune in a little this weekend.

``Me watching isn't going to dictate the outcome, but I will take a sneak peak,'' he said. ``Good outcomes this week could put some pep in our step.''