The 2006 Jacksonville Jaguars season was the franchise's 12th season in the National Football League (NFL) and the 4th under head coach Jack Del Rio. The Jaguars failed to improve on their 12âÂÂ4 record from 2005. This was the franchise's first year without their star wide receiver Jimmy Smith, as he retired in the offseason. The Jaguars finished in third place in the AFC South and finished the season at 8âÂÂ8. Although the Jaguars were 8âÂÂ5 after thirteen games, they lost their next three games in a row and missed the postseason for the second time in three seasons.
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
The Jaguars' defense effectively limited the Colts' offense to 66 yards and 3 first downs in the first half. However, the Jaguars could not capitalize on this strong defensive performance due to several errors. Leftwich threw an interception on their second possession while deep in Colts territory. Following that, they were forced to punt, and Colts' returner Terrence Wilkins ran back 82 yards, which resulted in the only points for the Colts in the first half. Additionally, on their final drive before halftime, Josh Scobee missed a 24âÂÂyard field goal attempt and later failed to convert a 49âÂÂyard field goal near the end of the third quarter. Ultimately, the Colts managed to score two touchdowns, securing a 21âÂÂ14 victory. Manning achieved a completion rate of under 50 percent, connecting on 14 out of 31 attempts for a total of 219 yards.
On the first play from scrimmage for the Jaguars, Fred Taylor gained 76 yards on a run into Colts territory, followed by an 18âÂÂyard rushing touchdown by rookie running back Maurice Jones-Drew. After a Colts touchdown, Jones-Drew rushed twice for a total of 34 yards, followed by Taylor's 19âÂÂyard run and a 21âÂÂyard rushing touchdown. Following an interception thrown by Manning, Jones-Drew added a 48âÂÂyard rushing touchdown. The Jaguars capped off the first half with a field goal, leading 24âÂÂ10 at halftime. On the second-half kickoff, Jones-Drew made a 93âÂÂyard return for a touchdown. He further contributed with an additional 48 rushing yards, while running back Alvin Pearman stepped in for Taylor, rushing for 73 yards, which included a 6âÂÂyard touchdown run. The running backs' collective rushing performance played a pivotal role in securing a decisive 44âÂÂ17 victory against the Colts.
During this game, the Jaguars combined for 375 rushing yards, the second-most in a single game since the AFLâÂÂNFL merger. Maurice Jones-Drew had a franchise-record 302 all-purpose yards; 166 rushing yards with two touchdowns, 15 receiving yards, and 121 return yards with a kickoff return touchdown. Fred Taylor had 131 rushing yards with one touchdown. Alvin Pearman contributed 71 rushing yards on 13 carries with one touchdown.