(My Sportsbook) - It wasn't exactly the homecoming the Jaguars were hoping for.

After winning three straight games on the road, albeit against inferior competition, Jacksonville returned home for a showdown with undefeated Indianapolis and left the field as has every other team that has played the Colts this season -- a loser.

Don't let the final score fool you. At 26-18, it really wasn't that close. The Colts absolutely dominated for three quarters before the desperate Jaguars made a game of it.

Jacksonville managed a meager 129 yards on eight possessions through three quarters and had only a field goal to show for it. Peyton Manning, meanwhile, shredded the Jaguar secondary in the first half and a pair of time-consuming drives in the third quarter kept the Jacksonville offense off the field and helped stake the Colts to a 26-3 lead early in the fourth quarter.

A five-yard touchdown run by David Garrard, followed by a recovered onside kick and a one-yard touchdown pass with a two-point conversion gave Jacksonville and its fans -- those who remained at ALLTEL Stadium -- hope.

However, Jaguars head coach Jack Del Rio -- with three timeouts -- decided to kick the ball deep with 1:54 remaining, but the Colts managed to pick up one first down on a third-down pass to run out the clock.

"We had to have a defensive stop," Del Rio said Sunday. "We were one play away from getting the ball back."

Maybe so, but the first three quarters they either needed an earlier wake-up call or were just stomped by a better team.

Last week against Cleveland, the Jaguars trailed 14-3 at halftime, but rallied to win. That's not a good formula for winning consistently in this league, especially against playoff-caliber clubs, but with the schedule Jacksonville has left, it might do just fine.

BACK TO THE BIG LOSERS

The Jaguars proved they just aren't in the same class with the Colts right now, but they still lead the AFC wild card chase and have a very favorable schedule remaining.

Prior to the Indy game, Jacksonville ran off five straight wins against teams that now have a combined record of 17-48. The final three teams on the schedule are currently a combined 7-32.

Del Rio, though, won't take San Francisco (2-11), Houston (1-12) and Tennessee (4-9) lightly.

"The rest of the schedule may look easy, but any team can get hot from week to week," said Del Rio on Sunday.

SPLIT BACKFIELD

Fred Taylor returned to the Jacksonville lineup on Sunday after a two-game absence because of an ankle injury and was virtually a non-factor. He finished with 19 yards on 10 carries for a 1.9-yard average and saw the ball just twice in the second half.

Greg Jones, meanwhile, averaged 6.1 yards, gaining 43 yards on seven carries.

Is Taylor being phased out?

Del Rio said Monday that Taylor would remain the starter, but also said Jones will share time in the backfield.

"I see us utilizing both players," Del Rio stated.

WALK THE LINE

The Jacksonville offensive line played a strong game on Sunday and did so with a new center. Dennis Norman took over for Brad Meester, who was placed on injured reserve last week with a biceps injury.

Meester had started all 92 games in his career since the Jaguars selected him in the second round of the 2000 NFL Draft. The Northern Iowa product started his first 48 games at guard before moving to center in 2003.

Norman and the rest of his teammates quieted the Indianapolis pass rush, as the Colts did not sack Garrard. Colts All-Pro defensive end Dwight Freeney, meanwhile, was held without a tackle.

UP NEXT

The closing string of NFL bottom-feeders on the Jacksonville schedule starts this Sunday when the San Francisco 49ers visit ALLTEL Stadium.

The teams have met just once previously -- in 1999 when Jacksonville rolled to a 41-3 home win. A similar score could come out of Sunday's game. The Niners were beaten, 41-3, by Seattle this past weekend, and San Francisco has yielded the most points in the NFL this season.