Jonathan Taylor and Joe Flacco lead Colts to 26-23 overtime win over Jaguars

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Jonathan Taylor closed the season with a flourish. Joe Flacco may have walked off the field for the final time as a winner.

And the duo may have done enough to save the jobs of Indianapolis Colts coach Shane Steichen and general manager Chris Ballard.

Taylor rushed for 177 yards Sunday, including 33 yards on six straight carries in overtime to set up Matt Gay’s go-ahead 38-yard field goal, and the Colts ended the season with a 26-23 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars.

"He ran hard, he’s been running hard for us all year,” Steichen said, hours before owner Jim Irsay announced the coach would return for a third season. “Obviously, a lot of positive yards for us, especially in overtime to get us down in there.”

Taylor's 34 carries were a career best, and his fourth straight 100-yard game matched the longest streak of his career. Taylor ran for six TDs over those four games, including one on Sunday, all since dropping the ball before crossing the goal line against Denver — costing the Colts a touchdown and possibly a playoff spot.

Irsay didn't need much time to make up his mind about next season, even though some fans who stayed until the fourth quarter on a snowy day were chanting “Fire Ballard.”

In a letter to fans Sunday night, Irsay said he was retaining Ballard and Steichen because he believes they can lead the franchise back to prominence more quickly than would happen under new leadership.

The 39-year-old Flacco, meanwhile is unlikely to return to the only team that offered him a contract for 2024. If this was the end of a 17-year career for the Super Bowl 47 MVP, he went out in style.

Flacco was 23 of 40 for 264 yards and threw a 40-yard TD pass to Alec Pierce on the third play of the game. He capped the day by leading the scoring drive on the opening possession of overtime for Indy (8-9).

“This doesn’t feel like the end. I don’t want it to be the end,” Flacco said just 11 days before his 40th birthday. “But like I said, sometimes those things are out of your control. I want to play, I want to be one of those 40-year-olds that has played in the NFL, and I want to play meaningful football.”

The future for the Jags (4-13) isn't so settled.

They could be making big changes after losing three of their final four and eight of their last 10. After the game, offensive lineman Tyler Shatley announced his retirement after spending his entire 11-year career in Jacksonville.

Jaguars owner Shad Khan could move to replace both coach Doug Pederson and general manager Trent Baalke. Pederson attempted to take the high road during his postgame news conference.

“I’ll find out this week. It’s hard to speculate,” Pederson said when asked if he thinks he’ll be back next season. “Emotions are running high right now, but I hope I’m still here. Honestly, I feel like we have the makings of a good football team. I’m optimistic.”

Jags backup quarterback Mac Jones also could be on the move again after finishing 19 of 35 with 205 yards, one TD and an interception. Brian Thomas Jr. caught six passes for 83 yards.

For a game that was all about draft position, it certainly felt like more was at stake.

After Flacco’s early TD pass, Jacksonville answered with Tank Bigsby’s 1-yard TD plunge. The Jags opened the second quarter with a 53-yard field goal by Cam Little to take a 10-7 lead, before Taylor’s 6-yard TD run put the Colts back in front.

With 7:50 left in regulation, Jacksonville broke up a scoreless second half when Parker Washington caught a 9-yard TD pass after initially dropping the ball and then snatching it back before crossing the goal line. That tied the score at 20-all.

Gay broke the tie with a 45-yard field goal with 3:52 to go. Little made a tying 53-yarder with 1:44 left.

The Jags got the ball after Gay's field goal in overtime, but Indy’s Zaire Franklin sacked Jones on third down to set up a fourth-and-22, and Jones’ deep pass fell incomplete to end it.

“Finishing the right way, that’s what we wanted to do — get a victory,” Steichen said. “To get a victory at the end of the year was huge, but, obviously, we’re not where we want to be. We want to be in the playoffs so that part is disappointing.”

Both teams were short-handed. Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson and Jags defensive end Josh Hines-Allen were both inactive.

Richardson missed his second straight game with back spasms. Injuries forced him to miss four games this season and he sat out two more when he was benched.

Hines-Allen did not travel with the team because of a personal matter as he was closing in on Tony Brackens’ franchise record for sacks (55).

Colts head athletic trainer Dave Hammer, assistant video director John “Fuzzy” Starliper and chain crew member Bob Klein all worked their final games. Hammer and Klein each worked with the franchise for 41 seasons, while Starliper’s tenure lasted 42 seasons.

Jaguars: S Andre Cisco left early in the first quarter with an injured groin and was ruled out early in the second half.

Colts: Second-year CB JuJu Brents, who was activated off injured reserve Saturday, suffered a groin injury in the first half. RT Matt Goncalves left in the second half after entering the concussion protocol. Rookie DE Laiatu Latu injured a shoulder.

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Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Parker Washington (11) recovers his fumble and scores a one-yard touchdown as wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (7) moves in during the second half of an NFL football game against the Indianapolis Colts, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. (1) breaks through a tackle by Indianapolis Colts linebacker Zaire Franklin (44) during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Mac Jones (10) runs with the ball as Indianapolis Colts defensive end Tyquan Lewis (94), and cornerback Kenny Moore II (23) move in during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor (28) runs with the ball as Jacksonville Jaguars safety Darnell Savage (6) and defensive tackle Jeremiah Ledbetter (99) move in during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5), not playing because of an injury, looks out from the sidelines of an NFL football game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Joe Flacco (15) throws an incomplete pass under pressure from Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Yasir Abdullah (56) during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce (14) celebrates scoring a touchdown with guard Mark Glowinski (64) during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in Indianapolis. Also seen are Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor (28) and tight end Kylen Granson (83). (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Fans make their way on escalators through Lucas Oil Stadium before an NFL football game between the Indianapolis Colts and the Jacksonville Jaguars, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (7) runs with the ball past Indianapolis Colts linebacker E.J. Speed (45) during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Tank Bigsby (4) is tackled by Indianapolis Colts safety Julian Blackmon (32) during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Tank Bigsby (4) powers through Indianapolis Colts linebacker Zaire Franklin (44) and defensive end Kwity Paye (51) for a touchdown during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Tank Bigsby (4) powers through Indianapolis Colts linebacker Zaire Franklin (44) and defensive end Kwity Paye (51) for a touchdown during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor (28) runs for a touchdown past Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback De'Antre Prince (24) during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Indianapolis Colts defensive end Kwity Paye (51) celebrates sacking Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Mac Jones with Indianapolis Colts defensive tackle DeForest Buckner (99) and Indianapolis Colts defensive end Tyquan Lewis (94) during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor (28) runs for a touchdown past Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback De'Antre Prince (24) during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — The next round of bitter cold was set to envelop the southern U.S. on Tuesday, after the first significant winter storm of the year blasted a huge swath of the country with ice, snow and wind.

The immense storm system brought disruption even to areas of the country that usually escape winter’s wrath, downing trees in some Southern states, threatening a freeze in Florida and causing people in Dallas to dip deep into their wardrobes for hats and gloves.

By early Tuesday, wind chill temperatures could dip into the teens to low 20s (as low as minus 10.5 C) from Texas across the Gulf Coast, according to the National Weather Service. A low-pressure system is then expected to form as soon as Wednesday near south Texas, bringing the potential of snow to parts of the state that include Dallas, as well as to Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana.

The polar vortex that dipped south over the weekend kept much of the country east of the Rockies in its frigid grip Monday, making many roads treacherous, forcing school closures, and causing widespread power outages and flight cancellations.

Ice and snow blanketed major roads in Kansas, western Nebraska and parts of Indiana, where the National Guard was activated to help stranded motorists. The National Weather Service issued winter storm warnings for Kansas and Missouri, where blizzard conditions brought wind gusts of up to 45 mph (72 kph). The warnings extended to New Jersey into early Tuesday.

A Kentucky truck stop was jammed with big rigs forced off an icy and snow-covered Interstate 75 on Monday just outside Cincinnati. A long haul driver from Los Angeles carrying a load of rugs to Georgia, Michael Taylor said he saw numerous cars and trucks stuck in ditches and was dealing with icy windshield wipers before he pulled off the interstate.

“It was too dangerous. I didn’t want to kill myself or anyone else,” he said.

The polar vortex of ultra-cold air usually spins around the North Pole, but it sometimes plunges south into the U.S., Europe and Asia. Studies show that a fast-warming Arctic is partly to blame for the increasing frequency of the polar vortex extending its grip.

The eastern two-thirds of the U.S. dealt with bone-chilling cold and wind chills Monday, with temperatures in some areas far below normal.

A cold weather advisory will take effect early Tuesday across the Gulf Coast. In Texas’ capital of Austin and surrounding cities, wind chills could drop as low as 15 degrees (minus 9.4 C).

The Northeast was expected to get several cold days.

Hundreds of car accidents were reported in Virginia, Indiana, Kansas and Kentucky, where a state trooper was treated for non-life-threatening injuries after his patrol car was hit.

Virginia State Police responded to at least 430 crashes Sunday and Monday, including one that was fatal. Police said other weather-related fatal accidents occurred Sunday near Charleston, West Virginia, and Monday in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Kansas saw two deadly crashes over the weekend.

More than 2,300 flights were canceled and at least 9,100 more were delayed nationwide as of Monday night, according to tracking platform FlightAware. Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport reported that about 58% of arrivals and 70% of departures had been canceled.

A record 8 inches (more than 20 centimeters) of snow fell Sunday at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, leading to dozens of flight cancellations that lingered into Monday. About 4 inches (about 10 centimeters) fell Monday across the Cincinnati area, where car and truck crashes shut at least two major routes leading into downtown.

In Indiana, snow covered stretches of Interstate 64, Interstate 69 and U.S. Route 41, leading authorities to plead with people to stay home.

“It’s snowing so hard, the snow plows go through and then within a half hour the roadways are completely covered again,” State Police Sgt. Todd Ringle said.

The Mid-Atlantic region had been forecast to get another 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 centimeters) of snow on Monday. Dangerously cold temperatures were expected to follow, with nighttime lows falling into the single digits (below minus 12.7 C) through the middle of the week across the Central Plains and into the Mississippi and Ohio valleys.

In North Texas, 2 to 5 inches (about 5 to 13 centimeters) of snow was expected beginning Thursday, according to the National Weather Service. Snow could also hit Oklahoma and Arkansas, with some parts potentially getting more than 4 inches (about 10 centimeters).

School closings were widespread, with districts in Indiana, Virginia, Kentucky, Missouri and Kansas canceling or delaying the start of classes Monday. Among them was Kentucky’s Jefferson County Public Schools, which canceled classes and other school activities for its nearly 100,000 students.

Classes were also canceled in Maryland, where Gov. Wes Moore declared a state of emergency Sunday and announced that state government offices would also be closed Monday. Government offices also were closed Monday in Kentucky, where Gov. Andy Beshear declared a state of emergency.

Many were in the dark as temperatures plunged. More than 218,000 customers were without power Monday night across Kentucky, Indiana, Virginia, West Virginia, Illinois, Missouri and North Carolina, according to electric utility tracking website PowerOutage.us.

In Virginia’s capital city, a power outage caused a temporary malfunction in the water system, officials said Monday afternoon. Richmond officials asked those in the city of more than 200,000 people to refrain from drinking tap water or washing dishes without boiling the water first. The city also asked people to conserve their water, such as by taking shorter showers.

City officials said they were working nonstop to bring the system back online.

Whittle reported from Portland, Maine. Associated Press journalists Bruce Schreiner in Shelbyville, Kentucky; Dylan Lovan in Louisville, Kentucky; Ben Finley in Norfolk, Virginia; Lea Skene in Baltimore; Kathy McCormack in Concord, New Hampshire; Julie Walker in New York; Sophia Tareen in Chicago; Kimberly Chandler in Montgomery, Alabama; Zeke Miller in Washington, D.C.; John Raby in Charleston, West Virginia; Summer Ballentine in Columbia, Missouri; and Hallie Golden in Seattle contributed.

Read more of the AP’s climate coverage at http://www.apnews.com/climate-and-environment

Hundreds of passengers wait to clear a security checkpoint as Kansas City International Airport worked to return to normal flight operations following flight delays and cancellations during a winter storm, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025 in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Rosie Henson, from left, Charlotte Hall and Jaya Demni play around in the snow near Schifferstadt Museum in Frederick, Md.,on Monday, Jan. 6. 2025. (Ric Dugan/The Frederick News-Post via AP)

A worker clears snow from an apron before guiding a Delta Air Lines jet at the Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport in Romulus, Mich., Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

A Delta Air Lines jet is deiced before takeoff at the Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport in Romulus, Mich., Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

"Aurelia Roma", a 1994 Italian marble sculpture by Manuel Neri, is wrapped for the season as she stands in the pool of the Estate House terrace surrounded by snow at Laumeier Sculpture Park in Sunset Hills, Mo. on Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (Robert Cohen/St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP)

A man wearing a Venezuelan flag starts a moped as snow begins to fall again, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

St. Ann resident Troupe El checks for traction on Monday, Jan. 6, 2025, after getting his vehicle stuck trying to enter St. Charles Rock Road from the Crossings at Northwest in St. Ann, Mo. (Christian Gooden/St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP)

John Lovrich uses his Yamaha Kodiak 450 4x4 all-terrain vehicle to plow snow near his home in the Cambria City section of Johnstown, Pa., Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (Thomas Slusser/The Tribune-Democrat via AP)

Josh Williams, of Johnstown, shovels snow from the walkway at First United Methodist Church on Vine Street in downtown Johnstown, Pa., Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (Thomas Slusser/The Tribune-Democrat via AP)

A runner passes on a snowy morning as it falls over Center City, Philadelphia, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (Alejandro A. Alvarez/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP)

Truckers fight the weather as they stop on Interstate 44 in Fenton, Mo. to change wiper blades as sleet falls on Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025. (Cohen/St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP)

A person crosses a street as heavy snow falls Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

A snowplow clears the area as snow blankets Capitol Hill ahead of a joint session of Congress to certify the votes from the Electoral College in the presidential election in Washington, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Dave Thomasson uses an electric snowblower to clear his driveway in the Webster Oaks subdivision of Webster Groves, Mo. as residents started clearing a path on Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (Robert Cohen/St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP)

Law enforcement officers stand guard at the Capitol as snow falls ahead of a joint session of Congress to certify the votes from the Electoral College in the presidential election, in Washington, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Carl Rich uses a snowblower to clear his driveway during a winter storm, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel)

A person clears off a car during a winter snow storm in Washington, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

A person walks near the Washington Monument during a winter snow storm in Washington, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

People ski during a winter snow storm in Washington, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

A runner makes his way through a snow-covered street in Indianapolis, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

A workman clears steps at the Capitol as snow falls ahead of a joint session of Congress to certify the votes from the Electoral College in the presidential election, in Washington, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Police from nearby Arlington, Va., arrive at the Capitol to help reinforce the security presence ahead of a joint session of Congress to certify the votes from the Electoral College in the presidential election, in Washington, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

A pedestrian makes their way though a tunnel along the snow-covered Monon Trail in Carmel, Ind., Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Snow covers vehicles parked at the Helix Garage in downtown Lexington, Ky., on Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (Ryan C. Hermens/Lexington Herald-Leader via AP)

Vehicles drive along Main Street in Lexington, Ky., on Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (Ryan C. Hermens/Lexington Herald-Leader via AP)

A person walks his dog in view of the Capitol during a winter snow storm in Washington, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Traffic makes it way on snow-covered U.S. 31 in Carmel, Ind., Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Snow covers homes during a winter storm, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel)

Workers clear the plaza at the Capitol as snow falls ahead of a joint session of Congress to certify the votes from the Electoral College in the presidential election, in Washington, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

National Park Service workers shovel a pathway during a winter storm at the White House, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Heavy snow falls as a person walks along U.S. Route 42 in Florence, Ky., Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

People engage in a snowball fight as U.S. flags, along the base of the Washington Monument, fly at half-staff in memorial to former President Jimmy Carter, who died at the age of 100, in Washington, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

A child catches snowflakes with their tongue during El Museo del Barrio's 47th annual Three Kings Day parade, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Law enforcement officers stand guard at the Capitol as snow falls ahead of a joint session of Congress to certify the votes from the Electoral College in the presidential election, in Washington, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

A person holds an umbrella as they walk during a winter storm, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel)