Ryan O’Halloran: Jaguars in great position to win AFC South
The Jaguars’ third blowout win in four weeks shows they are in position to roll to the AFC South title.
The Jacksonville Jaguars defeated the Indianapolis Colts 36-19, extending their winning streak to four games.With the win, the Jaguars moved to 9-4 and took sole possession of first place in the AFC South.Jacksonville’s defense held the Colts to 19 points, recorded three takeaways, and scored a safety.
So long, Indianapolis Colts.
You deserve a hat tip for beating up on a favorable early-season schedule and having the game’s best running back in Jonathan Taylor, but your quarterback is injured and your schedule is all land mines. It’s over. Kaput. Done-zo.
Meanwhile, things are just beginning for this group of Jacksonville Jaguars.
Hop aboard the bandwagon, fans. Good seats are available.
September and October had cool moments like winning at San Francisco and outlasting Kansas City in prime time, but wins in December are different. Blowout wins over a division rival in December are different. Blowout wins over a division rival in December at home are different.
The Jaguars made it four consecutive wins with a thorough 36-19 win over the Colts on Sunday, Dec. 7. They never trailed. They led by 18 at halftime. They scored a safety. And they were able to sit quarterback Trevor Lawrence with 6:56 remaining.
This has been a fascinating season ‘round these parts because surprises are always fun … and now things are fixing to get really fun. Like winning the division fun. Like making a playoff run fun.
“This win was a statement because (the Colts are) a legit team and because of all the implications in the AFC South and us both being 8-4,” linebacker Devin Lloyd said. “All wins are big, but some mean more than others and this was one of them.”
The Colts will go from 9-2 and leading the AFC after Week 10 to out of the playoffs because quarterback Daniel Jones’ Achilles injury didn’t look good and their schedule still includes Seattle, San Francisco, Houston and a Jaguars rematch. Book it.
The Jaguars will go from 4-3 at the bye to winning the AFC South. Book it.
Jaguars ascending level of play
The way Travon Walker explained it, pro football is about self-assessment. Each play. Each possession. Each week.
“If we look in the mirror and we like what we see, we’ll be the best product (possible) for this team,” he said.
The mirror says the Jaguars are 9-4 … and on the upswing. They all should like what is looking back at them. Players are improving their level of play, not merely maintaining it.
“We want to be continuously elevating,” Walker said.
Mission achieved, Travon.
Lawrence has played two turnover-free games since his four-giveaway debacle in the overtime win at Arizona. Smart with the football and wise in picking his spots to scramble, he has played better.
Receiver Brian Thomas Jr. — remember him? — had his best game of the year with catches of 30 and 39 yards. Whew, if the Jaguars can get him downfield with consistency, they’ll be even more formidable.
Tight end Brenton Strange and receiver Jakobi Meyers, midseason additions from injured reserve (Strange) and the Las Vegas Raiders (Meyers), respectively, appear to be always open.
The offensive line threw a shutout (no sacks allowed).
And how about the defense? Three takeaways and the aforementioned safety. No rush allowed of longer than 14 yards by Taylor.
“We always talk during the week about making a statement,” cornerback Greg Newsome said. “This is a great win, but we have to keep playing this brand of football. We played a full four quarters in every phase and we have to continue to get that.”
If the Jaguars continue to produce that, they will finish the regular season with a minimum 11 wins, which will be good enough to win the division for the second time in four years. This team is playing too well to suddenly collapse.
Blowout wins becoming common
After each win, a visit to the Jaguars locker room produces the view their belief and confidence are rising. What a turn over the last month.
This precinct thought the Jaguars were in deep trouble after they blew a 19-point lead at Houston only four weeks ago. Some teams never rebound from that kind of disappointment. The loss lingers. The mental hangover is too real.
Instead, the Jaguars, in a credit to coach Liam Coen and the players, moved not only forward, but upward.
35-6 over the Los Angeles Chargers (complete domination).27-24 over the Arizona Cardinals (ugly, but a win).25-3 over the Tennessee Titans (see Chargers description)And this win over the Colts (see Chargers/Titans description).
In 2017, the Jaguars had wins by 27, 16, 12, 20 and 37 points over a span of eight weeks.
This team is making blowouts a habit.
These aren’t routs early in the season when new play-callers have the element of surprise on their side. No, teams have 12 games of Jaguars video to examine and it’s not doing them much good.
“I’ve been on teams that started out fast, mellowed out in the middle and then fluttered into the playoffs and that doesn’t feel good,” safety Eric Murray said. “(These wins) give you momentum.”
These Jaguars haven’t mellowed out and won’t be fluttering into the playoffs. Book it.
Contact O’Halloran at rohalloran@gannett.com