JACKSONVILLE – The next game is the biggest game. Again.
This has been the Jaguars’ weekly mantra while navigating their way through multiple big late-season games, and it remains a theme as they prepare to play the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind., Sunday.
The Jaguars have big goals within reach. They must keep winning to reach them.
The Jaguars (11-4), winners of six consecutive games and seven of the last eight, can clinch their third AFC South title in nine seasons with a victory Sunday if the Houston Texans (10-5) lose to the Los Angeles Chargers (11-4) Saturday. They also enter the weekend seeded No. 3 in the AFC, a game and a half behind the AFC West-leading Denver Broncos (13-3) and a game behind the AFC East-leading New England Patriots (12-3).
They can still earn the No. 1 seed if they tie the Broncos and/or Patriots for best record in the AFC.
Those are lofty goals. And the Jaguars enter Sunday looking like a team capable of reaching them, with the offense and quarterback Trevor Lawrence playing as well as any team in the NFL and a turnover-centric, tough defense complementing the offense in a big way.