Ask any fan of the Indianapolis Colts what their most dreaded game is, and there’s a good chance they’ll tell you it’s the one where they play the Jaguars in Jacksonville. There’s just something about it that, no matter how good the Colts or how bad the Jaguars are, ends with Jacksonville victorious over Indy, time and time again.

The Jacksonville curse is well-known, and it hit especially hard this year; not only did the Colts fall to the Jaguars, but they lost Daniel Jones in the process. At this point, Jacksonville is a lock for the playoffs, and Indy is just struggling to get through each week. And just three weeks after that last brutal loss in Jacksonville, the Colts will be facing their divisional foe again.

Many might say it’s a sure loss for the Colts; right now, the Jaguars are on fire, and Indy is dropping starters left and right. The defense was absolutely awful last week against the San Francisco 49ers, and the offense is being led by a 44-year-old grandfather, Philip Rivers. It might seem like an easy win for Jacksonville, but Indianapolis has a secret weapon that isn’t often acknowledged.

The Jaguars own the Colts in Florida… but Indy’s been owning them right back

As much talk as there is about the Jacksonville curse for the Colts, there should be more about the Lucas Oil curse for the Jaguars. That’s right: this is a curse that goes both ways, and yet, it’s only really ever discussed concerning the Colts playing in Jacksonville.

But the reality is, the Jaguars struggle whenever they play in Indianapolis. Over the last 12 seasons, the Jaguars are 2-10 at Lucas Oil Stadium. And these losses come regardless of how Jacksonville is playing overall; just like the Colts always seem to struggle when they play in Jacksonville, the same can be said for the Jaguars.

In 2022, for example, the Jaguars won the AFC South and made it to the divisional round of the playoffs, falling to the Kansas City Chiefs by one touchdown — no small feat, to be sure. And yet they still lost to the Colts that season at Lucas Oil Stadium, despite having beaten them earlier that season 24-0 at EverBank Stadium.

That same season, the Colts finished a measly 4-12 and didn’t make the playoffs. To make it even better, that 44-year-old grandpa has been doing much better than anyone could have expected. Not only did Rivers go off against the 49ers last week, but he has a history of dominating the Jaguars, too. Through his career, Rivers has played the Jaguars 11 times and won eight of those contests.

So for both teams, there is a psychological hangup that has a huge impact, even though it only gets mentioned one way. And this is something that should give the Colts a little bit of extra fuel to get through the weekend and pull off the upset. The Colts — and their fans — should prepare to exploit that weakness and bring some extra intimidation on Sunday.