Fresh off a decisive win over the Denver Broncos, the Jacksonville Jaguars will play the Indianapolis Colts in Week 17. This will mark the second time these AFC South foes face off this season, and both teams will be looking to come out of the game with a win, as it will have playoff implications.
With a win, the Jags will still have a chance, albeit a slim one, to seize the No. 1 seed in the conference. On the other hand, the Colts will be eliminated from playoff contention if they lose, so don't expect them to surrender without a fight.
Then again, Jacksonville is riding a hot streak and will be incentivized to finish the season strong. With this in mind, here are three predictions for this AFC South rematch.
Trevor Lawrence will set a new Jaguars record for total TDs in a season
Back in 2015, Blake Bortles turned heads across the league (and became a Fantasy Football darling) when he set a new franchise record for touchdowns in a season, throwing for 35 and rushing for two. With two weeks left in the season, his record is in danger of being broken.
Trevor Lawrence enters the Colts game with 26 passing touchdowns and seven rushing touchdowns for a total of 33. He's four short of tying Bortle's record and five away from setting a new one. He'll get it done against the Colts.
Sure, Indianapolis is expected to have cornerback Sauce Gardner — he's missed time with a calf injury — but the Jags won't have to deal with defensive tackle DeForest Bucker. Even without him, the Colts defense is nothing to scoff at, but No. 16 will find a way to carve their secondary and set a new team record for individual touchdowns in a season.
Josh Hines-Allen will bring down Phillip Rivers 3 times, reach the 10-sack mark
After a slow start to the season, Josh Hines-Allen has hit his stride. Even though he only logged half a sack the first seven games, he's recorded 6.5 the last nine games. Moreover, his 82 pressures rank third in the league and second in the AFC, only behind Will Anderson.
Colts left tackle Bernhard Raimann is back in the fold after missing Week 16 with an elbow injury. That won't stop Hines-Allen from bringing the heat throughout the game and sacking Phillip Rivers three times.
The Jaguars will have two 100-yard receivers: Brian Thomas Jr., and Jakobi Meyers
Parker Washington shone against the Broncos, hauling in six receptions for 145 yards with a touchdown. Against the Colts, it will be Jakobi Meyers and Brian Thomas Jr. to step up. Trevor Lawrence has been taking more deep shots in the second half of the year, so expect him to look for Thomas throughout the game, and when he is bracketed, he'll turn to the sure-handed Meyers.
For the eighth time this season, Jacksonville will score 25 points or more against the Colts. But it will be the first time they have two 100-yard receivers when both Meyers and Thomas cross the mark.