4 critical observations from Jaguars' narrow win vs. the Colts

Even before the Jacksonville Jaguars took the field in Week 17, their opponent, the Indianapolis Colts, had been eliminated from playoff contention because the Houston Texans beat the Los Angeles Chargers one day prior. Nevertheless, that didn't stop the Jags from stepping on the gas pedal and pouring even more salt in their division foe's wound.

Of course, Indianapolis didn't make things easy. In spite of being eliminated from playoff contention, it gave it all and made the Jags earn the win. Ultimately, the Jags did enough to come out on top and keep control of the AFC South with one game left in the season. With this in mind, here are four critical observations from the 20-17 victory over the Colts.

The special teams hindered the Jaguars vs. the Colts

Right off the bat, the Jaguars had a couple of special-team blunders to start the game. They allowed Ashton Dulin to return a kickoff 53 yards on the opening possession. The good news is that the Jacksonville defense ended up just giving up a field goal. On the following drive, though, linebacker Ventrell Miller was flagged for illegal contact. The penalty cost the Jags 10 yards on their first offensive possession.

Then in the third quarter, the Jags gave up another big return. Again, it led to another Indianapolis touchdown, this time to give the Colts a 17-14 lead. Overall, the special teams have been a strength this season, but Heath Farwell will need to see what went wrong, so it doesn't come back to haunt the Jags in future games.

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Turnovers cost the Jaguars 14 points in the first half

In spite of Ventrell Miller's penalty, Jacksonville was able to march down the field without much trouble. But once the offense reached Colts territory, the Jags decided to get pretty and lost a fumble during an exchange between Travis Etienne and Jakobi Meyers after Trevor Lawrence had completed a 21-yard toss.

The Colts recovered and went on to reach the end zone to make it 7-0. But wait, there's more. Near halftime and down 10-7, Jacksonville got to the Colts' three-yard line. Lawrence targeted Parker Washington but was picked up by Germaine Pratt, so the Jags headed to the locker room trailing 10-7.

This was Lawrence's first interception in five games, though. He was close to having another pass picked off, but it was ultimately dropped. Overall, he played well enough to help the Jags win, even if his decision-making wasn't nearly as good as it has been the past few weeks.

Trevor Lawrence made the Colts pay with his legs

The Colts didn't hesitate to blitz Trevor Lawrence and generally succeeded, as the fifth-year quarterback routinely had defenders on his face by the time he pulled the trigger. That said, he was unfazed. Moreover, No. 16 made Indianapolis pay, as he routinely left the pocket and made plays with his legs.

The Jags reached the end zone twice because Lawrence took off. He finished the game with 23 yards on six rushes. On a related note, the former Clemson Tiger became only the second quarterback since 2021 to throw for 25 touchdowns and rush for eight or more. However you look at it, that's a pretty sweet accomplishment.

The Jaguars keep exceeding expectations in Year 1 of the Liam Coen era

Regardless of how things end, the 2025 season has been a resounding success for the Jaguars. Aside from qualifying for the postseason, they have now racked up 12 wins for the first time since 2005. Sure, Jacksonville is rightly taking it one game at a time, but you cannot overlook the impact Liam Coen has had in his first season as the head coach.

Of course, there's still plenty of work left, and the Jaguars must clean up the mistakes that showed up in the Colts game. But based on how things have played out, don't be shocked if they continue to exceed expectations.