The Jacksonville Jaguars are riding high following their 20-13 win over the dreaded Tennessee Titans. Unfortunately, the Indianapolis Colts can't say the same after their meltdown against the New York Giants in Week 16. While both teams have already been eliminated from playoff contention, the Jags should be incentivized to beat Indy to pull off the sweep and finish the season strong.
The Colts entered the 2024 season feeling good about their chances of qualifying for the postseason. This makes sense when you consider that they managed to be competitive last year despite the fact that quarterback Anthony Richard for a considerable amount of time.
The expectation was the former Florida Gator was going to make a leap in 2024 but Indianapolis mismanaged his development and ended up pivoting between him and veteran Joe Flacco. Ultimately, the Colts ended up going back to Richardson but you can make the case that their lack of planning ultimately held them back.
Richardson was ruled out for Week 16, and Flacco got the starting nod. You would think that having a chance to earn a playoff spot and facing one of the worst teams in the league would be incentive enough to come out on top. That wasn't the case.
The Colts suffered an embarrassing loss to the lowly New York Giants. For context, the G-Men scored more than 40 points for the first time since the distant year of 2019. That's how dreadful Indianapolis was.
#Giants surpass 40 points for the first time since 2019! Not a good look for the #Colts in a must-have.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) December 29, 2024
Talking head Pat McAfee, who's been critical of his former team, went into a passionate rant about the current state of the Colts, basically saying that they're a dumpster fire, and unless they make changes, things will stay the same.
I’ve said what I believed to be the truth about the team.. & a bunch of “Colts fans” on the internet were trying to get me booed out of the city..
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) December 30, 2024
Current players, who have won nothing during their entire tenures, started using me and my face to try and paint me as the enemy in… https://t.co/qCWb7SL1l8
Similarly, longtime NFL observer Mike Freeman didn't hesitate to state unequivocally that the Colts definitely quit.
Been covering the league for over 30 years and I’ve actually rarely seen a team or unit quit. I know there’s always narratives out there about teams quitting but it actually almost never happens.
— mike freeman (@mikefreemanNFL) December 30, 2024
The Colts defense yesterday?
They quit.
They were like: I’m out. Bye.
The Jaguars cannot take the Colts lightly, must beat them in the finale
By beating the Tennessee Titans, the Jacksonville Jaguars hurt their position in the 2025 NFL Draft. A win over the Indianapolis Colts in Week 17 would put them further away from the top overall selection and likely keep them out of the top 5. Having said that, sweeping their AFC South foes and finishing 4-2 in the division would be a great way to end the year.
The Jags are 4-12 ahead of the finale and don't have many reasons to celebrate, but knowing they have a better record than two of their AFC South rivals should allow them to hold their head up high heading into the finale, especially knowing that Doug Pederson and Trent Baalke are probably on their way out.
Of course, Jacksonville cannot afford to take the Colts lightly. Without much to play for, they'll want to fend them off at Lucas Oil Stadium. The Jaguars are currently a 5.5-point underdog for the game, and given the tough nature of divisional bouts, they may have trouble leaving Indy with a win. Still, knowing they can sweep their divisional rivals should motivate them.
The bottom line is that the Jags should feel great about sweeping the Titans, and they'll have the chance to do the same against the Colts in the final, even if the odds don't currently favor them.