Though the Jacksonville Jaguars would likely call the Houston Texans their fiercest rival in the AFC South, that title has historically gone to the Indianapolis Colts. The two teams have battled each other ever since the division was formed in 2002, and while the Colts have had more success generally speaking, the Jaguars have consistently given them trouble.
While the Jaguars have not made it to the Super Bowl yet, and the Colts have, Jacksonville has also become known for their ability to consistently pull off upsets over Indianapolis, and since 2019, have become dominant over them.
It appears that the rivalry is about to be set off again, as the Jaguars currently trail the Colts as second in the AFC South, with a 2-1 record. The Colts are 3-0 and look dominant, but they are also about to have one of their first real tests of the season as they take on the Los Angeles Rams in Week 4.
Could the Jaguars still take the AFC South?
There are good reasons to believe that the race to win the AFC South really boils down to just two teams: the Jaguars and the Colts. The other two teams, the Texans and the Tennessee Titans, are both 0-3 and while it's possible they could turn things around, it seems unlikely.
That means only the Jaguars and the Colts have realistic chances at becoming AFC South champions, and for the moment, most analysts would likely say the Colts have it in the bag. But there are things the Jaguars could do to give themselves a fighting chance, and make life difficult for the Colts.
The first thing working in Jacksonville's favor, and their number one priority, is their offensive line, which is among the best in the league. If the Jaguars want to upset the Colts, they will need to keep Trevor Lawrence healthy, so he has a shot at continuing to improve under Liam Coen's leadership. If Lawrence and Coen can find a way to make the offense take off, the Jaguars will truly become a force to be reckoned with.
Second, Anthony Campanile needs to keep working his magic with the defense, which has had a major rebound from last season. Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker are two of the best pass rushers in the league, and they - along with Campanile's aggressive, physical defense, will need to be at their best in Week 4 against the San Francisco 49ers.
Finally, a major key to the Jaguars' success would be to find a way to unlock Travis Hunter's full potential. Hunter has been playing on both sides of the ball, as promised, but he hasn't yet made a huge impact on either offense or defense. This could be due to an overabundance of caution, as Coen undoubtedly doesn't want to see his star rookie get injured early in the season (or at all). It's certainly not an issue of his talent; Hunter is excellent both as a wide receiver and a cornerback. The Jaguars need to find a way to bring those explosive abilities to the forefront sooner rather than later.
If they can do all of this, and there's no reason to believe they can't, there's no reason to believe the battle to win the AFC South will become incredibly close, and the Colts might end up getting upset by Jacksonville yet again.