The Jacksonville Jaguars have exceeded expectations this season. Already, they've won five more games than they did in 2024, with four games on the schedule. Moreover, they are on top of the AFC South and are nearly a lock to qualify for the postseason. But that's the thing, anything can happen in the NFL, and there's still plenty of work left.
Although their remaining schedule is manageable, the Jags cannot afford to overlook any of their opponents the next four weeks. After all, going 4-0 may not be realistic, but losing one or two games would allow the Houston Texans to catch up with them.
With this in mind, Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report just took a look at one game Jacksonville can't absolutely lose.
Losing to the Colts would be a huge blow for the Jaguars
Brad Gagnon took a look at every team's worst-case scenario for every NFL team late in the season. He chose losing to the Indianapolis Colts in Week 16 as a nightmare for the Jags, noting that it would potentially cost them a shot at winning the AFC South. Here's the skinny.
"Despite all of their momentum, a Week 17 loss to the shorthanded Colts cost them the AFC South, especially if franchise quarterback Trevor Lawrence struggles on that stage."
Gagnon isn't wrong. The Colts are no longer the favorite to seize the division after Daniel Jones suffered an Achilles injury. Sure, they brought Philip Rivers out of retirement, but he's 44. Asking him to keep their season afloat would be a tall order. And that's precisely why a loss to Indy would sting badly.
It's hard to envision Indianapolis finishing first in the division and making the playoffs after the loss to the Jaguars. However, the second-best thing behind not qualifying is playing spoilers and preventing a rival from getting in. That's probably what the Colts will be playing for when they face Jacksonville in Week 14.
And for the sake of the argument, let's say Indianapolis does beat the Jags. They may still make the playoffs but could go from the No. 3 seed to probably No. 7 or 8. That means that they would have to play on the road in the playoffs while the Texans enjoy home-field advantage.
But aside from having a tougher road in the playoffs, imagine the prospect of losing to Rivers or Riley Leonard. That would be the kind of blow that could linger for a while.
The Jaguars won't allow a collapse happen
Apart from the Colts, the Jaguars still have the Titans, the New York Jets, and the Denver Broncos on their schedule. The game against Denver is without a doubt the toughest one remaining, but 12-5 is a realistic outcome when you take into account that Jacksonville isn't resting on its laurels. Quite the contrary.
Head coach Liam Coen has done a great job of keeping the Jags focused. That shouldn't change despite the fact that they're riding a five-game winning streak. If anything, the team's "we get no respect" mindset will help them finish the season strong.
Ultimately, the Jaguars are starting to turn heads across the league in light of their recent success. Based on how they're built, they're well-equipped to embrace the spotlight and swap the Colts.