When the Jacksonville Jaguars defeated the Indianapolis Colts in Week 17, they achieved several important things. Aside from racking up the most wins they've had since 2005, they swept their dreaded divisional foe. If that wasn't enough, the Jags kept their hopes of clinching the No. 1 playoff seed in the conference and kept their narrow lead in the race for the AFC South.
Although it wasn't pretty, the Jags got the job done in Week 17. But even after securing a spot in their postseason, they will still have plenty to play for in the season finale, as the Houston Texans, the New England, and the Denver Broncos also took care of business.
The Jaguars will be playing for the AFC South title in Week 18
The Indianapolis Colts were eliminated from playoff contention when the Texans beat the Los Angeles Chargers. Thus, winning in Week 17 wouldn't have accomplished much aside from playing spoilers and making things more difficult for the Jaguars, as it would've allowed the Texans to narrow down the gap in the division race.
With the Colts out of the playoff picture, though, the Jags will only have to worry about the Texans potentially taking over the AFC South. Then again, they're in control of their destiny and can win the division if they can take care of business when they face the 3-12 Tennessee Titans in Week 18.
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The Jaguars will need to beat the Titans (and some help) to secure the No. 1 seed in the AFC
But aside from winning the division in the finale, Jacksonville will also have a path to the top seed in the AFC. For that to happen, though, both the New England Patriots and the Denver Broncos would have to lose. If only one of them drops a game, the Jags would get the No. 2.
At this point, it looks like clinching the No. 1 seed is a long shot, but with the division still in play, the Jaguars won't be able to rest their starters. Having said that, you could have asked for more. After all, they were expected to win just six or seven games after going 4-13.
That the Jaguars have made it this far is a testament to how huge the Liam Coen hire was. And everything they do after qualifying for the postseason is icing on the cake at this point.