3 Questions Facing the Jaguars Ahead of Colts Road Battle

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars are one game closer to reaching their ambitious 2025 goals, but the work is far from over.

In Week 17, the Jaguars will hit the road again to face the Indianapolis Colts in a rematch of the team's Week 14 battle where the Jaguars had the upper hand. So, what are the biggest questions facing the Jaguars ahead of the next chapter of this rivalry? We break it down below.

Can the Jaguars bottle up Jonathan Taylor once again?

Dec 7, 2025; Jacksonville, Florida, USA;Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor (28) warms up before an NFL game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Travis Register-Imagn Images | Travis Register-Imagn Images

The Jaguars' defense did a fantastic job against Taylor during their matchup in Jacksonville a few weeks ago, which was another data point in an odd trend during Taylor's career. He has always found more success against the Jaguars at Lucas Oil Stadium than in Jacksonville, and the Jaguar swill need to ensure this is not the case once more.

Taylor's season has slowed down considerably since he looked like an MVP candidate for the first two-to-three months of the season. The Colts can't ask Phillip Rivers to put the whole offense on his shoulders, so the Jaguars will need to do what they can to make the Colts one-dimensional like they did a few weeks ago.

How will Campanile adjust for Rivers?

Dec 22, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Philip Rivers (17) looks on in the second quarter of the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Jaguars defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile said yesterday that Rivers is like playing against another coach, which is the perfect way of putting it. Rivers operates the entire offense at the line of scrimmage and is able to win pre-snap, knowing exactly where to go with the football and when to get rid of it.

Jacksonville will have to walk the fine line of giving Rivers simple looks in zone coverage and whether to send pressure at him or not. With how quickly he is getting rid of the ball, they might be better off rushing four all game long and hoping to get enough bodies in passing lanes to disrupt his rhythm.

Can the running game come back?

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. (1) runs upfield in the fourth quarter during an NFL football game at EverBank Stadium, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars defeated the Jets 48-20. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] | Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Jaguars opened the season as one of the best rushing attacks in football, but it has plateued over the last month. It hasn't impacted the Jaguars much because they have been able to put the entire offense on Trevor Lawrence and the passing game, but the Jaguars need the running came to make a comeback for the playoffs.

For the Jaguars to do so, it will mean getting some momentum going against the Colts' strong run defense. The Jaguars are built to run the ball, and they need to find a way back to that to make them as dangerous as possible on offense.

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