Why Jaguars Can't Take Philip Rivers Lightly in Week 17

The Jacksonville Jaguars are going into their rematch with the Indianapolis Colts. This time, they'll be facing a new, but familiar foe.

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Philip Rivers (17) leaves the field Monday, Dec. 22, 2025, after losing a game against the San Francisco 49ers at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. | Christine Tannous/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Jacksonville Jaguars clinched a playoff spot this past week. While they took care of business on their end, with a commanding 34-20 upset win over the Denver Broncos, that wasn't what got the job done. It wasn't until the Indianapolis Colts fell to the San Francisco 49ers on Monday night that Jacksonville officially punched its postseason ticket.

The Jags still have plenty to play for, though. With their victory over Denver, Jacksonville has a reasonable chance to close the gap on the Broncos and the New England Patriots, climb to the No. 1 seed in the AFC, and earn the first-round bye. Plus, the Jaguars still have to keep an eye out for the Houston Texans, who are right on their trail at 10-5.

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones (17) is sacked by Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Danny Striggow (92) during the first quarter of an NFL football game at EverBank Stadium, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Jaguars can't chalk up a win versus the Colts

The first time the Jacksonville Jaguars met the Indianapolis Colts this season, both teams were tied at 8-4. The Jags had taken the lead in the AFC South due to a "common opponents" tiebreaker, but the real decider was their head-to-head matchup in Week 14. It was supposed to be a heavyweight bout that would significantly swing the fate of the division.

Instead, the Jaguars manhandled the Colts, with the skies over Duval raining on Indy's parade throughout the afternoon. Jacksonville emerged victorious, 36-19, claiming the AFC South crown outright, and they haven't relinquished it since. Indianapolis's downfall started before then, as that game marked their third straight defeat, but they also lost starting quarterback Daniel Jones to a ruptured Achilles in that bout. From there, the Colts have had a meteoric fall back to Earth.

Brock Purdy and Philip Rivers look like they’re starring in a Disney+ movie about a father and son who play against each other in the Super Bowl. pic.twitter.com/Bq81aLK3jg

— Reggie Wade (@ReggieWade) December 23, 2025

After starting 8-2, they've now lost their last five games, dropping from the top of the AFC standings to the eighth seed. They went from a dark-horse MVP candidate at QB to calling 44-year-old Philip Rivers out of retirement to try to save their season. Head Coach Liam Coen knows that Rivers can't be taken lightly, though:

"Yeah, I thought he looked good in both games. Obviously, super sharp guy, one of the best of all time, obviously, and he's really got command of everything out there. It's a tough guy to prepare for and to play against because it's like you're playing against a coach out there, too. A guy that knows football as good as anybody and can get the ball out really, really quickly and knows where he wants to go with the ball immediately. So, it's a real challenge, and I think he's done a hell of a job so far."

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