Why Jaguars Should Have No Problem Winning AFC South

The Jacksonville Jaguars can't take the game off in Week 18, but they should be able to take care of business.

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) gets up after running in a two point conversion against the Tennessee Titans during the second quarter at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025. | Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Some NFL teams will have the luxury of taking the regular-season finale off in Week 18. In the last game of the year, only a handful of franchises still have playoff positioning to jostle for. The Jacksonville Jaguars are one of them, as they control their own destiny for the AFC South.

Jacksonville could even rise to the No. 2 or the No. 1 seed with a win over the Tennessee Titans this Sunday. However, they would need the Denver Broncos and the New England Patriots to lose to climb the standings. Unfortunately, the Broncos have a great chance to remain in the top spot in the AFC, as their opponent, the Chargers, is one of the teams resting key players in the finale, with Trey Lance starting at quarterback in place of Justin Herbert.

Nov 30, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) high fives the fans against the Tennessee Titans during the second half at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Jaguars can only handle their own business

The Jacksonville Jaguars won't be getting any help from Justin Herbert to climb into the one seed and claim the first-round bye, but maybe Trey Lance and the Los Angeles Chargers can still get frisky against the Denver Broncos. Even if they don't, the Jaguars could rise to No. 2 if the Miami Dolphins upset the New England Patriots in the finale.

Regardless, Jacksonville has to remain vigilant in the ultimate game of the regular season, as a loss would open the door for the Houston Texans to rip away the AFC South crown with a win over the Indianapolis Colts with Riley Leonard. If the Jaguars want to host a playoff clash this year, they need to complete the sweep of the Tennessee Titans.

This one's for all the marbles.#TENvsJAX 🎟️: https://t.co/tz23MWI41y pic.twitter.com/zejDzLGKEA

— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) December 31, 2025

It's no guarantee. These two teams are clearly in different tiers this season, but Cam Ward and the Titans have shown plenty of spunk down the stretch. They beat the Kansas City Chiefs before Christmas, went down to the wire with the New Orleans Saints in their last outing, and have averaged nearly 27 points per game in the last month.

Still, if the Jaguars play up to their standard, they should have no problem dispatching the Titans and winning the AFC South. FanDuel expects Jacksonville to extend its win streak to seven games before going into the postseason. The Jags are favored by 12.5 points at home and listed at -850 on the moneyline. The last time these two teams met, Jacksonville blew out Tennessee on the road, 25-3. That's the standard for Sunday, if not even higher now with more offensive momentum behind the Jags.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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