What a Win (and Loss) Means for Jaguars vs. Colts

The Jacksonville Jaguars travel to the Midwest to face the Indianapolis Colts in a critical AFC South bout that could either clinch the division for the Jaguars (if help arrives) or end the small amounts of hope for the postseason for the Colts.

Divisional games have shown to be chaotic across the NFL this season, with some division winners across the NFL yet to be determined, with one or two games left in teams' schedules. Thankfully, Jacksonville will make the playoffs this season as an 11-win team for the first time since 2007, and look to win their 12th game for the first time since the late 1990s in the early years of their existence.

With that in mind, the Jaguars do face a critical game as the Houston Texans are making a surge as winners of their last seven games. Here is what is at stake with a win and a loss for Jacksonville.

What a win means

Allen Jags — Jacksonville Jaguars running back Lequint Allen Jr. (36) celebrates a first down pickup during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game at EverBank Stadium, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars defeated the Colts 36-19. | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

There would be many milestones with a win on Sunday for the Jaguars. Let's start with the Texans scenario: should the Los Angeles Chargers beat Houston on Saturday, a win for Jacksonville would clinch the AFC South for the first time in three years. 12 wins would be the most in a single season for the franchise since 1999, and would turn Week 18 into a resting opportunity for head coach Liam Coen's squad.

Even with a Texans victory, the Jaguars would still have their longest winning streak in many years with a seventh straight triumph as they continue to make a healthy case as one of the teams to beat in the NFL for the AFC playoffs. This type of success has been a long time coming for the franchise, creating memories for a new generation of Jaguars fans while relishing old ones from the early days of the organization.

What a loss means

Coen Jags — Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen spits along the sideline in the third 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

Should the Texans win and the Jaguars lose, the division would come down to Week 18, with Jacksonville needing a win against the Tennessee Titans and a Colts win to lock up the AFC South. However, if both teams lose this weekend, all that Jacksonville has to do next week is win.

However, a loss would reignite playoff aspirations for the Colts with Philip Rivers under center, who are barely hanging on to any hope of reaching the postseason. Two straight wins and some help in the AFC could get the Colts into the dance by some miracle, but that is basically what it would take in the next 10 days.

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