The Jacksonville Jaguars’ season will be coming to a close this Sunday as the team will host their division rivals: the Indianapolis Colts. With the playoffs not being a possibility, Jags fans could still view Sunday’s game as a win-win because if they lose, the team will get better draft positioning, and if they win, they will get some payback for the embarrassing loss the Colts handed them Week 11.
All of that in mind, here are four things to know about Sunday’s AFC South showdown:
Both teams are eliminated from the postseason, but the game has playoff implications
The Jags and Colts both won’t be going to the postseason, but their game could have playoff implications, which is why the NFL moved it 1 p.m. to 4:25 p.m. However, if the Titans simply win Sunday against the Houston Texans, there will be no need to look into the implications behind the Colts’ and Jags’ game because that would put Tennessee in the playoffs.
However, if the Titans lose, they could see a scenario where they would need the Jags’ help (a.k.a. a Colts loss). The Steelers and Oakland Raiders also could see scenarios where they would need help from either Indy or the Jags on Sunday, too.
To check out the different scenarios for the No. 6 seed, they can be viewed on NFL.com.
The Colts have only won one game since their last meeting with the Jags
The Colts looked like they could be a big-time postseason threat after defeating the Jags Week 11 in an important game that would’ve put Jacksonville in second place in the division. The end result for the Jags ended up being a 33-13 beatdown for Indy, which still is fresh in the minds of Jags fans.
However, since that game, the Colts haven’t been able to capitalize on the momentum they garnered against the Jags and they went on to lose four straight games. They ended that losing streak Sunday against the Carolina Panthers, but the damage was done at that point and their playoff hopes were long gone.
There are several reasons for their decline, but a lot of people who cover the team believe the biggest reason for the Colts’ struggles were due to a key player getting injured. That key player is quarterback Jacoby Brissett, who hasn’t been the same since injuring his MCL in early November. His last three games have especially been unimpressive as he hasn’t completed more than 52.94% of his passes through the stint.
With the young quarterback struggling, it’s safe to say even the Jags have a chance to pull off a win Sunday. That could especially be the case when considering the fact that Doug Marrone’s job could be on the line, which brings us to our next topic.
Will Sunday mark Doug Marrone’s last game as the Jags’ head coach?
Marrone told the media that he and owner Shad Khan hadn’t spoken about the future of his job last week, but it won’t be soon before the organization breaks its silence. Per NFL insider Ian Rapoport, Khan was leaning towards keeping Marrone and general manager Dave Caldwell depending on how things went in the Jags last two games. Unfortunately, the team once again lost by double-digit points Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons, which in no way, shape, or form should help Marrone or Caldwell’s case.
All of that said, it appears Marrone may have one chance to prove himself this Sunday. Then again, it’s a possibility Khan’s mind could be already made up regardless of what he decides. I think the Jags should move on a begin to rebuild because there is a lot of work to be done to fix the Jags’ roster and a half measure approach won’t help the situation.
The Jaguars could catch the Colts without their best offensive line in Quenton Nelson
Another player who is dealing with an injury on the Colts’ roster is arguably their best player in offensive guard Quenton Nelson. The second-year player is currently in the concussion protocol, and if he can’t play, that would be huge for the Jags.
The Jags have a lot of issues with their current roster, and stopping the run may be atop the list. In their last meeting, the Colts embarrassed the Jags on the ground, accumulating 264 rushing yards on the day thanks to Jonathan Williams and Marlon Mack, both of whom had over 100 yards rushing and averaged over 7.7 yards per carry.
None of that would’ve been possible without Nelson, who is already one of the top guards in football just two years into his career. Without him, maybe the Jags can penetrate the line of scrimmage and slow down the Colts’ rushing attack, which is averaging 133.2 rushing yards a game and is the league’s No. 4 rushing attack.
