At a Glance
- Jaguars win 23-17, stay 12-4, one win from AFC South crown
- Trevor Lawrence completes 23/37 for 263 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT
- Colts finish 8-8, miss playoffs after 7-1 start
- Why it matters: A win keeps Jacksonville alive in the division race and sets up a showdown with Tennessee for the AFC South title
In a high-stakes Sunday showdown, the Jacksonville Jaguars beat the Indianapolis Colts 23-17, keeping their playoff hopes alive and staying one win away from the AFC South title.
Jaguars Edge Colts to Stay in Playoff Race
Trevor Lawrence’s nearly flawless aerial attack and two rushing scores propelled the Jaguars to a 23-17 victory over the Colts. The win moved Jacksonville to a 12-4 record, keeping them a game ahead of the Houston Texans and one victory from their first AFC South crown since 2022.
- Trevor Lawrence: 23/37, 263 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT
- Jacksonville record: 12-4
- Colts record: 8-8
Key Moments and Player Highlights
The game swung early when Ashton Dulin’s kickoff return set up a Jags field goal, but the Colts answered with a 3-yard touchdown run from Jonathan Taylor. Lawrence responded with a 4-yard rushing touchdown and a 6-yard run in the third quarter, while Cam Little’s 42-yard field goal in the fourth secured the lead.
| Metric | Jaguars | Colts |
|---|---|---|
| Passing (completions/attempts) | 23/37 | 17/30 |
| Passing yards | 263 | 147 |
| Passing TDs | 2 | 1 |
| Passing INTs | 1 | 1 |
| Rushing TDs | 2 | 1 |
| Field goals | 1 (42-yard) | 0 |
| Kickoff return | 56-yard | 0 |
Colts quarterback Philip Rivers, 44, finished 17/30 for 147 yards, 1 TD, and 1 INT.
Jacksonville kept Rivers winless in three games since his return.
Trevor Lawrence said:
> “We are a very confident group. We feel like, ‘Why not us?’ We feel like it should be us.”
> “We’ve got to go and finish the job next week. It’s a huge game – a division game to win the AFC South. We know what we have to do, and we know what we have ahead of us.”
Philip Rivers said:
> “We were talking in there and I think the start, the hot start, is what probably makes this whole thing hurt even more. If it had been one of those kinds of back-and-forth years the whole year – you look up and you find a way to win eight, nine games and you go, ‘Shoot, just kind of a grinding kind of year.’ But the fact they were at eight (wins) so soon and it’s just been a tough last six-game stretch or so.”
Liam Coen said:
> “We haven’t addressed making the playoffs as a team. We haven’t talked about goals, about the division, the conference, the Super Bowl, none of that. We’re focused on being 1-0 each week and keeping the mindset as singular as we can.”
Key Takeaways
- Jacksonville remains 12-4, one win from the AFC South crown.
- Trevor Lawrence’s dual-role performance kept the Jags ahead of the Texans.
- Colts finish 8-8 and miss the postseason after a 7-1 start.
The Jaguars’ win keeps the division race alive and sets the stage for a decisive showdown with Tennessee next weekend.
