Indianapolis Colts aim for crucial win in Jacksonville to retake AFC South lead
The Indianapolis Colts find themselves at a critical juncture in the season, having dropped three of their last four games following a promising eight-game start, the best for the franchise in over a decade. This week, they face off against the Jacksonville Jaguars in a must-win matchup that could restore their hold on the AFC South.
A Difficult Road Ahead
The Colts are traveling to Jacksonville, a place where they haven’t tasted victory since 2014. This year’s contest takes place in Week 14—an echo of history, as it was in this same week in 2015 that the Jaguars commenced their decade-long home win streak over Indianapolis. In that fateful game, the Colts were led by Matt Hasselbeck, who stepped in for an injured Andrew Luck. The result was a staggering 51-16 loss, marking the most points ever surrendered by the Colts in their long-standing rivalry, which spans 48 encounters. That defeat left the Colts with a record of 6-7 at the time.
A Season on the Line
Fast forward to the current season, and the stakes are significantly higher. Both the Colts and Jaguars enter this matchup with identical records of 8-4, each sporting a 2-1 mark within the division. The only blemish on each team’s divisional record comes at the hands of the Houston Texans. In recent weeks, Jacksonville has been on a roll, winning three consecutive games with an impressive average margin of victory of 18 points since their loss to Houston on November 9.
In stark contrast, the Colts have struggled to find their rhythm, suffering back-to-back defeats by a mere combined seven points. Their most recent outing was particularly disheartening, as they mustered just 16 points against the Texans at home, their lowest output of the season and the only game in which they failed to score at least 20 points. This loss marked a sobering reality for a team that had previously shown signs of promise.
The Road to Redemption
As the Colts prepare for this vital showdown, the pressure is on to break the Jacksonville curse and reclaim their position atop the AFC South. The outcome of this game could very well define their season and set the tone for the crucial stretch run ahead. With playoff implications hanging in the balance, the Colts must channel their inner resilience and rise to the occasion, or risk falling further behind in a tightly contested division.
