We have a game on Sunday that will have massive implications in the race for the AFC South divisional crown when the 8-4 Indianapolis Colts hit the road to take on the 8-4 Jacksonville Jaguars. Indy is hoping to bounce back from a disappointing loss to the Houston Texans and snap a two-game losing streak. On the other side, Jacksonville is looking to increase its win streak to four games and maintain control of first place in the AFC South.

After an improbable 7-1 start to open the season, the Colts have struggled recently, going 1-3 in their last four games. Last week, Indy was defeated by the Texans 20-16 at home, knocking them out of first place in the division. As of this writing, they're currently slated to be the sixth seed in the AFC Playoffs.

“[It’s] obviously very frustrating anytime you lose to a division opponent, especially at home,” said Colts head coach Shane Steichen during the postgame press conference. “We’ve got to get back on track this week against Jacksonville. Get it cleaned up tomorrow, and take ownership and everything. Myself, everybody included. It's not about one person. We’ve got to get it right. Obviously, that's the first time we've dropped two in a row this year. We’ve got to get back on track this week.”

In all likelihood, injuries have taken a toll on the Colts' efforts. Most notably, quarterback Daniel Jones is dealing with a fibula injury that has been affecting his ability to move around in the pocket. Despite the injury, Indianapolis has not lost faith in its starting QB.

“I think he's playing well, playing efficiently, spreading the ball around to guys, managing the offense within each weekly game plan against some pretty good defenses that throw different things at you and create different problems,” offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter told reporters on Tuesday. “We're always conscious of all our guys who's out there. Some guys are dealing with stuff throughout the NFL season, and we try to do what we can to put them in position to have success. But - like Shane said a few times - Daniel's sort of no restrictions. We're able to go out there and play ball and do whatever we can to beat our opponent.”

The Jaguars are one of the most well-balanced teams in the NFL, ranking in the top half of the league in offensive scoring (11th) and defensive scoring (12th). Shane Steichen was complimentary of how well Jacksonville has been playing all-around.

“I think, when you watch them, they fly around. I think they're doing a good job in all three phases,” Steichen told reporters on Wednesday. “Offensively, Trevor Lawrence is doing some good things. Etienne’s a hell of a runner. They're doing some good things there. And then, defensively, Hines-Allen, I think he just broke the record for most sacks in franchise history there. So, a lot of good things, a lot of respect for them in all three phases. Their return game's good. [We’ve] got to be on our details. Everything – the urgency, the energy - has got to be great this week going down there.”

The Jacksonville Jaguars have been playing at a high level for multiple weeks and now find themselves leading the AFC South. Over their last three games, they've outscored their opponents 87-33.

“It's just one week at a time. 1-0 for the rest of the way,” said Jags head coach Liam Coen following the 25-3 win over the Tennessee Titans. “We're giving ourselves an opportunity to play meaningful games in November and December, and that's ultimately all you can ask for in this league. The rest of the way, you've got competitive, meaningful football games, and I think that's just an important thing for us to go through as a team in year one. To have the opportunity to do those things and to earn that, I think, is important for us to be able to continue to move forward as a team.”

Red zone success has played a massive role in the Jags' win streak. During this three-game stretch, Jacksonville has converted on ten of its 13 red zone trips. Prior to that, the Jaguars had only ended 51% of their red zone drives with touchdowns.

“I don't know if there's one thing specifically. I think we've just been playing better offensively since about that point, to be honest,” quarterback Trevor Lawrence said on Wednesday. “All year, I think we've gotten better every week. It's not always straight up every week - we've had a couple bumps in the road - but I think, offensively, we've just gotten better every week. More efficient, better on first and second down, less third and long situations. And, I think throwing the ball in the red zone, specifically, we've been a lot better.”

Most people know that the Colts' strength is their offense. However, their defense has been one of the best units in the NFL at getting after the quarterback, ranking fifth in the league in sacks with 35. Trevor Lawrence spoke about how Indy's defense makes life miserable for opposing teams.

“[They’re] just a really good defense. I think really good players, for one, obviously. But also, the way they're coached, their scheme, the things that they do. I think they make it hard on offenses, whether it's identification and some of their pressures that they bring,” Lawrence said. “They change the look for quarterbacks a lot. They do a good job disguising… I think they have really good plans going into each game.”

The Colts have incredible offensive balance, ranking fourth in yards per game (375.4), sixth in passing (241 yards per game), and sixth in rushing (134.4 yards per game). Despite that effectiveness, Jacksonville is looking forward to the challenge of going against Indy's offense.

“We're excited about this matchup. We know what they do well. Hell, I've been seeing the same offense for seven years now. Same offensive line for about five years now, since (Bernhard) Raimann’s been there,” said Josh Hines-Allen on December 3rd. “Tight end’s changed. They got Alie-Cox, but then they got the rookie who's been playing really well for them, who’s definitely a mismatch problem for defenses, so we're going to have to keep an eye out on him. But again, it starts with Jonathan Taylor. We’ve got to get him down, do our best, and play some good football.”

Prediction for Indianapolis Colts (-1.5) @ Jacksonville Jaguars

This matchup can really go either way. Daniel Jones' leg injury should be a massive concern for Indianapolis because mobility is an important part of what makes him effective. Since he can't threaten opposing defenses with his legs, teams have been able to focus mainly on Jonathan Taylor, which is why he only has 143 rushing yards in his last two outings, where he previously averaged 113.9 rushing yards per game. Expect Trevor Lawrence to make a mistake and turn the ball over at least once against this opportunistic Colts defense, which is tied for eighth in takeaways (17). At the end of the day, though, the home-field advantage will be just a little bit too much for Indy to overcome as the Jags hold on for the victory.

Prediction: Jaguars 21 - 20 Colts

How to watch Indianapolis Colts (-1.5) @ Jacksonville Jaguars

Colts @ Jaguars starts at 1:00 p.m. EDT at EverBank Stadium. You can watch it on CBS or stream it via the Paramount+ app or YouTube TV.

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