Colts Collapse in Jacksonville as Playoff Hopes Take Major Hit
For most of the season, the Indianapolis Colts looked like the team to beat in the AFC South. But Sunday in Jacksonville, everything changed - and not in a good way.
The Colts didn’t just lose a game. They lost control of their season.
A 36-19 defeat at the hands of the Jaguars was bad enough, but the real gut punch came when quarterback Daniel Jones went down with what’s believed to be a season-ending Achilles injury. That changes everything. With Jones out, the Colts are turning to rookie Riley Leonard for the final stretch - a tall order for any young quarterback, especially with the stakes this high.
Let’s not forget, this team started 7-1. They were rolling.
The offense was clicking, the defense was holding up, and the Colts looked like a legitimate Super Bowl dark horse. But since then, they’ve dropped four of their last five, falling to 8-5 and now staring down one of the toughest closing stretches in the league.
Up next? The Seahawks, 49ers, Jaguars (again), and Texans.
That’s a brutal gauntlet, especially without their starting quarterback. It’s not hard to imagine this team finishing 8-9 - and on the outside looking in come playoff time.
Meanwhile, the Jaguars just took a commanding step forward in the division race. Now 9-4, Jacksonville sits atop the AFC South and has the inside track to host a playoff game in January.
Trevor Lawrence delivered exactly the kind of performance the Jags needed from him - efficient, composed, and turnover-free. He finished the day 17-of-30 for 244 yards and two touchdowns, and while it wasn’t flashy, it was the kind of steady leadership that wins games in December.
The Jaguars don’t need Lawrence to be Superman - they just need him to be sharp and smart, like he was Sunday. If he keeps playing clean football and the defense holds up, Jacksonville is in great shape to close out the division.
As for Indianapolis, the questions are piling up fast. Can Leonard hold the line?
Can the defense carry more of the load? Can they steal a win or two down the stretch to stay alive in the playoff race?
Right now, the answers aren’t clear. But one thing is: a season that once looked so promising is suddenly hanging by a thread.