The Jaguars are back home after their two weeks in London, and they get a division matchup with the Colts on Sunday afternoon in Jacksonville.
Jacksonville is coming off a 34-31 loss to Houston on Oct. 18, a result that snapped its three-game winning streak. The Jaguars also had a bye week to reset before this one.
Indianapolis, meanwhile, arrives with real momentum problems of its own after dropping its third straight game, a 16-10 loss in Minnesota on Sunday. The Vikings wiped out 7-0 and 10-7 Indianapolis leads along the way.
These teams already know each other well. Jacksonville beat Indianapolis twice in a three-week stretch last December.
Trevor Lawrence has been the key figure for the Jaguars’ attack, and his numbers have looked much sharper after the London trip. He threw for 331 yards against the Eagles and 306 against the Texans, after being held under 200 yards in two of his first four games this season. He also tossed four touchdown passes against Houston, and his 14 touchdown passes on the year are tied for fourth-most in the league.
Even so, this doesn’t feel like a spot where Jacksonville needs to light up the scoreboard to control things. The Jaguars are listed as -7.5 favorites, but there’s some skepticism about them clearing that number. What looks more believable is a game that stays on the lower side.
That lines up with what Jacksonville has done defensively for most of the season. Before Houston put up 34, the Jaguars had allowed 17, 17 and 6 points in their previous three games. Through their first five contests, they had given up just 70 points total.
Indianapolis hasn’t exactly been surging on offense either. The Colts were held to 10 points last week in Minnesota, and that makes it hard to picture them suddenly pushing this game into a shootout.
The read here is Jacksonville in the mid-20s and Indianapolis staying under 20.
In Other News...
Jaguars Trade Buzz Now Centers On One Name Fans Wont Like
Trade chatter around the league keeps circling back to a handful of notable names, and for Jaguars fans the most eye-catching one is Brian Thomas Jr. Multiple teams have reportedly checked in on deals involving the Colts Josh Downs and Thomas, with Downs said to be possibly open to a move. It is the sort of buzz that tends to follow a receiver who has already shown enough to draw attention, even if most of these conversations stay in the realm of due diligence.
Jacksonville is also being tied to a possible swing for Commanders defensive tackle Daron Payne, which adds another layer to the rumor mill as teams try to sort out whether they want to add, subtract or simply keep listening. Around the rest of the league, Titans players Jermaine Johnson, Tony Pollard and Alontae Taylor have also come up as trade possibilities, underscoring how active the market feels. For the Jaguars, the bigger question is whether interest in Thomas is just background noise or something that will force the front office to answer calls more seriously. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Suddenly Look Like A Team That Could Swing Big Again
With the NFL trade deadline approaching, the Jaguars are once again being mentioned as a team to watch if the market heats up. ESPN analysts Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano both pointed to Jacksonville as a possible buyer, with Fowler even floating Commanders defensive tackle Daron Payne as a name to keep in mind if Washington decides to listen.
Jacksonville already showed a willingness to make a move at last years deadline when it brought in Jakobi Meyers, and Graziano suggested the front office could be looking for more help on the defensive side this time around. For a team trying to keep pushing forward, that kind of aggressive mindset usually means the next week could be a lot more interesting than expected. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Enter Week 8 With A Chance To Change Everything In AFC South
The Jaguars enter Week 8 carrying more than just a solid spot in SIs weekly power rankings. At No. 8, they have earned the kind of national respect that comes from steady play, and now the schedule gives them a chance to turn that into something bigger. With divisional matchups and other conference tests ahead, Jacksonville is positioned to make a real move in both the AFC South and the wider AFC picture.
For a team that has spent the early part of the season climbing into the conversation with contenders such as the Bengals, Ravens and Chiefs, the next stretch could define how far that momentum goes. The rankings are a snapshot, but the games ahead will decide whether the Jaguars stay in that neighborhood or start separating themselves from the pack. [Read more 🡒]