Trevor Lawrence used his legs when it mattered most, and the Jacksonville Jaguars moved one step closer to another AFC South title. Lawrence ran for two touchdowns, Cam Little kicked three field goals — including the tiebreaking 42-yarder with 6:58 remaining — and the Jaguars beat the Indianapolis Colts 23-17 on Sunday, pushing Jacksonville to the brink of the division crown.
The victory was Jacksonville’s seventh straight and lifted the Jaguars to 12-4, keeping them one game ahead of Houston in the AFC South race. Their division celebration was delayed after the two-time defending champion Texans beat the Los Angeles Chargers 20-16 on Saturday, but Jacksonville remains firmly in control heading into the final week.
The loss eliminated Indianapolis (8-8) from playoff contention and capped a stunning late-season collapse. The Colts have lost six straight and seven of eight, becoming the sixth team since 1970 — and the first since the 1995 Oakland Raiders — to miss the postseason after starting 8-2.
Lawrence’s stat line was modest by his recent standards, but effective. He completed 23 of 37 passes for 263 yards, ending a streak of four straight games with at least 275 yards, two touchdowns and a passer rating over 100. He also threw his first interception in five weeks. None of it bothered him.
Jacksonville leaned on Lawrence’s mobility near the goal line. He scored on a 4-yard run in the second quarter and added a slick 6-yard touchdown midway through the third to give the Jaguars a 14-10 lead.
Indianapolis, playing 44-year-old quarterback Philip Rivers in his third game since returning from a five-year retirement, struck first. Ashton Dulin’s long opening kickoff return set up a field goal, and the Colts capitalized on a Jacksonville turnover with a 3-yard Jonathan Taylor touchdown run to jump ahead 10-0.
Dulin sparked the Colts again with a 56-yard return late in the third quarter, setting up Rivers’ 5-yard touchdown pass to Mo Alie-Cox that put Indianapolis back in front 17-14.
From there, it was all Jacksonville. Little tied the game with a 34-yard field goal, broke the deadlock with his 42-yarder, and later extended the margin with a clutch 53-yard kick. Rivers’ interception — his lone mistake of the day — directly led to the Jaguars’ go-ahead score.
Rivers finished 17 of 30 for 147 yards with one touchdown and one interception, remaining winless in three starts since his return. The fourth-oldest quarterback to start an NFL game relied on experience to keep Indianapolis competitive, but the Colts couldn’t generate enough offense late.
Jacksonville sealed the win when it intercepted a desperation final heave into the end zone, sending the home crowd into celebration mode — with more potentially on the way.
Under first-year coach Liam Coen, the Jaguars are also in the mix for the AFC’s top seed. Coen became the first coach to win 12 games after taking over a team that won just four the previous season.
Jaguars: Can clinch the AFC South title with a victory over visiting Tennessee next weekend. Colts: Finish the season at Houston, concluding their fifth straight year without a playoff berth.
