The Indianapolis Colts could just as easily get caught watching the scoreboard on Sunday as they take on the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Indy enters Week 17 at 10-5, but need a win and a loss from one of the Tennessee Titans, Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns or Miami Dolphins to clinch a playoff berth.
Obviously, the Colts need some things to break their way. But the team is not planning to post the scores from any of those four teams' games on Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium, per ESPN's Mike Wells.
Head coach Frank Reich said the move will be made so as to force players to focus on the task at hand:
“Maybe not to all guys, but if it's a distraction to one guy, that's one guy too many,” Reich said. “It's better not to have them up there. It's irrelevant. It can do nothing to add to what we have to focus on. It only has a potential negative effect in our view.”
The Ravens, Browns and Dolphins all have early kickoffs, while the Colts and Titans are part of the later slate in the afternoon.
Colts quarterback Philip Rivers acknowledged it will be hard to block the early games out:
“My normal mode when we play the 4 o'clock game, I kind of flip through the Sunday Ticket on my phone. So to say I won't be doing that will be a lie,” Rivers said.
The Colts might be facing the lowly 1-14 Jaguars, but Jacksonville's lone win actually came against Indianapolis in Week 1, making it all the more imperative Reich's team controls what they can control and get a win.
Indianapolis will earn a Wild Card berth with a win and loss from the Ravens, Browns or Dolphins. The Colts will win the AFC South with a win and a Titans loss.
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