The Colts and Jaguars are two teams moving in opposite directions heading into Week 14. Indianapolis is on a two-game losing streak after losing to Houston in Week 13. The Colts were once completely in charge of the AFC South, but now see their lead slipping away.
Meanwhile, the Jaguars have won their last three games and are on top of the division standings. Jacksonville has overcome major injuries, including a season-ender for Travis Hunter, and are now looking better than ever.
Both teams are 8-4 and in the thick of the AFC playoff picture.
This weekend's matchup will be the first of two during the month of December. Those two games will play a huge role in determining who wins the AFC South and gets home-field advantage during the playoffs. Of course, Houston will also have a say as they are just one game back.
Realistically, the AFC South could have three teams represented in the playoffs. While that is good for everyone (except the Titans), there can only be one division winner. And playing at home during the postseason is an incredible advantage.
So which team will come out on top of this important AFC South showdown? And will the winner of this game end up winning the division?
Below we will explore three bold predictions from Colts vs. Jaguars in Week 14.
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Daniel Jones plays in Week 14, scores rushing touchdown despite fibula injury
The biggest concern Colts fans should have right now is the health of Daniel Jones.
Jones is dealing with a fibula injury and has not looked like his old self in a few weeks. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano warned that Jones' injury could put Indy's season in jeopardy.
“We mentioned Jones earlier, and he's trying to play through a fibula injury,” Fowler wrote for ESPN. “But he's clearly not 100 percent, and coaches I've talked to who have watched the Colts closely say his mobility appears compromised.”
Apparently Jones' injury, and his lack of mobility, was evident to the Texans in Week 13.
“I spoke with some folks in Houston after the Texans-Colts game Sunday and they said they felt Jones really couldn't move at all,” Graziano added. “He was able to hit some shots downfield when the pocket held up, but the mobility part of his game is missing, which makes the offense seem more limited.”
The smart move for the Colts is to play it safe with Jones. But I feel like going against the grain with this week's prediction.
I'm predicting that Jones will play on Sunday despite his fibula injury. But even more impressively, he will score at least one rushing touchdown in the game.
Jonathan Taylor rushes for more yards than entire Jaguars team combined
Taylor has cooled down a little bit after receiving legitimate MVP hype earlier this season.
The veteran running back is still having his best season in years, approaching his incredible 2021 season. He has 226 carries for 1,262 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns headed into Week 14. That gives him five more games to pad those stats and make this season one for the record books.
However, he hasn't been quite as good over the past two weeks. Taylor has 37 carries for 143 rushing yards combined against the Chiefs and Texans. That's good for just 3.9 yards per carry, well below his season average of 5.7 yards per carry.
It should be no surprise that Indy is 0-2 over their last few games. When Taylor isn't running well, the Colts offense can be stuck in the mud.
All of that said, it won't be an easy road for JT in Week 14.
Jacksonville boasts the best run defense unit in the entire NFL. They've only allowed 82.4 rushing yards per game this season, by far the best in the league.
But call me a Jonathan Taylor believer because I think he's in for a monster game.
I'm predicting that Taylor will rush more yards than every Jaguars rusher combined. To make this happen, he'll probably need to rip off one or two explosive runs of 20+ yards.
Make it happen, JT.
Josh Hines-Allen sacks Daniel Jones twice, helping Jaguars get past Colts
Jacksonville's defense has struggled to rush the passer during Liam Coen's rookie head coaching season.
The Jaguars have just 24 sacks through 12 games. That may sound good, two sacks a game on average right? But that puts Jacksonville in the bottom 10 in the NFL.
I think that could change in a huge game for the Jaguars. Especially against an ailing division opponent who they know very well.
I'm predicting that Hines-Allen will finish with at least two sacks. If that happens, I think it will be enough to short circuit a few Indianapolis drives, which could be the difference in this game.
Give me the Jaguars to win by a field goal.
