Jaguars Clips
Jaguars linebacker Devin Lloyd is continuing to have a big impact in Jacksonville this season.
Lloyd intercepted Colts quarterback Daniel Jones’ first pass of the game today, giving Lloyd his fifth interception of the season.
From there, the Jaguars gained 21 yards in four plays, with the last play being a three-year touchdown run by Travis Etienne.
The Jaguars lead 7-0 in a game that will determine first place in the AFC South.
The Jaguars will be without their leader in receptions against the Colts in Sunday’s battle for the top of the AFC South.
Wide receiver Parker Washington is inactive for the game. Washington, who leads the team with 36 catches this season, was listed as questionable to play with a hip injury.
There’s better news for Jacksonville on the other side of the ball. Defensive linemen Arik Armstead (hand) and Travon Walker (back) are both active after joining Washington with questionable tags.
Colts at Jaguars
Colts: CB Sauce Gardner, RB DJ Giddens, DE Tyquan Lewis, S Reuben Lowery, TE Will Mallory, S George Odum, T Luke Tenuta
Jaguars: WR Parker Washington, S Andrew Wingard, LB Yasir Abdullah, OL Walker Little, TE Johnny Mundt, DL Emmanuel Ogbah, DL Austin Johnson.
Dolphins at Jets
Dolphins: QB Quinn Evers, WR Tahj Washington, T Kendall Lamm, DT Matthew Butler, LB Andre Carter, CB A.J. Green
Jets: QB Justin Fields, WR Tyler Johnson, S Tony Adams, CB Ja’Sir Taylor, EDGE Braiden McGregor, DT Mazi Smith, TE Jelani Woods
Steelers at Ravens
Steelers: WR Roman Wilson, DT Derrick Harmon, S Kyle Dugger, T Calvin Anderson, DT Brodric Martin, WR Ke’Shawn Williams, QB Will Howard
Ravens: WR Devontez Walker, DT Aeneas Peebles, G Ben Cleveland, T Joseph Noteboom, QB Cooper Rush
Saints at Buccaneers
Saints: S Justin Reid, CB Rejzohn Wright, RB Alvin Kamara, T Taliese Fuaga, TE Zaire Mitchell-Paden, DT John Ridgeway, DT Khristian Boyd
Buccaneers: QB Connor Bazelak, G Elijah Klein, S Kaevon Merriweather, CB Benjamin Morrison, DL Elijah Simmons, T Tristan Wirfs
Titans at Browns
Titans: CB Jalyn Armour-Davis, S Jerrick Reed, OL Drew Moss, C Lloyd Cushenberry, DT Shy Tuttle
Browns: G Wyatt Teller, DT Adin Huntington, T Jack Conklin, TE Brenden Bates, RB Raheim Sanders, WR Jamari Thrash
Commanders at Vikings
Commanders: QB Josh Johnson, LB Ale Kaho, T Trent Scott, DE Jalyn Holmes, T George Fant, DE Drake Jackson
Vikings: QB John Wolford, S Theo Jackson, DL Levi Drake Rodriguez, G Joe Huber, T Walter Rouse, TE Ben Yurosek, DL Elijah Williams
Seahawks at Falcons
Seahawks: QB Jalen Milroe, CB Shaquill Griffin, RB Cam Akers, LB Jared Ivey, LB Connor O’Toole, OL Mason Richman
Falcons: WR Drake London, CB Cobee Bryant, RB Nathan Carter, DL Brandon Dorlus, OL Michael Jerrell, WR Casey Washington
Bengals at Bills
Bengals: QB Jake Browning, WR Jermaine Burton, TE Cam Grandy, DE Trey Hendrickson, DT Jordan Jefferson
Bills: T Spencer Brown, WR Josh Palmer, LB Terrel Bernard, DE Joey Bosa, DB Darnell Savage, DT Phidarian Mathis, OL Chase Lundt
The Colts ripped through the first eight games of the season, winning seven times. A 1-3 slide since then has raised a troubling question.
Could they miss the playoffs?
Indeed they could. Now 8-4 and tied with the Jaguars atop the AFC South, the Colts could easily lose both the division title and one of the three-wild card spots.
And the stretch run is a gauntlet. After Sunday’s visit to Jacksonville, where Indy hasn’t won since 2014, the Colts finish with the Seahawks, 49ers, Jaguars, and Texans.
Via NBC Sports research, the Colts could be the sixth team since the AFL-NFL merger to start 7-1 or better and miss the playoffs. The others were the 2012 Bears, Washington in 1996, the 1988 Saints, the 1987 Chargers, and the 1975 Dolphins.
The Colts would be the first team to start 7-1 or better and fall out of playoff contention with seven spots available in each conference.
One issue has been the performance of quarterback Daniel Jones away from Indianapolis. At home, he’s 5-1 with 15 total touchdowns and one turnover. One the road, the Colts are 3-3 — and Jones has nine total touchdowns and nine turnovers.
Then there’s the fracture in Jones’s leg. It made him one-dimensional against the Texans in Indianapolis last week, in a game that the Colts nevertheless could have won.
On Sunday, weather will be an issue. But that will be true for both teams. Whatever the elements, the Colts need to find a way to win in a place where they haven’t in 11 years.
If they don’t, a season of apparent resurgence could end like every other season since 2021 — without a playoff appearance.
Safety Eric Murray is back on the active roster in Jacksonville.
The Jaguars announced that they have activated Murray from injured reserve on Sunday. Murray has missed the last five games due to a neck injury.
Murray started the first seven games of the season. He had 33 tackles, one interception, four passes defensed, and a quarterback hit in those appearances.
Running back Cody Schrader was waived to make room for Murray on the active roster.
The Jags also announced that they have elevated defensive back Cam’Ron Silmon-Craig and wide receiver Austin Trammell from the practice squad for Sunday’s game against the Colts.
The Colts announced a handful of roster moves ahead of Sunday’s game against the Jaguars.
They have activated linebacker Jaylon Carlies from injured reserve, and they have also elevated kicker Blake Grupe and defensive tackle Chris Wormley to the active roster from the practice squad.
Carlies has been on injured reserve all season due to an ankle injury he suffered late in training camp. The 2024 fifth-round pick had 36 tackles, a sack and a pass defensed while starting six of the 10 games he played as a rookie.
Grupe will replace Michael Badgley, who was released after last Sunday’s loss to the Texans. Grupe kicked for the Saints in their first 11 games, but was bounced off their roster after missing two field goals in a loss to the Falcons.
Wormley gives the team more depth after they ruled Tyquan Lewis out with an ankle injury on Saturday.
Rain and lightning are in the forecast for Jacksonville on Sunday with the Colts in town to play the Jaguars.
The AccuWeather forecast for Sunday afternoon in Jacksonville says, “Periods of rain, some heavy, and a thunderstorm; a rain jacket may be needed for the football game.”
Although NFL games are played through rain, a thunderstorm could cause a delay. NFL policies are to delay any outdoor game when lightning is spotted in the vicinity of the stadium, and keep both teams in the locker room until lightning has cleared the area.
Heavy rain would also affect the passing and kicking games, and could cause particular trouble for the Colts’ kicking game, as Blake Grupe was just elevated from the practice squad today to serve as the Colts’ kicker for the first time this season.
First place in the AFC South is on the line on Sunday when the 8-4 Colts take on the 8-4 Jaguars. The betting line says the Colts are 1.5-point favorites. But the game is in Jacksonville, where recent history says the Colts find ways to lose.
The Jaguars have won 10 consecutive home games against the Colts, a strange streak given that the Colts have often been the better team but have somehow managed to lose games they should have won.
The streak, which includes nine games in Jacksonville and one in London, has become something Colts fans hate to hear about in the week leading up to their annual road game against the Jaguars, but it’s impossible to ignore as an important factor in a big game on Sunday.
The last time the Colts won in Jacksonville, the year was 2014 and the starting quarterbacks were Andrew Luck and Blake Bortles. The next year, when the Colts played in Jacksonville they led 13-9 at halftime and then turned in one of the worst second halves in NFL history, getting outscored 42-3 to lose by a final score of 51-16. That started an ugly streak for the Colts.
The most notable game of the streak came in Week 18 of the 2021 season. The Colts needed only to win to make the playoffs. The Jaguars needed only to lose to clinch the first overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft. With those kinds of incentives, it seemed impossible that the Colts could lose, which is why Indianapolis was a 15-point favorite. Instead it was the Jaguars who won by 15, a 26-11 shocker that was one of the biggest upsets in recent NFL history.
The Colts haven’t made the playoffs since blowing that opportunity. This season, they have a great chance. Especially if they can finally break their losing streak in Jacksonville on Sunday.
As expected, the Colts will not have one of their top defensive players this week.
Head coach Shane Steichen announced during his Friday press conference that cornerback Sauce Gardner has been ruled out for Sunday’s game against the Jaguars.
Dealing with a calf injury, Gardner did not practice this week. He is still not slated to be placed on injured reserve.
Gardner is the only Indianapolis player ruled out. Linebacker Jaylon Carlies is returning from IR and will need to be activated to the 53-man roster to play this weekend. But he was a full participant in practice as he recovers from an ankle injury.
Defensive end Tyquan Lewis did not practice on Wednesday, but was not ruled out.
Sometimes, the schedule set in May results in a late-season clunker or two. Sometimes, the NFL nails it.
For Week 14, the schedule couldn’t get much better.
Here’s the key. Each of the five windows for the weekend has a game with very high stakes.
It begins tonight, with the surprisingly surging 6-5-1 Cowboys facing the suddenly slumping 7-5 Lions. Both desperately need a win to remain viable in the chase for their respective division titles, or for one of the three NFC wild-cards. The loser won’t be eliminated, but it will get dicey. For the Lions, 11-6 should be good enough. For the Cowboys, however, a loss would make their best possible record 10-6-1. Anyone with an 11-6 record (obviously) would jump them, without the application of a single tiebreaker.
On Sunday, the 1:00 p.m. ET window has three must-watch games. The 6-6 Steelers visit the 6-6 Ravens for first place in the AFC North. (They play again in Week 18.) The 8-4 Colts, who haven’t won in Jacksonville since 2014, play the 8-4 Jaguars for first place in the AFC South. (The rematch happens in Week 17.) And the 4-8 Bengals, whose slim chances of jumping the Steelers and Ravens are hanging by a thread, visit 8-4 Buffalo, which could still jump for the playoff table — and miss.
At 4:25 p.m. ET on Sunday, the 9-3 Bears and the 8-3-1 Packers renew the NFL’s oldest rivalry at Lambeau Field, with round two set for a Saturday night only 13 days later. It’s the most significant home-and-home for Chicago and Green Bay since the merger, and the biggest game between them since the 2010 NFC Championship.
Rarely are both teams good this late in the season. From the early 1970s through 1988, the Packers were more often than not non-contenders. From 1990 on, the Bears only had sporadic high-level seasons. This year, the black-and-blue planets have aligned perfectly.
On Sunday night, the Texans return to Arrowhead Stadium, where they lost twice in less than a month last season. On a Saturday night in December, Houston kept it within one score, 27-19. In the divisional round of the playoffs, the 23-14 outcome was uncomfortably close for the three-time AFC Champions.
Now, the Texans have won four in a row to get to 7-5. And the Chiefs, at 6-6, have slipped into “run the table” mode. With the first game coming against arguably the best defense in the league.
It all ends on Monday night, when the 8-4 Eagles visit the 8-4 Chargers. Philly has sputtered for weeks on offense, and the Chargers have shown a propensity to step into a periodic pothole. If the Cowboys start Week 14 with a win, the Eagles will be at risk of seeing their lead in the NFC East slip to a half game, 8-5 vs. 7-5-1.
So, yes, December is coming in like a lion. Hopefully, it will go out like a Tyrannosaurus Rex, with four weekends of NFL action setting the stage for one of the craziest final weekends of the regular season we’ve ever seen to start 2026.
Colts quarterback Daniel Jones’ plan to remain on the field despite a fibula injury includes a little help from his friends.
Jones said on Wednesday that he has been wearing a custom 3D-printed pad as protection for his injury that was made by a company founded by two of his Duke teammates. Jones said he has worn the pad in each of the team’s last two games.
“Lucky to have smart friends who are really close friends,” Jones said, via Michael Marot of the Associated Press. “It’s pretty low profile and fits to my leg pretty well. I didn’t really notice it Sunday.”
Jones was listed as a full participant on the Colts’ injury report on Wednesday. He said that he feels “better every week and continue to be able to do more and more” on the field.
Cornerback Sauce Gardner (calf), wide receiver Josh Downs (hip, knee), defensive end Tyquan Lewis (ankle), and cornerback Kenny Moore (illness, ankle) were out of practice. Linebacker Jaylon Carlies (ankle) was a full participant.
