The Jaguars, after 4-1 start, lost two consecutive games before winning four of the last five. They have won their last three with a strong defense, holding the Los Angeles Chargers to 135 total yards in a 35-6 Week 11 victory and holding Tennessee to 188 total yards Sunday.
The three-game winning streak that has the Jaguars seeded third in the AFC behind the AFC East-leading New England Patriots (10-2) and AFC West-leading Denver Broncos (10-2) came in the wake of a 36-29 loss to the Texans – a game the Jaguars led by 19 points early in the fourth quarter.
“There are a lot of guys that have been here, maybe on the team in prior years, that are attempting to change the narrative and show that, ‘Hey, man, we do have talent and it’s about how you respond through adversity, how you continue to show up to work every day and get off the mat after tough losses and come back ready to play,'” Head Coach Liam Coen said.
“It’s pretty cool to see. It’s trying to go 1-0 every week and see what happens. The collaboration between players and coaches being on the same page about where we’re trying to go and what our goals are I think has maybe led to some of the connection and belief that we’ve had throughout some tough times.”
The Jaguars currently rank No. 1 in the NFL against the run, with the Colts – losers of two consecutive games and three of the last four – sixth in the NFL in rushing. Colts running back Jonathan Taylor leads the NFL with 1,282 yards and 15 touchdowns rushing.
“They’re a very good team this year,” Hamilton said. “We are a very good team this year. I think it’s just going to come down to us playing confident, playing the way we know how to play and finishing the game.”
Said Van Lanen, “You’re getting towards the back end of the year where games do matter and ultimately you play this to win a Super Bowl. As a player, it’s exciting to play games and they really do mean that much more.
“It’s just very exciting and it’s exciting to do it with this group.”