Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) scrambles for a game-winning touchdown during the fourth quarter of an NFL football matchup at EverBank Stadium, Monday, Oct. 6, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jacksonville Jaguars edged the Kansas City Chiefs 31-28. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

How Jaguars Benefitted From Colts-Chiefs Battle

Originally posted on Jacksonville Jaguars on SI
By John Shipley | Last updated Nov 23, 2025 4:57 PM ET

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars got a little help in Week 12 before they kicked off against the Arizona Cardinals.

The Jaguars entered Week 12 as winners of the big Kansas City Chiefs and Indianapolis Colts battle at Arrowhead Stadium. Regardless of the winner, the Jaguars were set to get some assistance when it comes to their playoff push.

How the Jaguars Won

For the Jaguars, it was simple. Entering Week 12 as the AFC's No. 7 seed, the 6-4 Jaguars were in the thick of it when it came to a tough AFC playoff race. And with two contending teams like the Chiefs and Colts taking each other on, the Jaguars were in prime position to take advantage of whatever the result was.

Had the Colts lost, the Jaguars would have remained in spitting distance of the AFC South crown regardless of whether they beat the Cardinals. A Colts loss and a Jaguars win would put the Jaguars just one game behind the Colts in the AFC South, while a Colts loss and a Jaguars loss would keep the Jaguars two games back -- but with two games against the Colts still remaining on the schedule.

And that is exactly what the Jaguars got, as the Chiefs stormed back from a 20-9 hole in the fourth quarter to force the game into overtime before a 27-yard walkoff field goal. Thanks to the win, the Jaguars now have a chance to make a run at the AFC South regardless of Week 12's result.

Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

Of course, the Jaguars know that the team that will have the biggest impact on their playoff chances are themselves. After a stellar showing against the Los Angeles Chargers last week, the Jaguars need to finish the job against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 12.

"Ultimately in a season, there's highs and lows, but when you play as we played on Sunday, there's a new standard now in terms of, okay, well that's what it looks like when we prepare the way we did and got ourselves in the mindset, mentality to go play that way. And performed obviously, cleaner. The physicality and all that I really appreciated and we want every week, but it was just cleaner in a lot of ways and in all three phases," Jaguars head coach Liam Coen said this week.

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

"And so, that is the standard and we all kind of owe it to each other in that room to uphold that standard moving forward in terms of the way that we go about our business, prepare and ultimately play. So that's the thing about coaching and playing in the National Football League with long seasons is the teams that can maintain that sustained success and consistency throughout a number of weeks and give yourself a chance.”

This article first appeared on Jacksonville Jaguars on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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