Colts Gameday Newsletter 7 Dec 3rd Indianapolis_digital | Page 61
OOTBALL BEGINS
AS CALENDAR TURNS TO DECEMBER, JAGUARS START KEY
THREE-GAME HOMESTAND AGAINST COLTS
JACKSONVILLE – No one said this would be
easy for the Jacksonville Jaguars. yards from quarterback Blaine Gabbert –
that’s the negative.
December in the National Football League is
never easy, but the Jaguars still control their
own destiny for a postseason berth and for
the AFC South title. There were still plenty of positives, including
two fourth quarter takeaways. Calais Campbell
scored on a fumble return off a Yannick
Ngakoue strip-sack to give the Jaguars a
17-16 lead early in the fi nal stanza. Later, a
Barry Church interception set up the Jaguars
offense near midfi eld in a 24-24 game.
After a fi nal-second fi eld goal from Arizona
Cardinals kicker Phil Dawson sailed through
the uprights at University of Phoenix
stadium to defeat the Jaguars 27-24, and
the Titans rallied for a 20-16 win over the
Colts, Tennessee is back atop the division
with both teams tied at 7-4.
The Titans and Jaguars seem to be on a
collision course for a Week 17 matchup
in Nashville that could carry plenty of
postseason weight.
In order for that game to carry the weight,
championship football must begin now for
this Jaguars team. With three consecutive
home games beginning today against the
Indianapolis Colts (3-8), the Jaguars must
start making strides toward their fi rst
postseason berth since 2007.
They must handle business in December –
and likely for multiple weeks in a row – to
seal anything. In the NFL, you are not in the
playoffs until you are in the playoffs.
THE DEFENSE
Last week, the Jaguars’ No. 1-ranked defense
allowed a total of 344 yards to the Cardinals,
including touchdown passes of 29 and 52
Even without defensive captain linebacker
Telvin Smith on the fi eld in the second half
after reporting concussion-like symptoms at
halftime, the defense found enough plays to
keep the Jaguars in the game.
Cornerback Jalen Ramsey held Cardinals
veteran wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald to
three catches for 12 yards on eight targets.
The Jaguars defense leads the NFL with
25 takeaways, and six of those have been
turned into defensive scores by fi ve different
players. Ngakoue leads the league with six
forced fumbles in 2017.
Ngakoue’s 10th sack of the season last week
in Arizona increased the Jaguars’ league-
best season total to 41. Only the 1999
Jaguars had more sacks through 11 games
in franchise history (44). That 1999 team
posted 57 sacks, the franchise single-season
record which is within reach for the 2017
team.
On an individual basis, Campbell’s 11.5 sacks
places him in a tie for third-best in the NFL