The Colts–Jaguars rivalry is a National Football League (NFL) rivalry between the Indianapolis Colts and Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Jaguars began their NFL journey in the 1995 season, but it was not until the 2002 season that the Colts and Jaguars officially became divisional rivals, following the establishment of the AFC South. While both teams competed for the AFC South during the late 2000s, the Colts largely controlled the rivalry, thanks to great quarterback play from Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck. Although the Jaguars have not consistently been as successful, they have managed to achieve some notable upset victories against the Colts, even when their teams were not highly competitive. In the 2020s, both franchises have rekindled their competitiveness.
The rivalry is characterized by the Jaguars ability to secure significant upsets against the dominant Colts, even though they do not consistently field competitive teams. Since the inception of the AFC South division in the 2002 season, the Jaguars have recorded more wins against the Colts than their counterparts, the Tennessee Titans and the Houston Texans. Furthermore, the Jaguars have established new franchise records in their matchups with the Colts, and both teams have played a role in thwarting each other's playoff aspirations. This rivalry is also notable for the Colts having not won in Jacksonville since 2014.
The Colts lead the overall series, 28–22. The two teams have not met in the playoffs.
Background
Indianapolis Colts (1953–1994)
The Indianapolis Colts were established during the 1953 NFL season, originally located in Baltimore and known as the Baltimore Colts. Although the team experienced championship success, owner Robert Irsay threatened to move the franchise due to issues with their home venue, the Baltimore Memorial Stadium. Among the potential cities he evaluated for relocation, Jacksonville was one of them. On August 15, 1979, Irsay attended the Gater Bowl, where an enthusiastic crowd of 50,000 fans gathered to express their passion for an NFL team, waving banners and cheering in hopes of persuading him to move his team to Jacksonville. This event was famously referred to as "Colts Fever," with the stadium resonating with chants of "We want the Colts." Despite the overwhelming support, Irsay ultimately decided on Indianapolis as the new home for the team, which became known as the Indianapolis Colts in the 1984 season. Since their relocation, the team has struggled, making the playoffs only once in the 1987 season.
Jacksonville Jaguars
In 1991, Jacksonville made another attempt to secure an NFL franchise when the NFL revealed its intention to introduce two new expansion teams. The newly formed ownership group, Touchdown Jacksonville!, submitted a proposal to obtain a team for the city. Although they faced challenges and were not the frontrunners compared to other cities, the NFL ultimately voted to award Jacksonville an expansion team on November 30, 1993. Consequently, the Jacksonville Jaguars were established to compete in the NFL starting in the 1995 season, joining the AFC alongside the Indianapolis Colts. However, they joined the AFC Central, rather than the AFC East where the Colts where.
1995–2001: Pre-rivalry history
1995: Inaugural meeting
In the 1995 season, the inaugural game between the Colts and Jaguars took place on December 10 in Jacksonville. The 3–10 Jaguars struggled against the 7–6 Colts, as issues with their special teams resulted in 14 Colts points, creating a deficit they were unable to overcome. This ultimately culminated in a 41–31 Colts victory in their inaugural matchup. This victory helped the Colts to secure a playoff berth for the first time since their 1987 season.
1996–1999: Playoffs
From 1996 to 1999, the two teams did not face each other in the regular season. However, they both qualified for the playoffs in the same season twice in 1996 and 1999.
During the 1996 season playoffs, the Colts were defeated by the Pittsburgh Steelers, whereas the Jaguars unexpectedly advanced to the AFC Championship by overcoming the Buffalo Bills and the Denver Broncos, only to fall to the New England Patriots.
During the 1999 season playoffs, the Jaguars and Colts secured the 1st and 2nd seeds in the AFC, respectively. The Jaguars defeated the Miami Dolphins, but both teams ultimately fell to the Tennessee Titans.
2000: Final matchup before becoming divisional rivals
In the 2000 season on September 25, the Colts and Jaguars faced off for the first time in Indianapolis. The Jaguars arrived at the game having the 7th-ranked defense and fresh off their first shutout in franchise history against the Cincinnati Bengals. However, future hall–of–famer QB Peyton Manning, drafted first overall by the Colts in the 1998 NFL draft, had one of his best performances yet. He threw for 440 yards and four touchdowns, leading the Colts to a dominant 43–14 win.
2002–2011: The start of a new divisional rival and Peyton Manning dominance
AFC South formation
Following the NFL's approval for the creation of the Houston Texans, the league opted to reorganize into eight divisions: four teams in each division and four divisions in each conference, effective in the 2002 season. In the newly established AFC South division, the NFL incorporated the following teams: the newly formed Houston Texans, the Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee Titans from the AFC Central, and the Indianapolis Colts from the AFC East. Initially, the NFL offered Wayne Huizenga, owner of the Dolphins, the opportunity to move to the more geographically suitable AFC South over the Colts, potentially fostering an in-state rivalry with the Jaguars. However, Huizenga chose to maintain the traditional AFL rivalries within the AFC East. Consequently, the Colts and Jaguars became divisional rivals, meeting twice annually – once in Indianapolis and once in Jacksonville.
2002: Inaugural matchups as divisional rivals
In the 2002 season, the Colts and Jaguars faced off for the first time as divisional rivals in their season opener on September 8 in Jacksonville. The Colts initiated the scoring with a touchdown in the first quarter. The Jaguars tied it in the second quarter. In the final minutes of the second quarter, Mark Brunell threw a 40–yard pick–six to LB Marcus Washington. The Jaguars then missed a 52–yard field goal attempt, resulting in a halftime score of 14–7 in favor of the Colts. In the third quarter, a fumble by Colts RB Edgerrin James led to a Jaguars' field goal, followed by another fumble from Colts TE Marcus Pollard that led to a Jaguars touchdown, giving them the lead. However, after the Jaguars forced a Colts three–and–out, return specialist Damon Gibson mishandled the catch, allowing Colts DB Clifton Crosby to recover the ball at Jacksonville's 19–yard line. The Colts capitalized on this opportunity, scoring a touchdown to regain the lead. In the fourth quarter, the Colts added another touchdown to widen their advantage. The Jaguars mounted a lengthy drive, scoring a touchdown and converting a two-point attempt to narrow the Colts' lead. The Colts effectively managed the Jaguars' timeouts, leaving them with the ball and about a minute remaining. The Jaguars advanced to the Colts' 46–yard line but ultimately ran out of time, resulting in a 28–25 victory for the Colts.
The two teams faced off in the season finale on December 30 in Indianapolis. Although the Colts had lost the inaugural AFC South title to the Titans the week prior, they still have the opportunity to secure a playoff berth with a victory against the eliminated Jaguars. The Jaguars had a 13–10 lead heading into the fourth quarter. On the subsequent drive, the Jaguars appeared to force a three–and–out, but a penalty for running into the kicker granted the Colts a fresh set of downs. Capitalizing on this opportunity, the Colts tied the game with a field goal. After forcing another three–and–out, a strong punt return positioned the Colts at Jacksonville's 47–yard line. Manning then connected with Pollard for an 11–yard touchdown, putting the Colts ahead. In the closing moments, the Colts' defense held firm, securing a 20–13 victory over the Jaguars, completing a sweep in their initial matchups as divisional rivals and earning a wild card spot in the playoffs.
2003–2004: Jaguars' first wins over the Colts
In the 2003 season, the Colts secured a 23–13 victory over the Jaguars on September 21 in Indianapolis, marking their fifth consecutive win against their rival. A standout moment from the game occurred when Colts' rookie DB Mike Doss caused Jaguars' RB Fred Taylor to fumble the ball. Doss reportedly quipped, "Hey, Fred, you forgot something." In retaliation, Taylor told reporters ahead of their next encounter, "I'm going to bust his (butt). I'm going to punish him."
The two teams faced off again on November 9 in Jacksonville, with the Colts holding a 7–1 record and the Jaguars at 1–7. As the fourth quarter commenced, the Jaguars, trailing by 13 points, mounted a comeback to take the lead. The Colts briefly regained the lead with a field goal. However, Fred Taylor fulfilled his promise with a 32–yard run, evading Mike Doss as he fell, and reached the end zone, putting the Jaguars ahead with just one minute left in the game. The Jaguars then intercepted Manning, securing a 28–23 victory over the Colts in a stunning upset and recording their first win over the Colts. Taylor concluded the game with 152 rushing yards on 28 carries. After the game, Doss remarked, "I guess you'd have to say he got the final word today."
In the 2004 season, The Colts and Jaguars faced off on October 24 in Indianapolis. The Colts were favored by 9 points against the Jaguars as they entered the game, having already won in their earlier matchup on October 3 in Jacksonville. The game was fiercely competitive, highlighted by Jaguars QB Byron Leftwich having one of his best games, throwing for 300 yards and two touchdowns. In the final minutes, after the Colts managed to tie the game, Leftwich guided the Jaguars into Colts territory, culminating in rookie K Josh Scobee successfully making a game-winning 53–yard field goal, upsetting the Colts in a 27-24 Jaguars victory and recording their first win in Indianapolis. This would ultimately be the Colts' only loss at the RCA Dome that season.
The Colts embarked on a winning streak that ultimately secured them the AFC South title, and were locked in the 3rd seed after a 34–31 overtime victory over the San Diego Chargers as they entered the final week. In contrast, the Jaguars were still in the hunt for a playoff berth. For the Jaguars to secure the last playoff position, they not only needed to win their game against the Oakland Raiders but also required the Colts to beat the Broncos and the Steelers to beat the Bills. If all conditions were met, the Jaguars would head to Indianapolis for their first playoff matchup against the Colts. The Jaguars defeated the Raiders, and the Steelers defeated the Bills. However, the Colts opted to rest their starters, ultimately losing 33–14. This outcome allowed the Broncos to clinch the final 6th seed, resulting in the elimination of the Jaguars. After the game, Jaguars players suggested that the Colts were apprehensive about facing Jacksonville and deliberately lost to the Broncos, with LB Mike Peterson stating, “They didn’t want to play us.” Subsequently, the Colts defeated the Broncos 49–24 in the wild-card round.
2005–2007: Battle for the AFC South title