This is from sporting news I dont have time to type a write up so here
By Michael C. Wright & Mike Chappell
For Sporting News

Just when it appeared Jacksonville whiffed on a prime opportunity with its loss to Miami, it turns out the team's playoff hopes are still alive.
The Jags must win their three remaining games to secure a wild-card berth, and with the team announcing a sellout (the first by the franchise all season), and the undefeated division-rival Colts coming to town, the stage appears set for a hotly contested showdown on Thursday night.
The first time the teams met, a failed two-point conversion run by the Jags in the fourth quarter is all that separated the teams in Indianapolis' 14-12 victory in the season opener. It was one of closet games of the Colts' 13-0 run. There's been talk that Indianapolis -- having already clinched home-field advantage for the playoffs -- will sit key players against the Jags. But Colts coach Jim Caldwell dismissed that notion, saying that the health of several key players is the only factor that will limit playing time.
As of Tuesday, Indianapolis had listed 29 players on the injury report including: running back Joseph Addai, offensive tackles Ryan Diem and Tony Ugoh and defensive ends Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis. Jacksonville, meanwhile, plays its most important game of the season up to this point hampered by injuries, too. Starting fullback Greg Jones is likely out, while the status for starting cornerback Rashean Mathis, defensive tackle John Henderson and receiver Mike Sims-Walker remain question marks. Given the must-win nature of Thursday's contest, the Jags must be at full strength against this Colts team looking to make NFL history.
Colts Keys For Success

1. Start early. The Jaguars are in a must-win mode against a bitter unbeaten division rival. They also haven't excelled at home. They're 5-2 at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium, but that includes three-point wins over the Chiefs, Rams and Bills. QB Peyton Manning and the Colts can put Jacksonville's character to the test by jumping to an early lead and making it fight to keep its wild-card playoff hopes alive.
2. Swarm on defense. RB Maurice Jones-Drew can take over a game with his blend of power and speed. He's eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark for the first time in his career, is averaging 4.5 yards per carry and already has tacked up 14 rushing TDs. The keys to coordinator Larry Coyer's run defense are swarming to the ball and gang-tackling with linebackers Gary Brackett and Clint Session and safeties Melvin Bullitt and Antoine Bethea. Brackett and Session are undersized, but tenacious. 3. Cash in in the red zone. Don't look now, but coordinator Tom Moore and Manning have gotten their act together in the red zone. After going 0-for-4 against San Francisco, they've pushed the right buttons and gotten touchdowns on 17 of their last 23 trips inside the opponents' 20-yard line in the past six games. Manning has been good at using all of his red-zone options, but TE Dallas Clark has been the most reliable. He's a matchup nightmare for linebackers in tight spaces. In last Sunday's win over the Broncos, Clark beat linebacker coverage for three red-zone TDs.

Jaguars Keys For Success


1. Account for Freeney at all costs. It's no secret that the interior is arguably the weakest portion of the Jaguars' defensive line. So the Colts will likely send plenty of inside pressure to force Jacksonville to devote more personnel to protecting the middle. That's a trick to free up Freeney and Mathis for one-to-one matchups on the outside. Jacksonville can't afford to fall for it. The Jags must keep a tight end on Freeney's side and send a running back over to chip on him most plays, which should give quarterback David Garrard a little more time in the pocket.
2. Pound them with rushing attack. Feature back Maurice Jones-Drew is in a slump. The best way to get him out of it is to feed him the ball against the Colts' banged-up front seven. Given Indianapolis' injury situation, at some point coaches must decide whether winning one game is as important as remaining healthy for the postseason. By pounding away with a physical ground game, it forces coaches to make that decision quickly. 3. make manning check down. By keeping both safeties over the top and playing sound coverage on the outside, the Jags can force Peyton Manning to take what the defense gives him. Manning is patient enough to do that. So that approach is Jacksonville's best shot at survival. By taking too many risks in coverage -- especially by attempting to manufacture pressure on third down -- the Jags expose themselves to Manning hitting passes over the top for big plays.

The Bottom Line


Because of Jacksonville's physical nature and Indianapolis' injury situation, it's likely the Colts at some point will sit key players to rest them for the playoffs. The Jags must take advantage. The key for Jacksonville is to limit explosive gains in the passing game with mistake-free play in the secondary. In addition, the Jags must keep the game close by limiting Indianapolis' possessions. The best way to do that is to establish the running game and maintain drives. But that could be tough because it appears that Jones-Drew is finally showing signs of wear.

Scoring prediction: Colts 24 - Jaguars 10