The Indianapolis Colts are staring at the AFC's No. 4 seed following Sunday's 30-10 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Utilizing a ball-control passing game, Indianapolis has outscored opponents 78-20 over the past three weeks. That stands in stark contrast to their likely Wild Card-round foe, a Chiefs team that has lost four of their last six -- including a 23-7 home defeat at the hand of Chuck Pagano's Colts last week -- entering the regular-season finale.
Here's what else we learned in the Jaguars' season finale:
- We've been hounding Colts offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton all season to ditch his power running attack and put the ball in Andrew Luck's hands. He's done so over the past three weeks, to startlingly positive results in a short-passing, ball-control offense. This is the best the Colts' offense has looked since Reggie Wayne's season-ending ACL injury.
- T.Y. Hiltonappears to be fully recovered from a shoulder injury that affected his production in late November and early December. By early in the third quarter, he had single-game career highs in receptions (11) and receiving yards (155). Luck will lean on him heavily in the postseason.
- Trent Richardson's numbers won't show it, but there were glimpses of better vision and quicker feet. His timeshare with Donald Brown isn't going away.
- Pass rusher Robert Mathis and linebacker Jerrell Freeman are the heart of a Coltsdefense that has allowed fewer than 15 points in four of the last five games. This victory could be costly from an injury perspective, however. Cornerback Vontae Davis (groin), nose tackle Aubrayo Franklin (knee) and linebacker Bjoern Werner (ankle) were all forced from the game.
- Luck set the NFL record for most passing yards (8,196) through two seasons to start an NFL career.
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