Jacksonville, Fla. — Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio began his weekly news conference with two words: "Big opportunity."
It may have been an understatement.
Jacksonville has a chance to supplant defending Super Bowl champion and four-time defending AFC South winner Indianapolis atop the division when they meet tonight.
Yes, it's early and the teams play again in six weeks, but the Jaguars (4-1) realize their best shot at finally catching the Colts (5-0) probably comes down to this prime-time game.
"A lot of chips are on the table," Del Rio said. "We want to win the division, and in order to win the division, you can't allow a team to get so far in front that you're chasing them the rest of the year.
"That doesn't mean you can't do it, but certainly it makes it a lot more difficult for the rest of the division if Indy jumps out in front and has a two-plus lead on the rest of the division with 10 games to go. That's just the reality of it."
With a victory, the Colts would join Green Bay (1929-31) and St. Louis (1999-2001) as the only teams in history to start 6-0 for three straight years. More problematic for Jacksonville, they would improve to 3-0 in the South and have a two-game lead over the Jags with their final three division games at home.
A victory for the Jaguars, meanwhile, would be a huge step toward their goal of winning the division for the first time. Although the teams would technically be tied with 5-1 marks (2-1 in the division), Jacksonville would control its destiny, a rare position for a team that spent the last four years chasing the Colts.
"It's got a lot of serious divisional ramifications, so it's a game we very much need to find a way to scratch and claw and find a way to win," Del Rio said.
Colts quarterback Peyton Manning agreed with Del Rio's assessment.
"We always talk about how important division games are and just how they count double," Manning said. "We always put more emphasis on those division games, and that's the reason this is an important game, because it's this year and this season, not anything in the past."
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