JACKSONVILLE – It's December, with the division lead at stake.

Little more is needed to describe the importance of the Jaguars’ game against the Indianapolis Colts at EverBank Stadium Sunday. Both teams are 8-4, with the winner taking sole possession of first place in the AFC South with four games remaining.

It's not "must-win." There may be bigger games in the coming weeks. But for now?

"It's real big," Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. said. "As a competitor, you never want to increase the magnitude of the game. You want to treat it like the next one and realize you still have a long way to go. One game won't define our season.

"But it's a very important game and we have to approach it as so. We know what's at stake. As long as we go out ready to play and put our best foot forward, you live with whatever happens."

The winner will clinch nothing, and make no mistake: Whoever wins Sunday must win a lot more down the stretch. And the Houston Texans (7-5), who have beaten both the Jaguars and Colts in recent weeks, remain very much in contention in the division.

But a first-place-at-stake-for-both-teams-in-December game is rarified stuff – so rare that the Jaguars only once in franchise history have played such game at home. That was the regular-season finale in 2022, when the Jaguars beat the Tennessee Titans in a winner-take-the-AFC South game.

That game was between the 8-8 Jaguars and 7-9 Titans. Sunday marks just the fourth December/January regular-season game in Jaguars history between two division teams four games above .500 The Jaguars lost all three previous games: 41-14 at Tennessee in 1999, 26-10 at home to Indianapolis in 2005 and 28-25 at Indianapolis in 2007.

These are new times in Jacksonville, hopeful times. The Jaguars have earned their way to this meaningful matchup. Here are 10 things they must do to do to win it:

1. Run. Keep circling this until season's end, because this never won't be No. 1 for these Jaguars. When they run, they're a good offense. They struggled here in a 25-3 victory over the Titans last Sunday. They need to be themselves at the 'Bank on Sunday.
2. Be physical. When the '25 Jaguars are the more physical team, they usually win. Sunday will be about toughness.
3. Be smart. The Jaguars have struggled with penalties too often this season, particularly "pre-snap" penalties offensively. It's tough to win big, division games mistaking your way into unfavorable down-and-distance situations.
4. Contain Taylor. Colts running back Jonathan Taylor is as good a runner as there is in the NFL. The Jaguars' run defense is the best in the NFL. If they contain Taylor and force Colts to throw in unfavorable situations, that's a huge advantage for the Jaguars.
5. Be Pierce. Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce has somewhat quietly developed into a very productive – and dangerous – threat. He's really fast and really capable of scoring quickly from long, long distances.
6. Keep stepping up. Perhaps the most remarkable part of the Jaguars season has been how they have played through injuries and won. The Jaguars may be getting defensive end Travon Walker and safety Eric Murray back Sunday after multiple-game absences. That's good. They may be without safety Andrew Wingard and wide receiver Parker Washington. That's bad. The next men up must play well. Again.
7. Stay confident. Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence's confidence has grown in recent weeks. He has, in the words of Head Coach Liam Coen, "let it rip." He must keep doing that and there's no reason to think he won't.
8. Keep trusting. Big reasons for Lawrence's recent confidence and production are the return of tight end Brenton Strange and the November acquisition of wide receiver Jakobi Meyers. Lawrence's trust in those players has been evident, with quicker decisions and more reliability. If that's a trend, what has been a good offense in recent weeks might only get better.
9. Keep the pressure on. The Jaguars' pass rush, last in the NFL in sacks throughout much of a midseason stretch, has been impressive since a Week 10 loss to the Texans. They're rushing as a team and disrupting games, with defensive end Josh Hines-Allen playing at a remarkably high level. Containing Taylor is No. 1 defensively. This is a close No. 2.
10. Hold the ball. Sunday's forecast calls for rain. Protecting the ball could be key. So could keeping your feet. Rain doesn't favor either team on paper because both want to run. But the team that navigates the weather with the fewest mistakes will have a huge edge.