JACKSONVILLE – Little needs to be said.

Quarterback Trevor Lawrence knows what's waiting this weekend is big. So does Head Coach Liam Coen and everyone else around the Jaguars as they prepare for Sunday's game at EverBank Stadium.

"This is when things start to get real fun," Jaguars defensive tackle Arik Armstead said.

It's December, with first place on the line. That's big. Really big.

"We all kind of know what's riding on these kinds of games," Coen said, with Jaguars cornerback Jourdan Lewis adding, "It's a very meaningful ballgame."

The Jaguars (8-4) will play host to the Indianapolis Colts (8-4) Sunday, with the winner taking sole possession of first place in the AFC South with four games remaining – and yes, Lawrence said, that makes for an exciting feeling this week.

"The energy is just different when you're in the hunt and you're playing for the playoffs in the postseason," he said. "We know that the biggest games are still coming up for us and that we're playing for a lot.

"That's why you play and that's what makes it fun being in this position."

The Jaguars currently lead the division with a better record than the Colts against common opponents, with the Houston Texans (7-5) – winners over the Colts this past Sunday – a game behind both teams in the South.

"You earn the right to play meaningful football this late in the season," Armstead said, with Lawrence adding, "We have a big game in front of us and know they're going to be ready, they're going to be ready to roll and so will we."

The Jaguars have won their last three games, including four of the last five, with the Colts losing their last two games. The Jaguars' current stretch came after a two-game midseason losing streak, with the Jaguars winning two of the last three games by at least 20 points – 35-6 over the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 11 and 25-3 over the Tennessee Titans this past Sunday.

"You want to be playing your best football at this time of the season, and continue to be ascending," Armstead said. "You can start off hot, but what's that in the grand scheme of things if later in the season you're not having that success?

"It's a maturation process as you grow together."

For the Jaguars, it's one of the most meaningful December games in franchise history. The game marks the first time they have played a home game with the division lead at stake since they beat the Titans for the AFC South title in the 2022 regular-season finale.

"Your ops are starting to get a little bit smaller," Coen said. "The window's starting to close in terms of opportunities on Sundays. Our players work really hard from all year round for these opportunities on Sunday. As you get into December, you're only getting so many more of these ops.

"We're going to practice a whole heck of a lot more than we're going to play ultimately. So, taking advantage of the ops that are here and hey, we've got to go seize the moment as well."

And while it's a big game, it's also one the Jaguars are approaching with perspective.

"The season doesn't end one way or the other on Sunday," Coen said. "It's our next opportunity against a very quality opponent that also just happens to be in our division and we we're all fighting for it. We're all fighting to stay up there and to compete each week to give yourself a chance at the end of the year."

Said linebacker Foyesade Oluokun, "It's fun. I'm one game at a time, though. I just want to win the one in front of us. To go on a run, you have to keep everything inward. It has been inward to this point. To get to 8-4, we had to trust ourselves and let that flourish.

"Whatever happens with that, with the season, everybody else can talk about it but we know how we got here. We have to keep doing that."

Coen called having the game at home, where the Jaguars have won the last ten meetings between the teams, "huge."

"Got the throwback unis back up and great opportunity for our organization, for the city, for the fan base to come out and help support." Coen said. "As much as they're fans of us, we're fans of them –all of us wanting to continue to put a product on the field that everybody can be proud of and entertaining.

"We are in the entertainment business, and I've got to believe that our players are going to play their tails off for our city on Sunday."