JACKSONVILLE – The goal is now clear and immediate.

So, while the Jaguars rarely have discussed season-ending goals during an urgent finish to the 2025 regular season, circumstances – and timing – changed that dynamic at least somewhat this week. That's because the AFC South is at stake.

Not sometime in the future. Now.

"We're here," quarterback Trevor Lawrence said Wednesday.

The Jaguars (12-4), who clinched an AFC playoff spot in Week 16, will play the Tennessee Titans (3-13) in the 2025 regular-season finale at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville Sunday at 1 p.m. – entering Week 18 with multiple ways to clinch their second AFC South title in four seasons and the third in franchise history. The scenarios:

• A Jaguars victory or tie against the Titans.
• A loss or tie by the Houston Texans (11-5), the second-place team in the South, against the Indianapolis Colts (8-8) in Houston. That game also begins at 1 p.m.

"This is really huge," running back Travis Etienne Jr. said, with Lawrence adding, "None bigger than this one."

Added safety Eric Murray, "It's a great opportunity. You just have to carry it out as business as usual. We're all aware of what's going on. As long as you stay grounded in your process, you don't do something out of the ordinary."

The Jaguars can secure the AFC's No. 1 seed and a first-round postseason bye with a victory Sunday – if the AFC West-leading Denver Broncos (13-3) lose to the Los Angeles Chargers (11-5) in Denver Sunday at 4:25 p.m. and the New England Patriots (13-3) lose to the Miami Dolphins (7-9) in New England Sunday at 4:25 p.m.

The Jaguars can secure the No. 2 seed with a victory Sunday if either New England or Denver lose. They will be the No. 3 seed with a Wild Card Playoff game at home next weekend if they win Sunday – and New England and Denver lose Sunday.

"It's awesome," Jaguars defensive end Josh Hines-Allen said. "I feel like we've earned the right to be where we are today. Nothing should change the way we've been preparing. These last four or five games have been big games for us and we just went out and handled our business.

"We've played our brand of football. If we continue to do that, then everything will speak for itself."

The Jaguars have made eight previous postseason appearances in 31 seasons, with four division titles. They won the 1998-1998 AFC Central titles, then won the 2017 and 2022 AFC South titles.

"To be able to win the division, that's a huge milestone," Etienne said. "We don't really have many inside the organization. To be in that in that position to win one, I feel like we have to win that one – not only for us, but for the organization. We have to keep building on the momentum and the success and understand it isn't just one week.

"Just to be able to play to be at the end of the season and to be able to play for something, knowing all the work we've put in and are still fighting for something, that's really great to have."

The Jaguars arrived at this Week 18 scenario by winning seven consecutive games in something of a must-win – and pressurized fashion.

They were 5-4 after a Week 10 loss to the Texans in Houston. They haven't lost since, moving ahead of the Colts in the standings with a Week 14 victory over the Colts at EverBank Stadium and staying each week a game ahead of the equally-hot Texans.

The Texans have won eight consecutive games, with the Jaguars and Texans entering Week 18 with the NFL's two longest active winning streaks. Neither has lost since the Texans' victory over the Jaguars in Houston.

"You talk about winning the division because it's what we have an opportunity to do," Lawrence said. "It's one game. Leading up to this point, we weren't here yet. We had to win. You look at what Houston did. They've won a bunch of games, too, so we had to win those games to get this point to have an opportunity to continue to control the division and keep it in our hands.

"That's what we did. We're here to win the division."

QUOTABLE

• Lawrence on third-year wide receiver Parker Washington, who has more than 100 yards receiving in back-to-back games and who leads the Jaguars this season with 53 receptions for 760 yards with four touchdowns receiving: "He has played great. All season, he has done an awesome job with every opportunity he has gotten. His role and what he has been doing with our offense has been huge. His ability to run every route, run after the catch, all those hidden yards he's finding after the catch have been really big for us. We have to continue to find ways to get him the ball and let him make plays."