JACKSONVILLE – This ain't a "spoiler" thing.
And for the Jaguars, the regular-season finale isn't about personal milestones or anything too, too much different than the last several weeks.
It's about themselves, and improving.
That's how it's been all season and that's how it remains.
"We're focusing on this week like it's any other week," quarterback Blake Bortles said.
Just because it's the last week – and just because they're not playing for the postseason – doesn't mean the Jaguars will take Sunday's game lightly.
"This is an important game for us as far as building a mindset," Head Coach Gus Bradley said as the Jaguars (3-12) prepared to play the Houston Texans (8-7) at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, Sunday at 1 p.m. "We talk about some objectives we want to get accomplished and how we're going to go about accomplishing those objectives comes back to our core principles and our philosophy.
"We put it to the challenge last week and we're putting in the challenge this week."
Players said this week that means approaching the final two games as if they were in the postseason chase. Players said Bradley told them before last week's victory over Tennessee at EverBank Field that at some point in the near future they would be in that position – needing to win two AFC South games to get in the postseason.
"I think it's just important," Bortles said. "Obviously being a divisional opponent we want to go in and execute a game plan and offense the way you would if we were preparing to be the headed to the playoffs or anything like that.
"We want to go in and finish the season on the right foot."
The Texans enter the game with playoff hopes. If they beat the Jaguars Sunday they can make the playoffs as a wild-card entrant if the Kansas City Chiefs beat the San Diego Chargers and the Cleveland Browns beat the Baltimore Ravens.
All three games begin at 1 p.m., but while three games will be on the minds of the Texans, the Jaguars will be focused on one.
"Gus the last couple of weeks has talked about going into a mindset that we're 10-5, and we need to win and we're in," running back Toby Gerhart said. "Owning the AFC South is the end goal. This is another AFC South opponent, and if you knock them off … so be it; that's a bonus.
"We're more concerned about us, but it's always fun to play spoiler, too."
The Jaguars enter the regular-season finale relatively healthy, with defensive tackle Roy Miller the only active player listed as doubtful or questionable. He is listed as doubtful with a knee sprain, meaning there's a 75 percent chance he will play.
Wide receiver Cecil Shorts III (shoulder) and running back Toby Gerhart (ribs) were listed as probable after practicing limited this week. Defensive end Andre Branch also is listed as probable and is expected to play after missing seven of the last eight weeks with a groin injury.
Here's a look at Jaguars-Texans coverage this week on jaguars.com …
](http://www.jaguars.com/news/article-JaguarsNews/Setting-the-table-Key-matchups-players-for-Jaguars-Texans/c01be6fa-d81b-4d44-ae8d-f9ae6391bafd)
](http://www.jaguars.com/news/article-JaguarsNews/What-to-Watch-10-Things-Jaguars-Texans/93b24c24-16f6-4a1e-af68-cbb1c7e90801)
](http://www.jaguars.com/news/article-JaguarsNews/Open-Locker-Room-Miller-doubtful-for-finale/e656509c-ba0f-4f12-83ee-6466e69c0d23)
](http://www.jaguars.com/media-gallery/videos/All-Access-Blake-Bortles/e1151616-a045-452e-a6ba-2411792d5ab0)
](http://www.jaguars.com/media-gallery/videos/Jags-Headlines-Monday/ca69ff81-38e8-4bc1-bd31-993b5a2e9b7d)
](http://www.jaguars.com/media-gallery/videos/O-Zone-Mailbag-Christmas-Time-is-Here/2aaab6ec-1f85-43e3-826b-07a5af0d4af6)
](http://www.jaguars.com/media-gallery/videos/Fisch-I-can-reflect-at-the-end-of-the-year/11f15710-50ee-4989-b74a-66dc33e37135)
](http://www.jaguars.com/media-gallery/videos/A-Few-Good-Minutes-Zane-Beadles/53ca0df8-2c6b-4f09-99a0-267470687267)
](http://www.jaguars.com/media-gallery/videos/Babich-Hes-a-Pro-Bowl-player/719c1813-9bc7-4c74-9699-eb534294b0f5)
](http://www.jaguars.com/media-gallery/videos/Film-Room-Friday/05dfe8da-79c8-432d-ac0f-26dcfa28bf32)
](http://www.jaguars.com/media-gallery/videos/BradleyOurbestFriday/690249d3-6914-4e97-a094-709af6a02a83)
Gus Bradley Press Conference: Jaguars Head Coach Gus Bradley talks about getting back to work after Christmas, Roy Miller and Andre Branch's chances of playing and the season finale in Houston.
](http://www.jaguars.com/media-gallery/videos/Know-Your-Opponent-Christmas-Movies-/bdc70101-cb6d-4f60-af4b-766f075fb23e)
](http://www.jaguars.com/media-gallery/videos/Inside-the-Jaguars-Ready-for-the-Texans/6be876a1-ec02-47f6-995f-769e778bd7ab)
](http://www.jaguars.com/media-gallery/videos/Jags-of-the-Round-Table-Week-17/a1c62132-93a7-4441-8e45-08201a241ef2)
](http://www.jaguars.com/media-gallery/photo-gallery/Practice-Photos-December-23-/5b6c3685-ea19-4295-9024-589a5891c5d7)
](http://www.jaguars.com/media-gallery/photo-gallery/Throwback-Gallery-JAX-vs-HOU/dd2042f8-20b3-4479-a3c8-46384cc43955)
](http://www.jaguars.com/media-gallery/photo-gallery/Know-Your-Opponent-Houston-Texans/c23889ee-c6ff-4e51-88d8-4e204f8fc7cf)
