Tonight's matchup between the Indianapolis Colts and the Jacksonville Jaguars will likely only interest fans from those two cities as well as fans of other teams in the hunt for an AFC wildcard birth. The matchup may interest a few fans around the nation, but by and large, tonight's game will go unnoticed by the rest of the football world.
It's games like these that further my belief that primetime games should be variable endeavors. By that, I mean that the NFL shouldn't schedule primetime games so far in advance of the games. In other words, the NFL should employ flex-scheduling for everything.
The Jaguars are a lowly 1-7, and the Colts are in the middle of the playoff race at 5-3. For the Colts, tonight's game is still very important. For the Jaguars, it's all about pride.
The Colts and the Jaguars have a short but colorful history as rivals in the AFC South. The Colts dominated the division throughout the Peyton Manning era, but the Jaguars were a team that always played them close, even if that didn't translate into many wins.
All things considered, don't be surprised if the Jaguars give the Colts a good game. Earlier this year, the Jaguars beat the Colts in Indianapolis. Still, the main premise remains. This is a game few fans really care about, and it belongs on Sunday afternoon, not in primetime on a Thursday night.
