Terrible towel embarrassment comes back to haunt the Jaguars in Week 18

The Curse of the Terrible Towel is real.

The Jacksonville Jaguars messed around and found out this season. They disrespected those "little yellow towels" and then tumbled out of the playoff picture while boosting the Pittsburgh Steelers into the postseason in the most delicious form of karma imaginable.

On Sunday, the Jaguars fell to the Tennessee Titans in their season finale. Their loss clinched a playoff spot for the Steelers, who beat the Ravens on Saturday.

It was the latest iteration of the Terrible Towel Curse in action.

Steelers fans revel in Jaguars falling victim to Terrible Towel Curse

Jags quarterback Trevor Lawrence irked fans in Pittsburgh when he referred to the Terrible Towels as "little yellow towels" before Jacksonville visited in Week 8. As Lawrence and company completed a 20-10 victory, multiple Jaguars were spotted mockingly waving Terrible Towels on the sideline.

When the Jaguars were routed by the 49ers in their next game, Steelers fans pointed out that the Terrible Towel Curse had struck.

As it turns out, the curse wasn't finished with Jacksonville. They were 6-2 when they beat the Steelers, capping a five-game winning streak. They'd lose six of their last nine games to give the AFC South title to the Texans.

The pièce de résistance was the Jaguars' final loss ensuring a playoff spot for Pittsburgh. The Steelers needed to beat the Ravens then cross their fingers and hope Jacksonville or Buffalo would lose. They got exactly what they needed.

The lesson here is to not disrespect the Terrible Towel. Whether or not you believe in curses, it's best not to mess with one that's claimed so many victims.

The Jaguars' once-promising season is over. As for the Steelers, they defied expectations once again and now get to keep playing. They'll find out their postseason opposition by the end of Sunday.