NFL
By: Mark T. Wilson
The time is now for the Jacksonville Jaguars to make their move up the standings. With Joe Burrow out for the season, this is the Jags time to claim that spot. They have the ingredients and despite their Week 13 loss against the Cincinnati Bengals, they’re still in a good position. But for how long?
The Jaguars’ remaining schedule still includes 2 matchups in the tough AFC North (Browns, and Ravens) coupled with a rematch against the Titans, plus games against the Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. There’s a good chance they could end the season on a 7-2 run and make some noise. Still standing ahead of them are the Kansas City Chiefs, Ravens, and the Miami Dolphins but we all know that if they’re hot going in, that’s a momentum swing in their direction.
As young as they are, the Jags do have playoff experience they can rely on. First off, they have a head coach who has been to and won a Super Bowl. They have a young QB in Trevor Lawrence who is getting his feet under him in the game. The rushing attack is led by a young stud in Travis Etienne and their group of receivers are just as good as any in the league with Christian Kirk, Calvin Ridley, and Evan Ingram.
Now, with the injury to Kirk, who will step up and be that playmaker for the Jags? Ridley has the skill set to do that but can he be consistent?
Can The Jacksonville Jaguars Win The AFC South
The defense is where the holes are but that’s mainly limited to the second where they surrender 348 yards per game. For teams like the Ravens who love to run the ball, the Jacksonville Jaguars are ranked 6th (93.1). There are times when they can shut you down or simply just outscore you.
3 of the Jags’ losses have come against teams they could face in the playoffs. Can they find a balance now that the season is getting to its stretch point where the good teams begin to separate themselves?
The AFC South is going to come down to the Texans and the Jacksonville Jaguars but can anyone count out the Colts? It appeared as if the Jacksonville Jaguars had this division locked up and now, it’s a dogfight to the finish. Which young team on the rise will blink first? This will come down to experience and hunger and that’s where the Jaguars will prevail.
