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While Jacksonville Jaguars players, fans and coaches were all disappointed in what went down in their squad’s ninth straight loss to the Houston Texans, Jacksonville has the opportunity to bounce back despite falling short, 13-6, while paying trying tribute to their first Hall of Fame Inductee in franchise history, Tony Boselli. Despite fans and media panicking about the Jags’ trajectory, a projection of a playoff game in Duval county isn’t out of the realm of possibility.
Retirement of #71 for @TonyBoselli by @jaguars owner Shad Khan #Duuuval @3ptCnvrsn pic.twitter.com/lVSeqKmmY0
— Kyle Nash (@TheSoTG) October 9, 2022
So You’re Saying There’s A Chance . . .
In the offseason, it made sense to assume this team would improve with the departure of Urban Meyer and his coaching staff. It would have been considered a stretch to think Jacksonville was a team with playoff potential. After all, how would the Jags in 2022 supplant Derrick Henry and Jonathan Taylor carrying the Tennessee Titans and Indianapolis Colts on their respective backs?
Yet here we are with Indy and Tennessee both with only one more win than the Jaguars and a bulk of the wins for AFC South teams coming from an AFC West division that was “certain” to hand them losses as the superior batch of teams.
All of a sudden, it’s not an overly optimistic outlook to expect them to go 3-2 after the game against Kansas City, heading into the bye week with a 5-5 record with 2 wins in the division (including a sweep of the Colts) before even encountering the Titans on the schedule first the first time in Week 14.
The Defense Is Still Roarin’
Whether it’s safety Andre Cisco’s two pick-sixes, the Jags having as many interceptions at this point in 2022 as they had in all of 2021, or the surprise production from rookie Travon Walker and Devin Lloyd, it’s clear that Jacksonville’s defense is a big part of why this team is still playoff threat.
On The Student of the Game Podcast, Basheer Umar Pemberton explains why Walker and Lloyd have come and made a difference helping Josh Allen and Arden Key rush the passer as a crew that’s only allowed 16 points per game. With a front, this complete (barring injury) the Jaguars have a chance to make some noise despite their 2-3 start.
