After starting the season 1-2 including a loss to the Houston Texans, the doubters in Jacksonville began to talk. Three consecutive wins later, and the Jacksonville Jaguars are starting to look like real Super Bowl contenders in the AFC. Jacksonville’s defense is playing very well, especially the back seven. The offense is finally starting to show some signs of life. The play calling still leaves a lot to be desired, especially on short-yardage situations, but a healthy offensive line may help with that. This Jaguars team is a much more complete than most people believed, and they are starting to look like potential Super Bowl contenders.
The last game against the Colts was both a rematch of opening day and a game for first place in the AFC South. The Jaguars dominated the game from start to finish. There were a couple of times in the fourth quarter when the team lost focus, but the outcome of the game was never in doubt. The Jaguars are the best team in the AFC South, and they should get a home playoff game again this year. The bigger questions are how good is this Jacksonville Jaguar team and how far can they make it in 2023.
Can the Jacksonville Jaguars Compete For A Super Bowl?
The AFC South Is Weak
The Jaguars are the best and most complete team in the AFC South. They lost to the Texans, but there were a couple of fluke plays in that game and the Jaguars offense never really showed up. The Titans are still a gritty team, but they will be lucky to win six games this year. The reality is that the Jaguars just swept the second-best team in their division, the Indianapolis Colts.
It is important not to look too deep into the Jaguars-Colts game. Gardner Minshew looked like an NFL backup and the Colts’ defense never really got into a rhythm. At the same time, the Jaguars have already swept their biggest division rival this year and we are just now halfway through October. The division is not as weak as many believed it was going to be, but it is one of the weaker divisions in football and Jacksonville should be able to take advantage of that. Home-field advantage obviously helps in the postseason, and the Jacksonville Jaguars should get at least one home game in their race to the Super Bowl.
The Defense Is Better than Advertised
Coming into 2023, it seemed like the offense would carry the Jaguars. They spent a lot of money in free agency two years ago on the offense including Evan Engram, Zay Jones, and Christian Kirk. The first three draft picks in the 2023 draft were all offensive players too. Even the deal for Calvin Ridley was another offensive-minded move. In 2023, however, it is the Jaguars defense that is leading the team.
Common wisdom in the NFL and college is that you have to win the lines of scrimmage. That means you need a strong offensive and defensive line to dictate the way each game is played. The Jaguars seemed to be built in almost the complete opposite direction. The Jaguars’ biggest weakness on offense is the offensive line. The biggest area of weakness for the defense is rushing the passer. Josh Allen has seven sacks, but he is the only real threat to get to the quarterback. Instead, the Jaguars shut down opposing receivers with their defensive backfield.
Tyson Campbell, Andre Cisco, and Darious Williams could all go to the Pro Bowl if they keep their pace. Cisco and Williams both had an interception today giving them three interceptions each. Campbell is quickly becoming one of the best shutdown corners in the league. The bottom line is that this defense is good. They do not miss many tackles and they seem to always be in the right place at the right time.
Trevor Lawrence
The NFL is a quarterback league. If your starter goes down, like Anthony Richardson did for the Colts, you are going to lose football games. If you cannot find a top-tier starting quarterback, your team either will not make the playoffs or be sent home quickly. NFL teams live and die by their quarterback. For the first time since Mark Brunell was the quarterback in the late 1990s, the Jacksonville Jaguars have a legitimate starter that can bring them to the Super Bowl. Trevor Lawrence has the arm, accuracy, intelligence, and even the ability to scramble a little. In Jacksonville, as Trevor goes, so go the Jaguars.
Lawrence’s biggest problem right now is spreading the wealth. With Calvin Ridley, Christian Kirk, Zay Jones, Evan Engram, and Travis Etienne all playing well, they all want the football. With all of the talent there, at least one of those guys should always present a matchup problem for every defense. Lawrence’s job is to find those favorable matchups and exploit them, repeatedly.
The Jaguars will only go as far as Trevor Lawrence can take them. If he continues to play like he has the past few games, the Jacksonville Jaguars have a chance at a Super Bowl. If he plays like he did against Kansas City and Houston, which is possible, it could be a different story. Right now, Lawrence has complete control of the offense and the offensive line is getting healthier. There is a good chance that the offense you see in Jacksonville by the middle of December will be completely different than the one you see now. If that is the case, the Jaguars could be playing late into January this year.
Main Photo: Bob Self – USA Today Sports
