The Jaguars lost a heartbreaker in Arizona. In a game that came down the wire, the Jaguars were unable to emerge victorious. Entering week 12 the Jags were in third place in the AFC and were in first place in the AFC South. With the Jaguars loss to the Cardinals and the Titans win over the Colts the two teams are now tied at 7-4 atop the AFC South. The Titans currently hold the tie breaker as they beat the Jaguars in their first head to head matchup of the season.
The Good News: The Jaguars, even if they don't win their division, are a near lock to make the playoffs. They still play the Colts, Texans, and 49ers - all of whom lack the talent right now to be a real threat to the Jaguars. But the Jaguars do still control their own destiny when it comes to the AFC South division race. If the Jaguars beat the Titans in the final game of the regular season, and that win results in both the Titans and Jaguars having the same record, then the Jaguars could win the tie breaker and win the AFC South. That is so because the Titans lost to the Texans early in the season and the tie-breaker when both teams are even in the head to head matchups goes to the team with the best divisional record. Assuming the Jaguars don't stumble against the Colts or Texans and are able beat the Titans in week 17 (far from a given) then they'll be in the drivers seat to win the division. The Jaguars defense is still playing at an extremely high level, despite a somewhat disappointing showing in Phoenix over there weekend. The Bad News: The Jaguars have virtually no chance to earn a first round bye in the playoffs and will most likely, at best, get one home playoff game - again that's IF they win the division. With the Patriots and Steelers both a full two games ahead of the Jaguars it seems highly unlikely that the Jaguars could catch either team and earn a first round bye. In addition to the negative impact the Jaguars loss to the Cardinals had on the standings, the loss also displayed the many weaknesses of the Jaguars. The offensive line is banged up and is far cry from the unit that was playing excellent football in the first half of the season. The running game is a shell of itself - Leonard Fournette has struggled since injuring his ankle in week six against the Rams. The passing offense, with out the Allens', is broken. Blake Bortles is awful in the fourth quarter and the receivers continue to drop passes. Overall Outlook: Things are not looking good for the Jaguars. With what has been one of the worst offenses in the NFL over the past several weeks the Jaguars will continue to find themselves in close games. If the run game is rejuvenated then the Jaguars could once again become a true contender, but until then questions will remain. Even with the offense playing as bad as it currently is, the Jaguars are still likely to make the playoffs because of their easy remaining schedule. The question is: will the Jags be able to compete once they get to the playoffs? Follow Jordan de Lugo on Twitter |
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