Is Jacksonville Primed For A Deep Playoff Run?

The Jaguars Should Be A Capable Contender In The Playoffs

This kind of talk was pure speculation and projection a month or two ago, but nonetheless the Jaguars turned it into reality with a 6-1 run to take the AFC South. If Jacksonville was going to make the postseason, they needed to find their identity and be the best version of themselves. Even if it wasn't perfect, they pulled it off and sat alone at the top of the division when the regular season came to a close.

Now that the playoffs are here, teams shouldn't be looked at for their records and rather who they are right now. I think a prime example of that could end up being the Miami Dolphins. Even though they barely snuck into the playoffs, they'll have their quarterback returning this week and have given their first opponent fits during the season.

For Jacksonville, it's a bit different. They'll be coming in with a huge winning streak while the Chargers will enter on a loss to the Broncos in spite of keeping their starters on the field in a meaningless game. While they should have some players back that didn't start in Week 3, the Chargers lost on their own coast by four possessions. With both teams entering in very different mindsets, Jacksonville could have a big advantage. If they're able to win against Los Angeles on Saturday, they would be one of the four last teams standings in the AFC.

Jacksonville Has Went Toe To Toe With the NFL's Best Teams

Jacksonville has faced six teams that qualified into the postseason this year and won half of those games. Two of those losses came against teams that are enjoying a bye week currently and only one of those games wasn't within a possession when time expired. Even if you take a look at the entire schedule from this season, Jacksonville either won or was within a possession of their opponent in fifteen games.

The point is simply that the Jaguars have shown up to almost every game this season. Regardless of opponent, I don't think that they'll get knocked out of the playoffs in a runaway game. Even when games have seemingly got out of hand for Jacksonville, we've seen them be able to tighten up and charge back into the game to win. It was essentially a tale of two seasons as the Jaguars were consistently blowing wins in October but managed to come back in miraculous fashion late in the season to put themselves back in the playoff race.

How Could The Playoffs Go For Jacksonville?

The first step for this team will be to defeat Justin Herbert and the Chargers on Saturday. With how these teams matched up early in the season and where they've been heading late in the going, I think that Jacksonville has the advantage and should advance to the Divisional Round. That's where things will undoubtedly start to look unfavorable.

Unless Baltimore or Miami are able to upset one of their rival divisional opponents, Jacksonville would be slated to head into Arrowhead and take on the well-rested Kansas City Chiefs. Perhaps having played more recently could be an advantage for Jacksonville, but there's no doubt that Kansas City would be heavily favored. That said, I do believe that the Jaguars would be an entirely new team if they're able to win a playoff game, very similar to what we saw in 2017.

My prediction would be for Jacksonville to fall in the Divisional Round of the playoffs, but I won't be surprised if it's any different. Lots of things can happen, and with Lamar Jackson and Tua Tagovailoa both likely to play this week with their careers in the balance, would you be shocked to see some upsets? It's entirely possible that Jacksonville could host another playoff game or just face one of the other division winners.

Regardless of that matchup, they've got a shot to pull and upset and make it to the Conference Championship. That's where things will get serious as Jacksonville has never advanced to the Super Bowl. It's possible that could change in just a few weeks, but this team and fan base will undoubtedly need to take this one game at a time like everyone else.

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