Jacksonville Could Be Dangerous if They Make the Postseason

The Jaguars Are Breaking Out In The Knick Of Time If Not Too Late

A month and a half ago, the Jaguars seemed dead in the water. After a convincing start that seemed to be leading towards a playoff birth, the Jaguars lost five straight heartbreakers in which they had found themselves in control of each game at some point. Sitting at 2-6, the Jaguars were embarking on a similar path following a terrible loss in London. Trevor Lawrence was angry after another goal line interception that cost the Jaguars valuable points. Since then, even if not perfect, it's been a different type of season for the Jaguars.

Starting with a massive comeback victory against the Raiders, Trevor Lawrence has proven that he's that generation prospect he was labeled back in 2021. He's played the best football of his career and elevated the Jaguars into the playoff hunt. The Raiders win was the biggest comeback win of his career, but somehow that was the least impressive win of this last stretch. Only three weeks later, Lawrence stepped up again and led the Jaguars down the field against the Ravens to score a touchdown to presumably tie the game. However, the Jaguars didn't kick the extra point to head to overtime. They went for it and were rewarded as Trevor Lawrence delivered a beautiful pass to Zay Jones which sealed a 28-27 upset over a top playoff contender.

Even though these games were impressive, the Jaguars did something that has been unheard of in Duval County for nearly a decade. This team went on the road to Nashville and dominated the Tennessee Titans in a 36-22 victory that wasn't as close as the score suggests. Lawrence had the best game of his career with 368 passing yards and 4 total touchdowns. When the Titans took a cheap shot on a kneel down to wrap up the game, Lawrence stood up for his teammate without hesitation and showed off his growing confidence by pointing to the scoreboard.

The Ceiling Is Much Higher Than We've Seen In Jacksonville

In Week 14 of the 2021 NFL season, the Jaguars were shut out in Nashville as Trevor Lawrence played his worst career game. In Week 14 of the 2022 NFL season, the Jaguars dominated in Nashville as Trevor Lawrence played his best career game. The point is that things change. Most players take time to become great in the NFL and the Jaguars have these players at nearly every position. One of the most promising things that we can take away from the game against the Titans was the progress made by coaching.

Instead of being dead-set on keeping things the way they were, Mike Caldwell moved players into positions that maximized their potential. Darious Williams has finally been moved to the outside where he had a solid debut. Williams was targeted five times and only allowed two receptions for 22 yards. It wasn't a perfect game as he committed a penalty and wasn't a huge factor in tackling, but he should continue to improve and settle on the outside. Tre Herndon took over in the slot and had an average game, but for his role on the roster that's not disappointing.

On the other side, Travon Walker lined up more often in a three-point stance which led to more burst off the initial snap. On one of these plays, he was able to shed a chip block and move around the LT to strip sack Ryan Tannehill. Walker was also able to blow his highest pass rushing grade out of the water with a 91.6 per PFF. His highest before was a 69.4 against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 10.

The coaching staff is learning how to utilize the players on the roster and make adjustments to win games. The defense has began to thrive on creating turnovers to provide additional possessions for the offense to score and control the game. We're seeing the rise of several younger players on the roster, most notably Tyson Campbell and Andre Cisco. Campbell has undoubtedly been one of the best lockdown cornerbacks across the entire league and was able to break up every single pass thrown his way. Although Cisco hasn't seen the field the last two weeks, he's been a heavy hitter and created several stops and turnovers for the Jaguars defense. Couple these players with the veterans who have something to prove and you've got a team that's becoming more and more dangerous.

Sunday's Matchup Against Dallas Will Once Again Challenge Jacksonville's Mental Makeup

An issue that has plagued the Jaguars this year and arguably put them in their current situation has been the mentality of the team. Early on this season, Jacksonville was overlooking opponents they though were inferior and they were recently blown out by the Detroit Lions following an emotional high from Week 11. With the victory over the Tennessee Titans arguably being the biggest win of the season, the Jaguars will once again be challenged to move on and look towards the next step.

If the Jaguars want to be a legitimate playoff contender, they'll need to compete and beat other contenders. They've been able to do this in big games against the Chargers and Ravens, but they'll face another great team in the Cowboys. Don't get it wrong, the Cowboys aren't a bad team because they barely beat the Houston Texans. I believe their issues are predominantly mental and from a coaching standpoint. The Cowboys are constantly hyped up to be a Super Bowl contender every season despite not having won a playoff game in decades. They're also led by Mike McCarthy, a head coach that many fans aren't very fond of.

I think the only big mistake that the Cowboys could make is looking forward to their matchup against the Eagles in Week 16. Dallas will be looking to exact revenge for an early season loss and could be looking to push for the NFC's coveted first seed. Regardless of whether that's the case or not, Jacksonville has to bring it's best version to the matchup at the bank. Beating America's team would send a clear message that the Jaguars are better than their record indicates, and this team could be dangerous if they clinch a playoff birth. Who wants to play against a young superstar quarterback who's surrounded by an ultra-confident team?

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