Jaguars Magical Season Comes To An End In Divisional Round

A Late Comeback Gets Derailed By Lost Fumble In The Redzone

As crazy as it sounds, I felt like this game was destiny for the Jaguars just a few weeks ago their Week 10 matchup. The Jaguars were clearly on the rise and had a shot to make the playoffs, and if they were to find any success it would likely lead them back to Arrowhead. It ended up going exactly as that, but the Jaguars weren't able to flip the script this time.

Throughout most of this game, it was clear the Jaguars were hanging around to give themselves a late chance to win it. Although they never led the game, this was up in the air until the late fourth quarter. Lawrence was down 17-27 with the ball in the Kansas City redzone, but a crucial fumble by Jamal Agnew all but ended their shot at victory. On the next offensive drive, Lawrence threw a pick and then later settled for a field goal with seconds on the clock. The Jaguars weren't able to recover the onside kick which was the ultimate final nail in the coffin.

Jaguars Shouldn't Be Hanging Their Heads, But There Will Be Work To Be Done To Compete With The Best

Almost no one would have ever thought this team could be this close to a championship. Jacksonville was projected to win just six or seven games, but they managed to do that in just the final stint of the season to turn a bad season into a deep playoff run. After the bye, the Jaguars ran on a 7-2 streak that saw its final loss tonight in Kansas City.

Now that the season is over, the Jaguars will need to focus on building a roster than can win the AFC. I do genuinely believe they could've done it this year, but there's improvements that can be made. This team has first and foremost been built to stop the run on defense because of the great running backs in the division. However, the focus must shift towards the passing game now that the Jaguars are in charge of the AFC South.

If the Jaguars are able to resign many of their free agents, I believe the biggest needs on this team will be guard, defensive tackle, and slot corner(no particular order). The interior of the offensive line struggled too much against Kansas City and has had susceptible play. On defense, we could benefit from an interior pass rusher to generate pressure in the face of the quarterback. Although slot corners could be seen as a luxury, the Jaguars have used them heavily and will absolutely need to improve from Tre Herndon.

With the cap situation that Jacksonville faces, this will likely be a quieter offseason than expected. They won't be able to spend much in free agency unless they plan to heavily backload contracts, so improvements will have to come through the draft. Thankfully, there will be some great players available. Five picks in the first four rounds could be a huge asset to launch this team into the top tier they belong in.

Thanks for reading, feel free to give your thoughts in the comments and any suggestions for content you want to see. Make sure to be respectful towards other fans and represent the Jaguars fan base the way it deserves.