Jaguars Receive an Early Christmas Present as They Take Control of the AFC South

A Fifth Straight Loss For Tennessee Gives Jacksonville 1st Place In The South

Who would have ever thought the Jaguars would be leading the AFC South late in December after a five-game losing streaking in October? Well, fortunes change in the NFL and now the Jaguars are the ones on a hot streak while the Titans just lost their fifth straight game. With only two weeks left in the season, there's very little doubt that the Jaguars are gonna be playoff bound after Week 18 when they'll face Malik Willis' Titans in Jacksonville.

Just a month ago, I remember making a post about how the Jaguars were nearly knocked out of contention in the division. The Titans had just defeated the Packers to advance to 7-3 and had a massive four game lead heading into the late stretch. What we didn't know was that both teams were about to reach their pivotal points.

In Nashville, the Titans were breaking behind the scenes with several key starters going down to injury. They were facing the hardest stretch of the schedule with games against the conference champions in Cincinnati and a reunion with AJ Brown. Unknown to many, they were on the verge of firing their general manager Jon Robinson. Still, they were 7-3 and almost seemed as a lock for the playoffs.

However, things were very different in Jacksonville. The Jaguars were 3-7 heading into the bye week, but no confidence was being lost inside the building. As they said from the beginning, the players and coaches knew they had everything they needed to make a run at the playoffs. It was all about starting a new season and capitalizing on opportunities. Even with the playoffs seeming almost impossible, the best version of this team was about to take the field for the first time all season, and they did just that.

The Jaguars Didn't Luck Into This Spot, They Earned It

You'll probably hear this narrative the next few weeks, especially after a champion is crowned in the AFC South. They're only in the playoffs because their division is bad and they don't deserve to be in it. Well, maybe you can argue that for the home field advantage they could enjoy, but the reality is that Jacksonville isn't in the playoffs because of their division.

If the playoffs featured the best seven teams from the conference regardless of division, the Jaguars would still be the seventh seed. There is no team that would knock Jacksonville out of the playoffs as the Patriots, Jets, and Titans hold the same record. In addition, the victor of the Steelers vs. Raiders wouldn't hold the tiebreaker. Even if the Jaguars don't have a winning record right now, there isn't a team that's more deserving of that spot than these Cardiac Cats.

Outside of record, the Jaguars are one of the hottest teams in the AFC. I think it's fair to say they're the lowest ranked of the division champions, but they defeated two of the three teams that will likely be featured as wild card selections. Jacksonville has shown the perfect mentality to compete with every and any franchise on the big stage, so I wouldn't view any game as a lost cause the rest of this year.

Jacksonville Has Its Eyes Set On More Than A Division Crown

The book hasn't been finished on the AFC South in 2022, but it won't be the final story. The path to a Super Bowl almost always begins with winning the division, and Jacksonville will very likely take that step in two weeks. That's cause enough for fans to celebrate even if the postseason doesn't go well, but these players and coaches won't be satisfied with division championships.

The Jaguars didn't bring in Doug Pederson because he won the NFC East, but because he won a Super Bowl. As the Jaguars continue to take on the form of a yearly contender, they'll rightfully be more focused on facing the best teams in the AFC. Right now, that includes the Bengals, Chiefs, and Bills. If Jacksonville can manage to make the playoffs and pull of a win at home in the Wild Card Round, they'll get their first taste of competing on the big stage against those juggernauts.

I believe that the Jaguars can win any game they're in because they meet all the requirements. They have complete buy-in, a fantastic offensive-minded head coach, a great quarterback, and a roster that features talent at nearly every position. This team could knock off one of those top contenders on a good day, but even if they don't they're going to be more primed for it in the future. This team can navigate the offseason to become a clear Super Bowl contender whether they'll be recognized as such or not.

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