The Jacksonville Jaguars Control Their Playoff Destiny

Jaguars Can Win The AFC South Despite Their Early Season Slump

We've been talking about these scenarios since pretty much after the Baltimore game, but it's finally coming to reality. After being down four games in the division heading into the hardest stretch of the schedule, the Jaguars have shocked multiple playoff contenders to reach within one game of the Tennessee Titans. As long as the Jaguars are able to stay within striking distance and don't lose any ground over the next two weeks, this team will be fighting for a playoff birth at home in Week 18.

The Jaguars may not have to win out the rest of the schedule and aren't required to have a winning record to qualify for the playoffs. There's essentially no realistic scenario right now where they would qualify in without a division championship, so the only team to worry about is the Titans. Thankfully, times have been tough in Tennessee as Mike Vrabel dropped his fourth straight game on Sunday.

This team will face a huge challenge to start off this final stretch of the year, but the rewards will be immense as we'll talk about more later. Jacksonville is going to be riding off of a huge emotional victory over the Dallas Cowboys and will need to handle that properly on a short week of preparation. This team will be on the plane to New York in only a couple of days which doesn't leave time to relish on the success they found this weekend.

Doug Pederson Should Seriously Be Considered For Coach Of The Year

It can't be stated enough how perfect of a match Doug Pederson was to Jacksonville. This team was seriously damaged following what myself and countless others would consider the worst head coaching stint in the history of the NFL. A generation prospect was arguably broken, trust was all but lost, and the Jaguars had seemingly established themselves as a poverty franchise. One year later, this team is soaring high in a league full of questionable contenders.

The culture change began with gaining the trust of the players in the locker room who had heard every lie in the book from 'He Who Shall Not Be Named.' Pederson has found a balance of treating the players well and pushing the limits that has brought faith back to the Jaguars organization. This should've taken at least a year, but the changes have been evident since halfway through this season.

Then the Jaguars needed to learn how to win again. After a fast 2-1 start that had Jacksonville looking like a playoff contender, they dropped five heartbreakers in a row that raised questions about whether they could win or not. Since Week 8, no one has been the same in Jacksonville. This team has truly earned the label 'Cardiac Cats' with multiple huge comebacks that seemed impossible and turning what was once a 2-6 season into a potential playoff run.

Doug Pederson has transformed Jacksonville, it's franchise quarterback, and the players into one of the most competitive teams in the NFL right now. The Jaguars believe that they can beat anyone in this league and they've proven that undoubtedly. No one could have imagined that would be possible, but the Jaguars are battling for the playoffs and Doug Pederson is the catalyst.

Jaguars Need To Show Up To Thursday Night Football And Perform

The hard work has been done for Jacksonville to decide its own fate once again, but they can't overlook their upcoming matchup against the New York Jets. Thankfully, I really think the team understands this based on how Pederson responded after the game. Every game to finish this season has carried a big obstacle for the Jaguars, and against the New York Jets that will come with the response to the emotional victory against Dallas.

This team can't underestimate Zach Wilson and the Jets. They've shown the ability to hang with anyone in the NFL this year and have a ton of young stars similarly to Jacksonville. Even though Zach Wilson is on track to become a failed first round pick, he's going to be playing for his career on Thursday as he rematches against his draft rival in Trevor Lawrence. Falling flat on Thursday would once again leave this team's fate up to the Tennessee Titans who host Houston and Dallas in consecutive weeks.

If Jacksonville is able to regroup and defeat New York on Thursday Night Football, they'll get a much needed break before facing Houston in Week 17. A reset would do them a great favor and give ample time to prepare against a team they haven't defeated since the very dawn of Sacksonville itself. I'd feel pretty damn good about the playoffs if that's where the Jaguars find themselves on Friday morning.

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