What Advantages Do the Jaguars Have Against Other AFC Competitors?

The New Guys On The Block Shouldn't Be Taken Lightly

If the Jacksonville Jaguars can beat the Tennessee Titans and clinch the AFC South, they'll undoubtedly be one of the biggest surprises in the NFL this season. Very rarely have teams been able to turn around so fast after finishing dead last in the league, but the Jaguars have charged right back into the mix and are on the brink of their second AFC South Championship!

There will undoubtedly be a lot of fanbases and even some teams that would look at Jacksonville as a preferred matchup in the playoffs based on appearances. Unless you've looked closely this season, you see a team that barely had a winning record, only won its division because of the strength of competition, and still has an abundance of deficiencies that will keep it from going anywhere. While you could argue about the strength of the division, I don't think many of those points have much merit.

Jacksonville Has The Most To Prove And Arguably The Best Team Mentality In The League

There is no doubt in my mind that the Jacksonville Jaguars have the best mentality in the AFC right now. Crazy to say, right? Well, a lot changes in a year and this team has gone from no hope to complete buy-in to Doug Pederson's culture. Since the loss in Kansas City, the Jaguars are on a 5-1 stretch in which they came from behind in the biggest moments for over half of those wins. I don't think they're scared of anyone or any situation at this point because they've proven they can scratch and claw their way out of it.

When I look at other competitors in the AFC I see flaws that could come to haunt in the playoffs. From a mentality standpoint, I would consider the Bengals to be in the best spot as they've consistently shown up in the biggest moments, but there's still questions about their coaching with Zac Taylor. Meanwhile, the Chiefs and Bills have consistently played down to their lesser opponents until the last moments of the game. Perhaps that doesn't become an issue in the playoffs since those teams will be eliminated, but what happens if they're expected to win big?

Now when we evaluate the wild card teams it clearly becomes worse. The Chargers are just simply known for 'chargering it.' Meanwhile, the Ravens have issues as it's almost a bigger focus whether or not Lamar Jackson is going to stay around for the future. If I could choose any of these teams solely from a mentality standpoint, I would choose the Jaguars over and over.

Jacksonville's Roster Could Have The Highest Potential For Improvement

This team is littered with young players with high ceilings that could be entering their prime in the coming years. Essentially, potential is in abundance in North Florida. We've seen flashes of what these players can do when they're playing at their best this year. Most recently, we saw Travis Etienne break Houston's run defense on Sunday and lay the foundation for a blowout against an opponent who hadn't lose to Jacksonville since 2017.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Jaguars feature a multitude of players with high hopes. Josh Allen and Travon Walker as a tandem have disappointed this year, but all of the tools are still there for a postseason breakout. Just behind them, Devin Lloyd and Chad Muma are trending in the right direction and would not only help themselves through improvement, but they have also clearly elevated the play of Foye Oluokun when they've played sound football.

On the final level of the defense, Tyson Campbell and Andre Cisco have grown into fantastic playmakers for the Jaguars who could do even more. Campbell has showcased excellent ball skills and quickly made up for his deficiencies as a prospect while Cisco has shown he can turn the tide of a game on multiple occasions this year. Both players are showing that they aren't just excellent in certain areas, but that they can be all-around pros at this level.

With young players that could break out and a slew of veterans who are having career seasons, Jacksonville could elevate far past the level of a 9-8 squad. Quite frankly, they already have over the past couple months.

Jacksonville Can Always Win With Trevor Lawrence Being Himself

The Jaguars nailed so many of their offseason acquisitions and draft picks over the last two years, but there will never be anyone who's deemed as more important to the lifeline of this team than Trevor Lawrence. The Jaguars will live and die with him, which is exactly the reason why they've charged back into the playoff mix. Lawrence was touted as a generational prospect with almost no flaws when he came out of college, and the Jaguars are learning what that looks like for the first time in their short history.

Lawrence hasn't taken over the league like Mahomes did, and there's even still people who don't want to believe he's among the best at his position, but mark my words that he will bring a Super Bowl to Jacksonville. Trevor was challenged against what may have been the toughest environment to play in as a rookie in recently NFL history with 'He Who Shall Not Be Named' at the helm. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, and Lawrence's career is more alive than ever.

It doesn't matter how great of an opponent the Jaguars face in the playoffs. A Jaguars team that's led by Trevor Lawrence will always have a shot to take down anyone in this league. Don't be surprised if this team delivers a knock out blow to a top contender in the AFC this month. They won't be ready until they wake up.

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