The year is 2023, and the Jacksonville Jaguars have made the playoffs with a win over the Tennessee Titans. The season was off to a rough start early as the Jaguars started 3-7 before their scheduled bye week. After the bye week, the Jaguars went on a tear finishing 6-1 to secure the AFC South.
Offensive Improvements
Coach Doug Pederson wanted to coach Trevor Lawrence and was able to excel on this seven-game stretch. Trevor is the one to lead Jacksonville to the playoffs, as the money spent on improvements has shown huge dividends. First-year Jaguar Christian Kirk’s final stat line was 1,108 yards on 84 catches averaging 13.2 yards a reception! Kirk found the end zone eight times, four more than Jacksonville’s leading receiver last year. Brandon Scherff and Luke Fortner, who was signed and drafted, helped Trevor stay upright by allowing five fewer sacks than the year before. Checking the roster, and you’ll find… Calvin Ridley?!
Christian Kirk pic.twitter.com/XVorPaKYjX
— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) January 10, 2023
Defensive Investment
Shad Khan and his beautiful mustache spent money on quality players that improved their defense. One player signed this off-season who led the NFL in tackles with 184 this year was Foyesade Oluokun. Impressive improvements, as Myles Jack only tallied 108 total tackles last season.
Furthermore, the last two years have shown great improvement as Darious Williams leads the team with passes deflected, signing this year with Jacksonville off of a Super Bowl win with the LA Rams. Rayshawn Jenkins signed two years ago, racked up tackles, and came up with crucial plays, whether a pick-six or a forced fumble sack, to secure late-game leads.
Massive play from the Jaguars defense. The Titans were starting to gain momentum, especially with the Jags offense stalling.
— Jacob Aframian (@JacobAframian) January 8, 2023
But the hit from Rayshawn Jenkins and the recovery by Josh Allen put the Jags on top for now. #DUUUVAL pic.twitter.com/HMZV8ZgPcW
Playoff Push
The Jacksonville Jaguars are back to being a topic for many football shows, and rightfully so. Jacksonville has their quarterback and more cap space to elevate the performance seen this year to be dominant in the AFC South for more than this year. Will the Jacksonville Jaguars defeat the LA Chargers and move on? Yes. They will do just that and show Florida that it’s always been the Jaguars.
Follow my other colleagues and me at Belly Up Sports. Enjoy the day and enjoy the Kraken and the 49ers Experience.
