Can the Jaguars Win a Super Bowl?
The Jacksonville Jaguars are one of only a few teams that have not been to a Super Bowl. Can they ever win it?
Each Sunday for almost twenty two years since the inception of the Jacksonville Jaguars the team takes us fans for a ride as we watch explosive plays, heartbreak losses, and unforgettable moments. For all the wins and losses, touchdowns and interceptions one thing still eludes the Jaguars: a Super Bowl title.
In a recent article from Bleacher Report, Mike Tanier took the time to look at teams with losing records from the 2015 season and predict in three stages how they could turn it around in 2016 to make the Super bowl, and wouldn’t you know it the Jaguars make the list.
At 5-11 last season the Jaguars weren’t anywhere close to competing for a Super bowl let alone a playoff spot. However, when writing about the upcoming season something feels different. The team is one year more mature and many draft picks and players have been developing into cornerstones for the team. Tanier notes this development in his article when he states his first stage.
"“Stage 1: The offense continues developing. The Jaguars offense is teeming with skill-position contributors under 25 years old: Blake Bortles, Allen Robinson, Allen Hurns, T.J. Yeldon, Marqise Lee, Rashad Greene and others. If Bortles cuts down on turnovers and the offensive line coalesces, this could be one of the NFL’s top offenses. Seriously.”"
Reading this felt like validation to what we Jaguars fans have known for a couple years now: our young skill players are special. Tanier makes some good points about the offensive line and Blake Bortles reducing interceptions and if everything aligns the way he stated above, then the Jaguars will have a very potent offensive attack.
What’s even more exciting to think about is the players mentioned above are only offensive. This doesn’t even mention the team’s defensive youth with LB Telvin Smith, DE Dante Fowler Jr., and recently the Jaguars have drafted defensively (Jalen Ramsey, Myles Jack, Sheldon Day, Yannick Ngakoue). If some of these players turn into gems like what happened on the offense then the rest of the NFL better look out as the Jacksonville Jaguars are a force to be reckoned with.
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Another reason for optimism was when Tanier noted the final stage for a chance at the Super bowl.
"“Stage 3: The Jaguars actually catch a break. Last year, top draft pick Dante Fowler Jr. got injured in his first minicamp practice, and prized free agent Julius Thomas suffered a hand injury in the preseason.”"
Tanier has a point. Truthfully I don’t think the jags are snake bitten but when it seems like when catching a break they always falls the other way for our Jags. So what would catching a break look like? For me, as long as there aren’t any freak injuries and the Jags head into the season healthy I would consider it to be a break for once. While in recent years the Jags haven’t had the best luck the tides have to change sometime why not this season?
Overall, the article was a fun read speculating on teams who could reach the Super Bowl after a losing season. The odds are against the Jags but if some of the examples above fall into place then the Jags have a real shot at the AFC south tittle and once in the playoffs it’s anyone’s game from there.
Overall the expectations for the Jags are higher from what they are a year ago and they should be,. This team looks better on paper and with the new season rapidly approaching we will soon find out if this year’s team has what it takes to make it to Super bowl fifty one.