Jacksonville Jaguars season predictions series: Weeks 14-17

Predicting the 2017 Jacksonville Jaguars schedule, part four: Draft order or playoff scenarios, which will Jaguars fans be monitoring as the season closes?

We have reached the final look at the Jacksonville Jaguars schedule as we examine and predict the final four weeks of the 2017 season. If you have missed the first three installments, or would like to refresh your memory: Part one can be viewed here, part two here, and part three is here. After a bump in the road in the heart of the schedule, the Jaguars are currently sitting at 5-7. Let’s see if this season ends with a playoff push or another high draft selection.

Week Fourteen: Seattle Seahawks

This a difficult matchup for the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Seahawks will be battling for a top two seed and a bye in the NFC playoffs, and losing to Jacksonville would be a severe hit to their chances. Seattle has proven to be on the top tier of teams in the NFL over the last few years. Playing the Seahawks will provide an excellent measuring stick for Jacksonville at this point of the season to gauge what kind of progress the team has made, and if they are ready to compete with the league’s best. Jacksonville will need to play a clean game, and control the time of possession if they want to steal this one. The Jaguars will be game and provide a stiff challenge for the Seahawks, but Seattle comes out on top.

Score: Seattle 23-17

Record: 5-8

Week Fifteen: Houston Texans

The Jaguars are desperate for a win, and will have an opportunity for some revenge after a week one loss to the Texans. Houston will enter this game in the running for a division title, and Jacksonville will be looking to stay alive in the race with a game against the Tennessee Titans also left to be played. The Jaguars end the losing streak and get a much-needed win, while also putting a dent in the Texans’ hopes.

Score: Jacksonville 21-13

Record: 6-8

Week Sixteen: @ San Francisco 49ers

The second of Jacksonville’s two west coast road trip comes against the 49ers. San Francisco is a team going through a complete transition, with a new head coach and general manager. Growing pains will happen early and often this season for the 49ers, and wins will be limited. This would be a brutal loss for the Jaguars to take in 2017. But Jacksonville doesn’t falter, and goes into San Francisco and gets the victory, holding the lead throughout the game.

Score: Jacksonville 20-9

Record: 7-8

Week Seventeen: @ Tennessee Titans

The Jaguars head into the final week of the regular season with an opportunity to finish with a .500 record for the first time since 2010. With a game against the Titans to close it out, a lot more could be on the line in a wide open AFC South. Both teams need this game, and it will be neck and neck the whole way. In the end, the Titans at home make just enough plays to win it, and perhaps claim the division crown with the victory.

Score: Tennessee 24-21

Record: 7-9

Final analysis on the 2017 season:

Another losing season is not what fans want to happen in 2017, but the Jacksonville Jaguars see their win total increase by four games from last year, and four win increases don’t come easy in the NFL. This team is stacked with talent and young guys on the precipice of stardom. The Jaguars are no longer an easy win on the schedule for opposing teams, and will be in a lot of games this year.

Not predicting a better outcome for the Jacksonville Jaguars is based on the fact its biggest question mark comes at the most crucial position, with quarterback Blake Bortles. Bortles is surrounded with talent, but inconsistency and decision making has been his downfall. With this season being a make or break year for Bortles, we will truly see what he is made of in Jacksonville. If he finds a way to be consistent and smarter with the football, this Jacksonville team can make some serious noise. But until he proves he can become that reliable guy behind center, it is hard to confidently pencil the Jacksonville Jaguars in for more wins in 2017, even with the emphasis being on the newly bolstered running attack.

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