The Sacksonville SWAGuars Cannot be Stopped
By Lionel Joel
The Jacksonville Jaguars clinch a playoff birth with a win over the Texans in Jacksonville in week 15.
Overall, the Jags can finish the season as high as the 2-seed if they win out and the Steelers beat the Patriots in week 15. Regardless of what playoff spot they finish with, the Jacksonville Jaguars are unequivocally the most dangerous team in the AFC.
The Jaguars are 3-0 against Super Bowl winning quarterbacks this year. In those three games, Joe Flacco, Ben Roethlisberger, and Russell Wilson combined for 3 TDs, 10 INTs, a completion percentage of 52.6, and an average QBR of 24.8. The Jaguars defense maintains a confidence and physicality that cannot be beaten simply through experience and name recognition.
Furthermore, the Jaguars are uniquely great at stopping both short passes and deep passes. It seems elementary, but usually defenses that consistently succeed in one area fail to do so in the other. So it does not matter whether a team prefers short, quick passing attacks like the Patriots and Chiefs, or setting up big play opportunities like the Steelers and Chargers. The Jaguars have the rare ability to disrupt a game plan regardless of scheme or personnel.
Outside of the great defense, the Jaguars are 3/3 on fake punts, can flip the field on punt returns, and employ a now you see it, now you don’t style of offense that few teams can prepare for this deep into the NFL season. Simply put, the Jacksonville Jaguars are the most balanced team in the NFL.
After more than a decade of struggles, busts, and frustrations, it is now time for Jaguars to begin thinking 2017 playoffs. The aggressive, unrelenting swag led by Jalen Ramsey, with Leonard Fournette, Yannick Ngakoue, Dante Fowler Jr., drips all over each victory. Include that with the merciless, unrelenting style in which the Jags got here, maybe its time Jaguars start thinking beyond just a playoff birth.