Jacksonville Jaguars Week 17 Power Rankings: Humbled

The Jacksonville Jaguars have to pull themselves together for the final game of the season after getting humbled by Jimmy Garoppolo and the San Francisco 49ers.

The Jacksonville Jaguars were riding high going into their matchup against the San Francisco 49ers. They won 7 of their last 8 games and had just clinched the AFC South title thanks to a loss by the Tennessee Titans.

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Now, the Jaguars must find a way to regain momentum and beat the Tennessee Titans. Otherwise, they will head into the postseason with a losing streak and little to no confidence.

While the loss the to 49ers ultimately means nothing in terms of playoff standings, it was a humbling experience and will test the will of a young team that needs to learn to how to bounce back.

After a brutal loss, where do the Jaguars stack up this week in the power rankings? Lets find out:

Bleacher Report – Chris Simms

"7. Jacksonville JaguarsI knew this would be a tough matchup for Jacksonville because of the experience Shanahan has with their defensive scheme. Still, we’ve seen no offense shred the Jacksonville defense like the 49ers did early on Sunday.Still, I’m not all that worried about Jacksonville’s defense moving forward. It’s still special. What I’m worried about is the same thing I’ve been worried about all season. When Jacksonville cannot dominate on the ground, can the Jaguars win through the air?Yes, I know Blake Bortles has been good the last few weeks against some of the worst pass defenses in the league. However, the San Francisco pass defense isn’t that great, and Bortles struggled against it.I’ll say this again: The Jaguars have the most talented team in football. They just have a quarterback who isn’t franchise-caliber. Bortles has been better at times this season, but his inconsistencies could cost Jacksonville in the playoffs."

Sporting News – Ron Clements

"8. Jacksonville Jaguars (10-5) :The Jaguars looked like world-beaters before laying an egg against the 49ers. They can keep the Titans out of playoffs by beating them Sunday."

NFL.com – Elliot Harrison

"8. Jacksonville JaguarsWe waited for weeks with breathless anticipation … What would happen? When would it happen?How would the saga continue following a “Rogue One”-like detour? Wait, no, I’m not talking about the new Star Wars movie. I’m talking about the Blake Bortles Odyssey. We finally got the answer to the question of when he would reprise his role as the turns-it-over-at-the-worst-time guy. The sad part is, this came after Bortles talked a little sh#% back to Jadeveon Clowney about playing like trash. Nooooooooooooo! Don’t get cocky — that’s the most sure-fire way to ensure you’ll lay an egg on the field. Few passes the Jags quarterback fired on Sunday were sure, at least, until it was too little, too late. More surprising: seeing Jacksonville’s secondary get Jimmy G’d."

ESPN.com

"9. Jacksonville Jaguars2017 record: 10-5Week 16 ranking: No. 66.5 wins: The Jaguars have cruised past their projected wins, but forgive fans for feeling a little uneasy after their Week 16 loss. The defense allowed 40-plus points to the 49ers while Blake Bortles threw his first pick-six of the year and had his first three-interception game since Week 3 of 2016."

My take:

I’m not surprised by any of these analyses. The Jaguars are still a top 10 team and one dud performance on the other side of the country against the hottest quarterback in the league isn’t going to change that. Jimmy G played out of his mind and took advantage of a Jacksonville defense that wasn’t ready to play.

Yes, Bortles’ play was a bit troubling but there’s something to be said about that fact that he scored 19 straight points when the team was down 16-0. He had the Jaguars in position to win and the defense failed to stop Garoppolo multiple times.

Maybe the loss was for the best. The Jaguars are now in a familiar role as they head into the playoffs – the underdog.

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