2017 was just the beginning for these Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars proved doubters wrong all year and will now have a target on the back entering the 2018 season.

Think back, way back, to the 2017 NFL Preseason. The Jaguars had just spent heavily in free agency, Branden Albert was one of our concerns, and Chad Henne was competing for a starting QB spot. A collective groan was the mood around Jacksonville as the city braced themselves for another year as the laughing stock of the NFL. But then, something amazing happened. The Jags marched into Houston and sacked Tom Savage and Deshaun Watson 10 times. Sacksonville was born.

Then they went to London and stomped the Ravens, followed up two weeks later by the demolition of the Steelers. However, this stretch was not without its lumps, losing the first home game to Tennessee, then that frustrating game in New York City. Starting in late October, the team rattled off four straight wins, before losing a heartbreaker to Blaine freaking Gabbert of all people. Then there was another three game win streak, bringing Duval to its first 10 win season in a decade.

Blake Bortles had some games that made fans question the coaching staff giving him yet another chance. However, Blake also became a symbol of who the Jaguars are as a team, and who we are in Duval. He had perhaps the three best games of his career in a row: against the Colts, Seahawks, and Texans. After years of being labeled as a joke, Blake stepped up in the divisional game against Pittsburgh, and in the AFC title game in New England. The Jaguars rallied around Blake Bortles, they rallied around their role as the underdog, and they rallied around the fans.

With nearly all of the Sacksonville defense returning, and Allen Robinson likely returning, this is just the beginning. The Jaguars have sent message to the NFL: they won’t be bullied anymore. They are the bullies. The pain the players, coaches, and fans feel from the loss in New England will not fade anytime soon. It will be the fuel for 2018 season, because these Jaguars aren’t fading anytime soon either. It’s still Duval vs. All Y’all. Forever.