Reasons why the Jaguars will play in Super Bowl 54

The Jacksonville Jaguars hope the 2018 season was more of an abberation than what could be as the team looks to become a Super Bowl contender in 2019.

I remember this time last year preparing to watch Super Bowl 52 and thinking to myself the Jacksonville Jaguars should be playing the Philadelphia Eagles instead of the New England Patriots. Like everyone else in North Florida, I was seething from a blown whistle that proved to be the difference in the score of the game.

Ideally, I knew that wasn’t the only thing that prevented the Jaguars, the 2017 AFC South champions from advancing past the AFC Title game at a chance to take home a Lombardi Trophy. At the time, however, it was all I could think about. It struck a chord with me the fan, not the writer who had to separate being a fanboy everytime I struck the keyboard to write about this team.

The 2018 season was more forgettable and regretable than the Jaguars wanted when they opened with a 20-15 win in Week 1 of the NFL season. At the quartermark and a 3-1 record, there was no doubt this team was headed back to the post season and a chance to get to Atlanta was an easy goal to attain.

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Then the wheels came off and the Jaguars won two of their final 12 games. It was painful to watch. It was difficult to comprehend. And after a 20-3 loss to Houston in the season finale, the Jaguars were home for the new year.

When the clock strikes zero after the Super Bowl, the NFL season will officially come to a screaching halt. The 2019 will begin in earnest Monday with 31 teams hoping to do what one franchise could accomplish. As John Madden says, for one team, they will lose their last game of the year.

The Jaguars have already turned the page to the new season with new coaches added to Doug Marrone’s staff and a focus on what the organization – from top to bottom – has to do to exorcize the demons of this past year. I believe there are plenty of changes to be made this offseason, which coould lead to a return to the playoffs and possibly a Super Bowl in Miami.

Here are three reasons the Jaguars will play in Super Bowl 54.

New offensive direction – John DiFilippo was brought in as offensive coordinator to fix what was broken almost all season long.

Injuries hurt this team, especially on the offensive line. The running game was a sham and the passing game wasn’t that far behind. These numbers say everything.

• 15.3 points per game
• 107.7 yards rushing per game
• 194.3 yards passing per game

No team can make the playoffs, let alone win football games with that kind of lack of production.

The Jaguars will ask their new coordinator to make the offense viable and to find a balance next year. The team led the league in rushing just a year ago. Maybe DiFilippo can rejuvenate what was a team that flatlined on that side of the ball this past season.

To good health – With a new season comes a new slate for a healthy roster. There is no way to explain the decimation of the Jaguars other than it was plain unbelievable in 2018.

The offensive line may get help in free agency and the Draft. The wide receivers will get Marqise Lee back. The running back unit will have a healthy Leonard Fournette (hold your breath). There is no reason to think with healthy starters this team gets a big boost everywhere.

The tight end position is one to watch as well as the unit was abused by injuries. There is still no word yet if Austin Seferian-Jenkins returns or what the team plans to do with Blake Bell and James O’Shaughnessy. But look for the group to be at full speed.

The defense is still pretty good – It hard to argue the defense was the team’s rock this season, despite not playing up to the same standard from 2017. That could change this season as the team makes a few moves on this side of the ball.

Malik Jackson figures to be released. Taven Bryan will get more playing time inside. The Jaguars may look to find depth in free agency as well.

Calais Campbell and Yannick Ngakoue had 20 sacks between them. The secondary will be better with a healty A.J. Bouye and Ronnie Harrison as a full-time starter. There is Jalen Ramsey. No explaination needed.

The only area that concerns me is linebacker where Telvin Smith regressed and Myles Jack never rose above the predictions for him. Should he get better and Smith plays more like the 2017 season, this unit will be much improved.