Jaguars: Where they rank in the AFC wildcard picture

Even with the loss on Sunday and a 4-5 record, the Jacksonville Jaguars have an outside shot at the playoffs and a wildcard.

I have not always been a fan of NFL.com columnist Adam Schein, but I think we both agree that the Jacksonville Jaguars may need veteran quarterback Nick Foles to help them dig out of a hole in the AFC wild-card race.

The Jaguars, 4-5 this season following the 26-3 loss to their AFC South rival Houston Texans on Sunday, may have opened the door a bit wider for Foles to return under center when the Jaguars return from their bye week to face the Indianapolis Colts.

The truth of the matter is simple, the Jaguars cannot afford to lose the game in Indianapolis if they have any hope of making the postseason and given all four teams in the division have a real chance of winning the division – stranger things have happened – winning in Week 11 and then following it up in Tennessee with a victory over the Titans is paramount.

The decision of which quarterback finishes the remaining seven games will tell you all you know about how the coaching staff views each signal-caller and their ability on the field to get this team beyond the regular season.

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"As Schein wrote in his story on handicapping the wildcard contenders, “… we’ve seen Foles rescue teams before …”"

And maybe that’s the role he now plays for this team, one that should be thrilled the Jaguars are 4-5 at this point with a rookie quarterback who has had his moments of brilliance and then there are times when he has played like the neophyte he is in a league that shows no favor for a first-year starter, especially at the quarterback position.

Schein has Jacksonville ranked sixth out of the nine teams that are considered “in” the wild card race in the AFC, with games against the two AFC division opponents and the Los Angeles Chargers and Oakland Raiders to still be played as well. The other two teams on Jacksonville’s schedule, Tampa Bay and Atlanta, are games the Jaguars should be favored to win.

I believe the Jaguars have to get to 9-7 for playoff consideration. It can be done, but injuries and improvements on the offensive line and in the middle of the linebacking unit will play a role in the success or failure of this team.

The Jaguars are 10th in the NFL in rushing this season and 14th in passing. It’s a better outcome than the team that was 31st in the league in scoring in 2018.

"“The defense hasn’t been as stifling as many expected, but it’s still a talented unit, with rookie Josh Allen providing immediate returns (seven sacks) on the pass-rushing front,” Schein writes. “After a highly disappointing sophomore campaign, Leonard Fournette has bounced back in a major way, ranking third in the NFL with 831 rushing yards while posting a career-best average of 4.8 yards a pop.”"