Jaguars: 4 things that must happen to win the AFC South in 2021

4. The Jacksonville Jaguars need to have a middle-of-the-pack defense.

Last season, the Jaguars couldn’t stop anyone nor pressure opposing quarterbacks. Moreover, they gave up 30.75 points per game and allowed less than 24 points just once. If Jacksonville wants to win the AFC South, they will need to field a middle-of-the-pack defense. The Buffalo Bills reached the AFC Championship with the 16th best defensive unit in the league. The Packers also ranked 13th in points surrendered and also advanced to the conference game.

Nowadays, you don’t have to have a top defense to reach the playoffs. As long as you can make key stops at the right time and force a few turnovers, you can win a game on any given Sunday. The Jaguars don’t have to become a defensive powerhouse to compete for a postseason berth. They just need to make sure that the game doesn’t get out of reach, so their offense doesn’t have to get into a shootout.

The Jaguars’ revamped secondary should help. They signed former Seattle Seahawks cornerback Shaquill Griffin and safety Rayshawn Jenkins in free agency. Moreover, the team’s brass drafted cornerback Tyson Campbell and safety Andre Cisco in this year’s selection meeting.  A healthy Josh Allen should also be back in the lineup after dealing with a knee injury in 2020 and sophomore K’Lavon Chaisson could have a breakout season in 2021. If the Jaguars can limit opposing offenses to 23 to 25 points per game, their odds of winning the division will increase considerably.