Finishing 3-14 is nothing to brag about. Nevertheless, the Jacksonville Jaguars should be proud of how they ended the 2021 season,
beating the Indianapolis Colts 26-11
. You could see the excitement in Jags’ players after the win and rightfully so. This year didn’t go as plan and they had to endure
former head coach Urban Meyer created.
There’s nothing better than finishing the season on a strong note. You can go into the offseason with your head up, not having to deal with the bitter taste of the defeat. Moreover, knowing how it feels to win should motivate some of the Jaguars’ young players to work hard in the offseason to pick off where they left off next season.
Keep in mind that all the Jaguars’ wins in 2021 came against winning teams and all of them were meaningful. Beating the Miami Dolphins and ending a five-game losing skid felt great. Pulling off the upset against the Buffalo Bills was equally impressive. Nevertheless, their victory over the Colts was the best of the three, and here are three reasons why.
1. The Jaguars eliminated the Colts from playoff contention.
All the Colts had to do to qualify for the postseason. Easy task, right? Not so much. Even though they were favored to win by 15 points, Indy hadn’t (and still hasn’t) won a game at TIAA Bank Field since 2014, that’s a pretty long streak. That should have been a sign they were going to need to play hard to earn the W. Instead, they were stunned and left out of the playoffs.
Quarterback Carson Wentz played his worst game of the season and running back Jonathan Taylor couldn’t make enough plays. Make no mistake though, the Jaguars earned this win. Their defensive front didn’t stop pressuring Wentz, their back seven was all over the field but more importantly, the offense performed at a high level.
Things got so bad that Colts owner Jim Irsay met with head coach Frank Reich and Chris Ballard after the game to demand answers for his team’s uninspiring performance in the season finale. While the Jaguars didn’t make the playoffs, they prevented their division rival from joining in the fun and that’s a sweet, sweet feeling.
2. The Jaguars get to keep the first overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Late in the 2021 season, the Jaguars looked like a lock to earn the first overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. They went into Week 18 needing either a loss or a loss from the Detriot Lions to clinch it. There was another less likely scenario: a win by both squads, which seemed unlikely as Jacksonville was facing off against a Colts’ team fighting for a playoff spot while Detroit had to take on a talented Green Bay Packers team.
In the end, both the Jags and the Lions took care of business and beat their respective opponents, which helped the former secure the top overall pick in the draft, which they will need to revamp the roster this upcoming offseason.
As impressive as the Jaguars’ win over the Colts, there’s a reason they went 3-14. Beyond Urban Meyer’s inability to lead the team, they lacked playmakers at most positional groups, and having the first overall selection grants them the chance to draft one.
At this point, there are three prospects vying for the top spot in the draft: Defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, offensive tackle Evan Neal, and defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux. All of them could be instant contributors and quickly make an impact in the NFL, so the Jags could pick any of them and end with a potential building block.
Another possibility is to trade down to hoard extra selections but for that to happen, the Jaguars would need to find a team that is willing to move up, which may be a tough sell in a year where there is no consensus top pick and the quarterback class isn’t particularly strong. Speaking of quarterbacks…
3. The Jaguars have their quarterback of the future in Trevor Lawrence.
Trevor Lawrence’s 2021 numbers look horrible when you look at them without context. Heading into Week 18, he had just ten touchdowns and a league-worst 17 interceptions. Moreover, there was a post making the rounds on social media that made compared him and former NFL quarterback JaMarcus Russell. You know things are bad when a certified bust looks better than you. However, there’s more than meets the eye when it comes to the Jaguars’ young passer.
Lawrence joined a team that was coming off a 1-15 season. Also, the Jags failed to adequately surround him with talent and had to carry them on his shoulders, which is fine when you’re a vested veteran, not so much when you are in a dysfunctional franchise and adequate supporting cast. Nevertheless, he showed in Week 18 why he was the top overall pick in 2021.
Before the game against the Colts, Lawrence had only had a multi-touchdown game in 2021 (Week 1 versus the Houston Texans). Also, he had turned the ball over at least once in 12 games. Week 18 was a whole different story, he threw two touchdown passes and didn’t turn over the ball once. Moreover, he completed a season-best 71.8 percent of his passes. Had his receivers not dropped a few passes, his statline would have looked even better.
The Jaguars’ brass should be ecstatic about Lawrence moving forward. His Week 18 performance should give them a reason to build around him in the offseason. If they do, there will be more games like the one against the Colts in 2022.