Jaguars odds of making the playoffs look bleak after loss to Chiefs

An old adage says that hope dies last but it’s hard to envision a scenario in which the Jacksonville Jaguars make the playoffs following a 27-17 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. However, Doug Pederson says the Jags aren’t giving up just yet and remains optimistic they can turn the corner after their Bye Week.

After the loss to the Chiefs, Pederson told analyst Bucky Brooks that the Bye is going to give the coaching staff the chance to make adjustments while the players will have time to rest.

“As a staff, we’ve got to look at everything,” Pederson said. “We’ve got to go back and reevaluate everything that we’re doing in all three phases and see if there are changes that can be made, whether it’s in the scheme, people need to play more, play less. This is the time to do that and for the players to get healthy, get fresh, and get rejuvenated for the back third of our season.

Pederson went on to say that he doesn’t think the Jaguars are out of the playoff picture just yet.

“It’s 3-7. It sounds bad but with seven games to go, if you go on a run and end up 10-7, you’ve got a chance to go to the postseason still, so that’s got to be our focus. That’s got to be our goal as we go into the Bye, Pederson said”.

The Jaguars won’t probably make the playoffs until 2023

Of course, Pederson isn’t just going to wave the white flag and his optimism in the face of adversity is commendable. But it’s hard to see Jacksonville running the table in their last seven games of the season.

Sure, the Jags may be able to beat a Detroit Lions team that has mustered just one win this season but they’ll have a hard time beating teams like the Baltimore Ravens and the New York Jets.

Maybe if the Jaguars were playing the way they were early in the season when they beat the Los Angeles Chargers and the Indianapolis Colts, it would be easier to imagine them getting on a hot streak but they’ve lost six of their last seven games and their sole win came against a Raiders team that just lost to a head coach with no prior NFL experience. Simply, it’s hard to share Pederson’s optimism.

The Jaguars have a long way to go before they can make a legitimate playoff run. For the time being, they should be pleased with Trevor Lawrence’s development and Travis Etienne’s big-play potential. Similarly, wide receiver Christian Kirk has proven to be a valuable addition and that should make fans thrilled about the offense’s potential … in 2023.