Jaguars' biggest fatal flaw may come back to haunt them in the playoffs

Heading into the playoffs, there's plenty to like about the Jacksonville Jaguars. Liam Coen has had them playing the disrespect card, Trevor Lawrence is on fire, their offense has not trouble putting points on the scoreboard against some of the stingiest teams in the league, and their defense has had no trouble stymying opponents.

But as promising as the Jags have looked in the second half of the season, they're facing a long road in the playoffs. Sure, they've proven that they can go toe to toe with other contenders, but there are a few glaring flaws that could hold them back in the playoffs.

Bleacher Report outlines the Jaguars' biggest flaw(s) ahead of the playoffs

Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report drew up a list of fatal flaws every Super Bowl contender has and chose penalties for the Jags, noting that they're second in the league in that department. On top of that, drops and turnover-worthy plays have also been an issue for Jacksonville this season.

"The Jaguars may be one of the hottest teams in football, but only the Titans have been penalized more; they lead the league in dropped passes, and only two quarterbacks have committed more turnover-worthy plays than Trevor Lawrence," Gagnon wrote.

This isn't necessarily surprising news, as penalties, drops, and turnovers have plagued Jacksonville this season. That said, there's a silver lining heading into the playoffs.

Related: Dan Graziano just revealed the Jags' secret weapon ahead of the playoffs

The Jaguars have quietly cutdown on the drops, penalties, and turnovers

There's no doubt that drops, penalties, and turnovers have hurt the Jaguars throughout the year. That said, Brad Gagnon didn't take something crucial into account: Jacksonville has improved in all three areas throughout the year.

Drops were most definitely a reason for concern early on, but the Jags took care of the issue when they traded for Jakobi Meyers at the deadline. With the seventh-year receiver operating in the middle of the field, Brian Thomas Jr. has mostly lined up in the boundaries, where he's the most effective.

Similarly, Trevor Lawrence has cut down on the turnovers after the BYE. The first nine games, he had seven interceptions and two forced fumbles. The past six weeks, he's had only four picks (three against the Houston Texans) and one forced fumble. Several things have helped No. 16. The trade for Meyers has most definitely been huge, but it also looks like he's at last settled in Liam Coen's scheme, the most complex of his career. The impact of wearing a wristband cannot be overlooked either.

By knowing what play to call, Lawrence can process things faster. That, in turn, has also helped the Jags reduce the number of false starts and illegal formation calls in recent weeks. When you add it all up, they aren't nearly as flawed as they were early in the year. Granted, none of the issues that plagued them have fully gone away, but they're in good shape going into the playoffs.

Ultimately, the Jaguars have the talent and the head coach to make a deep playoff run. Whether they can actually pull it off remains to be seen, but they should feel good about their chances in spite of their flaws.