Heading into Week 16, the Jacksonville Jaguars are in great shape. They are a near lock to make the playoffs, and could potentially even claim the No. 1 seed. While that is a long shot, it's not completely out of the realm of possibility, particularly with their next game.
The Jags will be battling the Denver Broncos, and to make it worse, they'll be doing it in Denver. The Broncos have already clinched a spot in the playoffs and currently have the No. 1 seed, with the New England Patriots at No. 2 while the Jags sit at No. 3 in the seeding. The good news is that none of that is set in stone.
Jacksonville is the clear underdog in this game against Denver, but if they pull off an upset, it could potentially knock the Broncos out of the No. 1 spot and change the postseason picture. And yet despite that, this game is being ignored.
Someone finally said it: Jaguars-Broncos deserve a bigger spotlight
The Broncos have the best record in the NFL, and the Jaguars are currently on a hot streak. This game is set to be huge, and yet instead of being treated as such, it's being ignored. Instead of being flexed to a prime time spot, it's been made a mere regional broadcast, meaning most of the country won't be seeing it.
This, according to Pro Football Talk's Michael David Smith, makes absolutely no sense. The Week 16 match between the Jaguars and the Broncos is arguably the biggest remaining game left to play in the AFC before the playoffs start, and yet it's being treated as if it doesn't matter. Teams with worse records are getting the spotlight instead.
"That the NFL didn’t schedule Jaguars-Broncos for a broadcast window that could generate a big audience suggests that, despite the success of the teams on the field this season, the league doesn’t think the average fan is excited about a game matching up these two teams," Smith wrote. "Sunday afternoon games like Bills-Browns on CBS early, Steelers-Lions on CBS late and Chargers-Cowboys on Fox early are primed to get bigger audiences despite featuring teams with lesser records than the Jaguars and Broncos."
Smith said it could be due to the smaller fan bases of the Broncos and the Jaguars, which could be more of a problem with the overall football audience than the NFL itself. "[I]t says something about the tastes of the average fan that the 10-4 Jaguars against the 12-2 Broncos is perceived as a lesser game by the viewing public," he said.
But while that may be something new for the Broncos, it isn't for the Jaguars. Jacksonville is used to being underestimated and disrespected; in fact, the Jaguars thrive on it. With this latest insult, it could potentially end up being even more fuel for Jacksonville to pull off an upset and another ambush at Mile High.