3 reasons the Jacksonville Jaguars ultimately fell short of the postseason this year

The Jacksonville Jaguars had a great opportunity heading into the last stretch of the 2023 season. Following the win over the Houston Texans in Week 12, they had a 99 percent chance of making the postseason. But then, they started losing. By the time they realized it, they had dropped four straight games and the Houston Texans and the Indianapolis Colts had caught up with them in the race for the AFC South.

Still, the Jags had won enough games early in the season that they wouldn't have needed help from other teams to make the playoffs. All they had to do was beat the Tennessee Titans and they would've been in. It wouldn't have mattered that they mustered just three wins from Weeks 10-17 as long as they took care of business and disposed of their division foes in the finale. But they failed, and they're now watching the postseason from home.

A promising 6-2 start was undone in the second half of the season, but how did it happen? How did the Jaguars come crashing down? Here are three reasons for the collapse.

3. The Jaguars bought into their own hype

Good teams know how to manage expectations. The Jags couldn't. Their defense was among the top 10 units in the league in the first half of the season. The offense also managed to score despite the drops and penalties. However, they got complacent in the second half. As outside linebacker Josh Allen noted, they were waiting for a spark that never came.

In 2022, they went on to win seven of their last nine games to qualify for the postseason and win the AFC South. Based on several players' comments, they were expecting to recreate the same magic but didn't put in the required work. Safety Andre Cisco, for his part, argued that the team couldn't deal with success, telling the media crops that he takes responsibility for not handling expectations properly.

The silver lining is that the Jaguars know that they cannot stop working if they want to get to the top. As the adage says, success isn't owned. It's borrowed and you have to earn it every day. Jacksonville found out the hard way.

2. Lack of discipline

Trevor Lawrence raised eyebrows when he said the Jaguars looked like a team that didn't practice. He later revisited his comments to clarify that he was talking about himself. Then again, the criticism — as harsh as it might've been — wasn't off base. The offense was marred by miscommunication, drops, and unnecessary penalties. The defense wasn't much better down the stretch. After a good start to the season, missed tackles and blown assignments became a weekly occurrence.

While players are responsible for executing on the football field, the coaching staff needs to make sure they're ready to go during practice. Outside linebacker Josh Allen echoed that thought heading into the matchup against the Carolina Panthers in Week 17. Just before the game, he told the media he felt the team had had their best week of practice, and it showed in the final 26-0 score. But that was an exception, not the norm.

Throughout the year, the Jaguars seemed sloppy and unprepared on both sides of the ball. Especially in the second half of the season, the defense failed tackles at an alarming rate. At least, they would miss 12 per game, sometimes more. The offense, on the other hand, struggled with drops. Trevor Lawrence, who played through injuries most of the year, generally delivered the ball but his receivers couldn't come make plays.

Lawrence wasn't exempt from making mistakes. He made his fair share, but he routinely put the team in a position to succeed. But other players failed to execute. Hence, the team's 9-7 record. Not surprisingly, the Jaguars moved on from defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell and most of the defensive staff.

You could argue that they should've also cut ties with Press Taylor, but Doug Pederson went to bat for him, arguing that he can be better but overall did a good job. Whether Taylor deserved to stay or not, he'll need to prove that keeping him around was the right call. If not, Pederson should be under scrutiny.

The same is true about the Mike Caldwell decision. While warranted, whoever takes his place will be under pressure to get the most out of the current personnel. On the bright side, the Jaguars know the issues they need to address. It will up to Pederson and his coordinators to address them to avoid a repeat of 2023.

1. The Jaguars failed to address most of their glaring needs

The Jaguars kept most of their 2022 core intact with the expectation that they would be even better in 2023. They projected players such as Trevor Lawrence, center Luke Fortner, linebacker Devin Lloyd, and others to make a leap. However, many of them regressed, making their decision to take a conservative approach in the offseason look bad in retrospect.

Besides the drafting of Anton Harrison and inking kicker Brandon McManus, most of the moves the Jaguars made in the offseason barely had an impact. Their failure to address the interior offensive line hurt them badly, not only did Trevor Lawrence lack the necessary time to throw but Jacksonville couldn't get their running game going. In the same manner, they had several chances to bolster their pass rush but opted not to.

The Jags could've traded for Danielle Hunter, Montez Sweat, or Chase Young. Heck, they brought in Jadeveon Clowney for a visit but he left without a deal. He went on to have a productive season with the Baltimore Ravens. Add the selection of tight end Brenton Strange, and running back Tank Bigsby, a couple of early-round picks that have had a minimal impact, and it's not surprising that the Jaguars came crumbling down.

Rightfully, general manager Trent Baalke has gotten lots of heat. And many of the holes he failed to address are still pressing needs. If he wants to hold onto his job, he'd better get to work. Another underwhelming year won't do.

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