3 toughest opponents the Jacksonville Jaguars will face in 2024 are in the playoffs

1. Detroit Lions

The Detroit Lions had been the laughingstock of the NFL for years. Barry Sanders made them relevant in the 1900s, but once he retired, they became a footnote in the league. With Matthew Stafford throwing passes to Calvin Johnson in the 2010s, they gained a bit of notoriety. Then, Jim Caldwell came along and turned the Lions into a competitive team. However, ownership thought Caldwell wasn't good enough and replaced him with Matt Patricia.

That ended up being a crass mistake, as Patricia undid everything his predecessor had built. Detroit realized they had messed up and gave Patricia his walking papers. They filled their vacancy with Dan Campbell, a coach known for his soundbites. Looking back, he knew he inherited a broken team lacking lots of talent, so he made the conscious decision to take attention away from his players and put it on himself. The approach paid off.

While the Lions finished Campbell's first season at the helm with a losing record, they showed progress. In Year 2, they came close to making the playoffs. They finally reached the goal in 2023. On top of that, they exceeded expectations, winning a postseason game for the first time since 1991.

Campbell deserves lots of credit for building a playoff team, and so does general manager Brad Holmes, who has drafted players such as running back Jahmyr Gibbs, tight end Sam LaPorta, defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, and wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown the past three years. Moreover, quarterback Jared Goff has enjoyed a career revival in Motor City.

By the end of his tenure with the Los Angeles Rams, Goff was perceived as damaged goods. When the Lions acquired him, he was supposed to be a bridge quarterback while they found a long-term answer. They changed plans, as Goff is firmly entrenched behind center and one of the biggest reasons for their recent turnaround. The Jaguars will need to find a way to contain him next season.

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