B/R outlines crucial reasons the Jaguars are a team the NFL shouldn't sleep on

The Jacksonville Jaguars aren't getting much attention from the national media, and rightly so. Heading into the 2023 season, they were seen as a potential playoff contender and even a Super Bowl sleeper. Their 8-3 start validated the hype but they ultimately crumbled under the weight of expectations, winning just one of their last six games and failing to qualify for the playoffs.

Ahead of the 2024 season, the Jags are playing second fiddle to the Houston Texans in the AFC South and working their way back into the playoff conversation. Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report warns other teams not to take them lightly in 2024.

Gagnon drew up one talking point for each NFL team for the 2024 season. For Jacksonville, he says opposing clubs shouldn't overlook them, citing a healthy Trevor Lawrence and the presence of head coach Doug Pederson as the reasons.

"The Eagles offense took off in Doug Pederson's second season there. Pederson's second year in Jacksonville was disrupted by injuries and a lack of consistency from Trevor Lawrence, among other things. Glass half-full here, but don't be surprised if they get it together in Year 3, because Pederson is a mastermind and Lawrence is too talented not to put it together at some point."

Right now, the Houston Texans are sitting at the top of the divison, going from last to first in the span of one year. Their turnaround was the result of hiring head coach DeMeco Ryans, finding a franchise in quarterback C.J. Stroud, and nailing most of their other draft picks from 2023.

But as impressive as the Texans played to end 2023, the Jags have nobody but themselves to blame for their failure to qualify for the postseason. They had a favorable chance to get a ticket but injuries expose the team's dearth of depth down the stretch.

It didn't help that defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell and his unit were going through the motions to end the year. Had they picked up the slack and executed, they might've managed to keep the ship afloat even while Lawrence was dealing with injuries.

Despite their late-season collapse, Jacksonville still had a chance to clinch a playoff seed. All they had to do was beat the Tennessee Titans in the finale and they would've been in. It proved to be too tall a task for a flailing Jaguars team.

To nobody's surprise, the team's brass made several notable changes in the offseason. They cut ties with Caldwell and hired Ryan Nielsen to fill their coordinator vacancy after an exhaustive search. They also reinforced both lines of scrimmage to avoid being pushed around, something that became a common occurrence in 2023.

Add the fact that Lawrence is healthy, and the Jaguars will have a legitimate chance to compete for the AFC South, even after their division foes loaded up on talent during the offseason.

Trevor Lawrence & Doug Pederson give the Jaguars a fighting chance in 2024

Before Trevor Lawrence got hurt, the Jaguars were on their way to their second consecutive playoff appearance. The silver lining is that the team realized that they needed to take some pressure off his shoulders and put him in a position to succeed. Now, he's looking to bounce back and play like the top-10 quarterback he is. The Jacksonville Jaguars certainly believe he will pull it off.

Otherwise, the top brass wouldn't have given Lawrence a top-market extension that makes him one of the highest-paid players in the NFL. Having a seasoned coach around, such as Doug Pederson, will certainly help.

A long-time protegee of Andy Reid, Pederson took over the Philadelphia Eagles in 2016 and guided them to the Super Bowl in just his second season at the helm. Even though he wasn't able to win the championship again during his stint in the City of Brotherly Love, he managed to make the playoffs the following two seasons. But ultimately, Doug P left in 2020 over disagreements with owner Jeffrey Lurie on the choices for his coaching staff.

After a year away from football, Pederson joined the Jaguars and they saw an immediate improvement. His biggest challenge at the time was probably helping them heal from the Urban Meyer debacle they experienced in 2021. He passed the test with flying colors, guiding Jacksonville to their first playoff appearance in five years.

However, the Jaguars weren't able to build off of their success and failed to qualify for the playoffs. While it wasn't certainly pleasant, it was most definitely a wake-up call for Pederson to make adjustments to his approach.

It may be too early to tell, but it looks like Pederson has the Jags trending in the right direction, and Trevor Lawrence reclaims his spot as one of the best quarterbacks in the league, teams that underestimate them will be in for a rude awakening.

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