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'Now the real season starts:' Jaguars primed for playoff run
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- 'Now the real season starts:' Jaguars primed for playoff run
They are always about the next opponent and challenge, this upstart Jacksonville Jaguars team. Acknowledge the accomplishment and then move on, a matter-of-fact approach that propelled them from a 4-13 punchline to a 13-4 freight train.
Almost always.
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About 10 minutes after their 41-7 win over the Tennessee Titans on Jan. 4 clinched the fifth division championship in franchise history, coach Liam Coen stormed into the locker room like he had just received six B12 shots, an overflowing bundle of energy and enthusiasm.
Players drenched Coen with water and defensive end Josh Hines-Allen gave him a bear hug. Everybody yelled and screamed. Cornerback Jarrian Jones presented quarterback Trevor Lawrence with a dental grill to the delight of teammates. Pictures were taken. High-fives were exchanged. Smiles were constant.
There haven't been many days like this since the franchise played their first game in 1995. They — and you, the fans — had earned the right to celebrate.
"Super-excited," receiver Parker Washington said.
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"(2022's division title) felt great and this one feels great as well," defensive end Travon Walker said.
"You set the goals at the beginning of the season and this is one of them," receiver Brian Thomas said.
Emphasis on "one of them."
The Jaguars are only getting started. First up are the Buffalo Bills at EverBank Stadium on Jan. 11 (1 p.m.). The Jaguars believe the Super Bowl is realistic. Don't doubt them.
Great stories abound
During a press conference on New Year's Day, Coen looked at his watch and said, "Shoot, I feel like I was just hired like not long ago."
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Time flies when you're winning and having fun.
Long-time — which means, long-suffering — Jaguars fans know what I'm talking about.
More: From O'Halloran: Cam Little newest FG record shows he can be playoff difference-maker
So many of these Jaguars seasons have been sloughs. One step forward and 10 steps back. Coaching changes and philosophical pivots and roster revamps. All the while, you're wondering, "Why can't the Jaguars be like (fill-in-the-blank team) with a dynamic head coach and stud quarterback?"
This turnaround started with Coen.
Rewind your figurative watch to last January. The Jaguars hardly ever do things in a straight line and the search that ended with Coen was Exhibit A.
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Coach Doug Pederson was fired, but lightning rod general manager Trent Baalke was retained. … Coen emerged as the top target, but dropped out. … Owner Shad Khan fired Baalke . … Coen jumped back in and was hired . … General manager James Gladstone and executive vice president of football operations/Jaguars legendary player Tony Boselli were hired hours before traveling to Indianapolis for the Scouting Combine.
Clunky? Totally. But who cares now.
If you're new to the Jaguars' party, let me introduce you to the key figures in one of the NFL's best season-to-season turnarounds of the Super Bowl Era.
Their coach, Coen, thinks outside the traditional, usual and expected margins in his play-calling and team-messaging. Only 40 years old, he has kept opposing defenses guessing and playing as if they were all wearing roller skates. The Jaguars averaged 27.9 points a game (sixth-best in the league). Most Sundays, it's like watching a real-life video game.
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Their quarterback, Lawrence, the former top overall draft pick, has experienced a remarkable transformation, from turnover-prone to turnover-averse. Through 11 games, he had 14 touchdowns and 11 interceptions (the Jaguars were 7-4). In the final six games, he had 15 touchdowns and, wait for it, one interception (the Jaguars were 6-0).
Their general manager, Gladstone, was so under-the-radar working for the Los Angeles Rams that most league folks I know had never met him before he joined the Jaguars. He pulled so many correct levers, chiefly the acquisition of receiver Jakobi Meyers at midseason .
Their executive vice president, Boselli, is an enormous presence, both in stature (he's tall) and experience (he's in the Pro Football Hall of Fame). The key to any successful operation is support and alignment and Boselli leads that charge.
And so many other cool stories from players you may not have been familiar with only three months ago. Safety Antonio Johnson (he's No. 26) isn't a regular starter but had five interceptions. Receiver Parker Washington (he's No. 11), projected as a role player, led the Jaguars in catches (58) and yards (847). And kicker Cam Little (he's No. 39) made the two longest field goals in NFL history (67 and 68 yards) .
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Great stories, every one of them.
The fun begins now
The AFC South-winning T-shirts read, "Been There, Won That."
The Jaguars won the division, but they're not stopping now. They understand reigning NFL MVP Bills quarterback Josh Allen is coming to town, which is why the Jaguars are a 1-point home underdog. Many will side with the Bills because of Allen. They may ignore the Jaguars.
Fine. Let them.
"We probably still won't get the respect we deserve, but we're not looking for that," defensive end Travon Walker said.
The Jaguars are looking for, striving for, hunting for a Super Bowl title. They have never reached the sport's biggest stage. Could this be the year? Don't count them out, not in a wide-open AFC playoff field that doesn't include superstar quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes ( Kansas City Chiefs ), Lamar Jackson ( Baltimore Ravens ) and Joe Burrow ( Cincinnati Bengals ). Every team should feel they have a shot at playing in Santa Clara, Calif., on Feb. 8.
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The Jaguars have won eight consecutive games, including wins by 29, 22, 17, 28, 14 and 34 points.
This isn't like the 2017 team that reached the AFC title game and entered the fourth quarter with a lead over Tom Brady 's New England Patriots . This offense is better.
And this is definitely not like the 2022 team that reached the AFC's second round . This team is better.
"The team in '22 had a different vibe because we had our backs against the wall (at 4-8)," punter Logan Cooke said. "Now we're the team beating up on people and it's fun to be on this side of it. We belong here."
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The Jaguars belong here and now have to earn the right to stay around. They are unified, inspired and organized. They are healthy (mostly), are on a hot streak (absolutely) and a force to be reckoned with (definitely).
"We play a hard game that takes a lot and we've been grinding for a long time to accomplish this goal," defensive tackle Arik Armstead said. "Now the real season starts."
Buckle up, Jaguars fans. This could be fun.
Contact O'Halloran at rohalloran@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: AFC South title is just the start for goal-oriented Jaguars
