Jacksonville Jaguars - Under the Radar
JT: Gonna be tough to stay in the background if JAX keeps up this level of play
Jacksonville is playing out of it’s mind, but not in the way most would use that saying. Usually when someone is playing out of their mind it means they are having the game of their life. It’s usually a one time thing or a short lived occasion. This saying is most used when someone is uncharacteristically dialed in and on another level. Chad Powers against college walk-ons, if you will. I swear if you listen closely enough, you can hear James Robinson whispering “think fast, run fast” during his 50 yard dash to pay dirt against the Chargers. All of that said, “playing out of your mind” is not usually a sustainable level of output. It’s usually short lived. By definition if it is long-lived then it becomes the norm and sets another floor from which “playing out of your mind” must elevate. What we are attempting to say is that currently Jacksonville is playing out of their collective mind, but at the same time they are just playing sound football.
Jacksonville isn’t blowing us away with amazing feats of athleticism. Lawrence isn’t pulling a Kyler Murray, 20-minute scramble for a two-point conversion against the Raiders. T-Law isn’t a human highlight reel like Lamar Jackson, week after week. Even James Robinson’s great runs aren’t dazzling or phenomenal. They are the result of hard work and persistence. He breaks the longer runs because of the punishing short gains, which are his bread and butter. What I am trying to say is that Jacksonville is playing better than 99% of the league right now and they are doing it through fundamental soundness. They aren’t relying on high flying acrobatics or dazzling scrambling plays. They aren’t winning because they are turning nothing into something. The Jacksonville Jaguars are playing the best, full team, football that I’ve witnessed in many years. They are defining “team.” Doug Pederson’s Jaguars are putting on a master class. The beauty of their dominating play is that JAX isn’t relying on “out of your mind” plays to win. They are winning by just playing sound team ball. For this reason, Jacksonville is even better than most people think, but most importantly, because they aren’t flashy, they will continue to slip under the radar. The Jaguars are dangerous and nobody outside of Jacksonville is really noticing.
I was watching ESPNs Get Up and Robert Griffin III presented his top five best teams in the NFL through week 3. He was counting down from 5 to 1. It is difficult to argue with his list but it is refreshing to see that the Jaguars aren’t on anyone’s radar. RG3’s list is as follows:
5. KC Chiefs 4. Baltimore Ravens 3. Buffalo Bills 2. Philadelphia Eagles 1. Miami Dolphins
Hmmm. KC Lost to the Colts and barely beat the Chargers. I do not think the Chiefs are better than the Jaguars right now. I would also argue that Jacksonville is a more complete football team than both the Ravens and the Eagles right now, but they have Lamar (the best player in the NFL today) and Jalen and that makes them better teams. I would argue that Buffalo and Miami are both pretty complete teams, like the Jags. The Dolphins scare me the most because of their speed at receiver. RG3 did eventually mention the Jaguars today though. When given the choice to call them contenders or pretenders, he called the Jags, pretenders. Keep it up RG3, that’s how we like it. I’ve watched hours of NFL coverage since the Jags dominated the Chargers and I heard the words “butt punt” infinitely more times than I heard any mention of anything even remotely Jaguars adjacent.
The Vegas odds makers believe the best teams in the entire AFC are currently, Buffalo, KC, Baltimore, Miami, Denver, and LA. Denver? What? How do they have the fifth best odds to win the AFC this year? Even Chad Powers, during Monday Night’s Manningcast with Peyton and Eli, told Pat McAfee they should’ve paid Denver’s punter $235 million instead of Russell Wilson. But again, we love this. We love being ignored. You know who the Jaguars want to be this season? They want to be the background extras. The guys in the movies with no lines that are walking around deep in the background of the scene while the main actors are up front, spotlight in their faces, with all the focus and attention on them. This is the perfect spot for 2022s Jaguars. It gives them the opportunity to perfect their craft without any distractions. Jacksonville’s team, just like actual jaguars, can lurk just out of view, stalking the leaders from the shadows, waiting for the playoffs to pounce. So I hope these ex-players and NFL prognosticators continue to eschew our Jacksonville Jaguars until Duval makes it impossible for them to ignore.
This week of preparation could not be more important for Jacksonville. Philly will not only be the biggest test for JAX so far but there is an underlying emotional aspect to this game that Head Coach Doug Pederson and the Jags will tell you doesn’t exist, but it’s there, lurking the shadows. They want this win for many reasons. Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below