Jaguars approaching MNF
JT: So much football to talk about.
It is nice playing on Monday Night Football. I get the entire weekend to sit back and enjoy all of the other games the NFL has to offer and see things that I haven’t seen yet this football season. For instance, did you know that Denver still has a professional football team. Yeah, Russell Wilson is now their quarterback and apparently they’ve won the last five games in a row. I say apparently because upon watching their effort today against the Houston Texans, I am having a difficult time believing if they are the 5-0 team of recent times, or the 1-5 team that started this 2023 season. As I type this, Courtland Sutton FINALLY caught a TD pass for Denver making the score 16-9 in favor of Houston. Come on DangeRUSS, earn that ridiculously absurd contract you received when moving to the Rockies. Obviously, being a Jaguars publication we are rooting for non-AFC teams, but it ain’t going so well. I switched to this Houston game from the Miami/Washington game. Man oh man, Tyreek Hill is having himself a day, at the very least one hell of a first half. It is not looking good for these two teams (Washington and Denver). Meanwhile the Colts and Titans are tied. Let’s go Titans? Really? Do I have to root for them? The Colts are 6-5 so it would be nice if they lost, right? God this hurts.
Not so obviously, to you religious readers of my site, it is the next day. It is, in fact, the next evening and I type this as I sit in the shadow of Everbank Stadium. We all know that DangeRUSS got a little interception happy at the end of the Denver/Houston game and, well, the Texans still sit two games behind JAX. The Colts also pulled out a close one with the Titans and thus remain in second place in the AFC South. Could we be witnessing a Gardner Minshew awakening? Only one Sunday game made me truly happy this week. Just one. Taylor Swift’s perfect record has been soiled. She attended the Kansas City Chiefs game against the Green Bay Packers and Travis MaAuto, along with the rest of the KC Chiefs, took home an “L.” The Chiefs seem to be human after all. That means, dare I say it, that if your Jacksonville Jaguars beat the Cincinnati Bengals tonight on Monday Night Football, they will be in first place of the entire AFC. Not just the South but the whole enchilada. The boys from the Bold City control their own destiny, the rest of this season. Win and they get a bye week, home field advantage, and the pleasure of only having to win two games on their way to the Super Bowl, where they and every other team in the NFL will lose to the 49ers. My god man, did you see a healthy San Francisco completely dismantle Jalen Hurts and the Eagles? It wasn’t even close. I mean it was close, at the beginning, but then the game started and it immediately wasn’t close. San Fran is firing on all cylinders. They are en Fuego. Men among boys. Ain’t nobody stopping Mr. Irrelevant. Not now. Not while he and his team are relevant as all get out and making every other team in the NFL completely irrelevant. Yes they went on a three game losing streak while many of their key players were injured. But at least as Jags fans we can take solace in the fact that they “got right” against our beloved team on their way to a victory in Vegas come February. I am obviously pulling for JAX to make it to the Super Bowl and win, but my goodness gracious, San Francisco is both Goliath and David, since we all know how that one ended up.
Many Many Jags fans have arrived very early for this game. I know that the organization has asked fans to be in their seats 30 minutes before game time tonight because they have some cell phone light show pre game thing-a-ma-jig going on, but judging by the state at which some of these people are currently, pre-5pm (while I’m writing, not while you’re reading), they’ll be lucky if they make it out of their camping chairs. Going to be a journey just getting through the gate. Why are there so many Bengals fans here? They don’t travel, do they? So let’s talk briefly about tonight’s match-up.
Tee Higgins is playing for Cinci. That gives the guy who backs up Joe Burrow (only his momma know his name) his full compliment of healthy and quite talented wide receivers. The Jaguars best lock-down corner, Tyson Campbell has been nursing a hammy for several weeks now and was limited in practice this week. Will he go tonight against Ja’Marr Chase? I honestly don’t know. I haven’t seen the pre-game report and you all know me…Lazy. So there will be no looking it up on the interwebs. Ok, so I just searched and didn’t see it anywhere. Might it not be out yet? It would be good to have Campbell out there especially since Tee Higgins is playing, but I have faith in D. Will (who has had a fantastic year) and Buster Brown (who has had a not fantastic but pretty darn good year). Another worry for JAX is that ETN is listed as limited. He didn’t practice fully this week either. Chest injury I hear. Suck it up and play through the pain Travis. If I see a #4 jersey on that field tonight and we aren’t up by 43 points, better believe it’s on you my friend. Also, DJ has proven to be an excellent back-up to ETN. I’ll put my faith in him all day long. That leads us to Brenton Strange being in a boot. When did this happen? At first I thought he injured himself hearing the news that Cardinals Tight End and ex- Doug Pederson Super Bowl champ, Zach Ertz wanted out of Arizona. But then no Ertz announcement from Brent Martineau, so what gives Brenton? It seems Ertz wants to go to a contender for the SB and so he is in talks to reunite with Philly. Um, did he not see the game yesterday? My man, if you want to win another ring you need to ride pine behind Kittle. Just being honest with ya’ll. Anyway, Strange being in a boot has led to the elevation of a Jaguars tight end with the last name of Pederson. What a family moment. Here’s to hoping he doesn’t jump in to long snap the ball this game.
Folks, I would truly love to continue to regale you with my poetic prose, but the Jaguars are playing on Monday Night Football and while you don’t come here for the hard hitting Jags info, you do come here for my amazing humor and obvious modesty. So while I go partake in this magical evening, I would like to thank you all for making it this far. You and my parents are certainly troopers. Super Troopers, in fact. But meow I must go and leave you with my game prediction. Jaguars 35 - Bengals 17. Let me know your thoughts in the comment section below.
PS. As a VT Hokie alum and current UF monetary contributor, I have no love loss for FSU. But, that said, they got screwed by the CFP committee. They have every right to complain and be upset. Right up until Georgia demolishes them in the Orange Bowl. Then we can all have a good laugh at their expense. Have a great night. Go Jags.