Moeller: This Time Around, Jaguars Have More Postseason Playoff Potential

 Think back to 2022.

That was the last time the Jaguars made the playoffs, and they ended the regular season with six wins in their last seven games.

During that streak, they averaged 26.7 points per game, and worked their way through a 40-36 overtime win over Dallas at the Bank.

Then came their miracle comeback against the Chargers, and their season ended against the Chiefs a week later in which the Jags mounted a 10-point fourth-quarter rally and it fell just short in a 27-20 loss. 

Fast forward to this Sunday. You can draw some parallels between the two seasons. 

Yet, this ride should be easier, and the 11-4  Jaguars have raised their bar from three years ago in all three phases of their game.

Jacksonville will bring an impressive six-game winning streak into Indianapolis Sunday to face the hapless Colts riding a five-game losing streak with 44-year-old Philip Rivers at the helm.

During their current streak, the Jags are averaging a staggering 34.1 points per game. 

Trevor Lawrence has thrown for 3,489 yards with 26 touchdowns and 11 interceptions as compared to his best season as a pro in 2022 when he threw for 4,113 yards with 25 touchdowns and eight interceptions,

Facing the Colts and Titans in the next two weeks, Lawrence has a shot to eclipse his all-time mark. However, Lawrence is playing as complete as he ever has this year in his career.

Travis Etienne is one-yard shy of the 1,000-yard barrier. In 2022, Etienne

ran for a career-high 1,125 in his first-full seasons after he was sidelined his entire rookie season. 

Etienne has a shot to surpass his career total. However, Indianapolis is stingy against the run, allowing a league fifth-best 98.5 yards per game, while Tennessee is 18th issuing 118.7 per contest.

Defensively, the Jags were 12th in points allowed, 12th against the run in yards allowed, and 28th against the pass in ‘22. With two games to play, the current unit is 11th in points allowed, first against the run, and 25th against the pass.

The main factor here is that the Jaguars are already past their overall production  on both sides of the ball compared to 2022. 

Back then, their late-season signature win was against Dallas and this year their big win was in Denver last week. 

These Jaguars already have surpassed their  nine-win mark in 2022, and they have the schedule in their favor. Jacksonville could have raised their playoff seeding chances if Kansas City would have upset Denver Thursday night

But the Jaguars can take a major step in securing the AFC South title before their  Sunday kickoff if the Chargers get the Texans off their back with a victory. Then the Jags simply have to beat the Colts.  

That would create a more-relaxed atmosphere in their season and home finale against Tennessee.

The only factor standing in the Jaguars’ way is themselves. They currently are the third seed, and can’t afford a letdown in the final weeks. Take care of business and set yourself up for the postseason with a home first-round playoff game and possibly a second.

Think back to 2022.

When they erased a 27-point deficit against the Chargers for a 31-30 comeback in January 2023, there was plenty of optimism that the Jags could beat the Chiefs in the next round.

This time around, there’s already some Super Bowl chatter as the team is playing better than any other team at the moment. Looking at their numbers, it’s certainly deserving. Only the Broncos, Patriots, Rams, 49ers, Seahawks, Bills, Bears, Eagles, and Texans are others in the 10-plus win category, and the Jags’ are seen in the top five.  

The Jaguars surprised the league in 2022, but they are ready to make a run to Santa Clara in early 2026.