Moeller: Jaguars Look For Same Post-Bye Magic This Year
In their bye week, the Jaguars are in a good position, but it could be better. At 4-2, they have a two-game lead over Houston in a division they should win.
A win in their last game over Houston would have placed them in a very comfortable position, but they are in a good spot.
The Jags have worked their way to the tier of the game’s elite. But every team in that category has a few falls along their way.
They had a slow start and eventually let a game against Houston slip away from them. They initially looked like the team that flew into London instead of the one that was there for a week.
Jacksonville rolled up 402 yards, but they uncharacteristically allowed 412 yards. Uncharacteristically, though, their defense allowed 114 yards rushing, 42 more yards above than their league-leading 72.2 yards allowed per game.
Yes, Houston, their old avenger, was in their craw again.
It was an emotional ride in London with them winning in the last second and losing in the last second against Houston. At this point, a bye week might be just what they need.
Now, they can hope history repeats itself. Or, better yet, they perform like they did last year at their bye. Maybe it’s deja vu, but the Jags had four wins at the bye last year.
And, ironically, rival Houston is in the middle of it again.
At 4-3 last year, Jacksonville reeled off nine wins in their last 10 games,and their lone loss was to…yes, you guessed it.. Houston .. in a game where they had a seemingly 29-10 slip away in a 36-29 defeat.
This time around, the Jags may be just as good with some better all-around talent. They have a favorable schedule.
Parke Washington continues to evolve as one of the game’s dynamic playmakers, and Bhayshul Tuten is making everyone forget about Travis Etienne.
Trevor Lawrence tossed a bad interception in Houston, but he did enough to keep them in the game. Lawrence is ranked among the top six quarterbacks in numerous outlets for his 14 touchdown passes, four interceptions, and 1,480 passing yards.
The defense has been playing as a true unit, and Josh Hines- Allen and Travon Walker aren’t garnering all the headlines. Travis Hunter is gradually making the mark anticipated as the number two pick overall in the draft a year ago.
If they aren't derailed by any major injuries, the Jaguars will be a fun team to watch down the stretch.
Kansas City, Baltimore, and Buffalo currently loom as the biggest hurdles for them to clear.
The Jags will take the bye week to re-energize, re-tool, and re-group.
They will host the hapless Colts at the Bank when they return to play Nov. 1 before a quick turnaround in Baltimore four days later on a Thursday night.
It will be back to being an elite team, and they can’t afford too many falls over the final 11 weeks.
They can look back at last year when they had one slip over their final 10 weeks.
