Multiple ESPN analysts are trying to warn the NFL about the Jaguars
The sentiment around the Jacksonville Jaguars entering the 2023 NFL season seems to be the same for just about everyone: They will be a playoff team. But what does that mean in the bigger picture? Most agree they're the clear-cut favorite to win the AFC South, a division that could end up featuring three rookie […]
The sentiment around the Jacksonville Jaguars entering the 2023 NFL season seems to be the same for just about everyone: They will be a playoff team.
But what does that mean in the bigger picture? Most agree they're the clear-cut favorite to win the AFC South, a division that could end up featuring three rookie quarterbacks later in the year. However, most will also agree they're not at the level of the top dogs of the loaded conference.
Sure, the Jaguars are good. But are they ready to go toe-to-toe with the Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, and Cincinnati Bengals?
If they fulfill the expectations of multiple ESPN analysts, they probably are. In a recent segment on ESPN News, a roundtable of four analysts and insiders tried to answer an intriguing question: Which AFC team will surprise the most in 2023?
For Alan Hahn and Jeff Darlington, the answer was the Jaguars.
"This is a team to watch that everybody might be sleeping on," said Hahn. "Trevor Lawrence is a generational quarterback, they have an actual head coach. […] In a division that they should dominate, they could be a surprise team that makes a run here."
There's no question that the Jaguars' division could prove to be a massive advantage for the Jags. After all, playoff seeding plays a considerable role in how the postseason plays out as it dictates who gets which rival and obviously, home games.
When push comes to shove, they might be playing most of the postseason on the recently-renamed EverBank Field.
And yet, is it fair to call the Jaguars, who just finished last year with a 9-8 win-loss record and a playoff win, a surprise team, though? Darlington explained why he thinks so.
"Surprise might be a little bit of an overstatement because we obviously know the Jaguars are a better team," he said. "I just think nationally, teams are maybe sleeping on the Jaguars a little bit."
Although Jacksonville's defense still has a lot to prove, their high-powered offense should be enough to label them as legit contenders in which you need somebody like Lawrence to be considered, in the words of Logan Roy, serious people.
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Featured image via Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
