Jaguars had the worst luck in the NFL in field goals made against them
The 2022 Jacksonville Jaguars overcame a boatload of adversity during the season to claim the AFC South title. After falling to 2-6 after a loss to Denver, the team turned the season around in the final half, going 7-2 and edging Tennessee in Week 18 to claim the division. And the Jags did it despite […]
The 2022 Jacksonville Jaguars overcame a boatload of adversity during the season to claim the AFC South title. After falling to 2-6 after a loss to Denver, the team turned the season around in the final half, going 7-2 and edging Tennessee in Week 18 to claim the division.
And the Jags did it despite an anchor being tied to their feet.
Sometimes teams make their own fortunes. And sometimes teams catch good breaks. Jacksonville caught the biggest of breaks in 1996 when Morten Andersen slipped and missed a 30-yard field goal in the season finale to put the Jaguars in the playoffs for the first time ever.
And then there's the polar opposite, which happened to the Jaguars in 2022.
According to Rick Gosselin, who compiles an extensive list of special teams categories, statistics, and rankings, the Jaguars finished dead last in the NFL in opponents' field goal percentage with opponents making a staggering 96.29% of field goals against them. The best was the Raiders at 70%, with the league average coming in at 85.02%.
Meaning the Jaguars had an astounding 11.27% more field goals made against them than the league average. The first miss that the Jaguars had against them was in Week 12 against Baltimore, when Justin Tucker missed a 67-yard field goal short as time expired.
That would be the last field goal an opponent would miss against them the entire regular season. Chargers kicker Cameron Dicker missed a 40-yard field goal attempt in the fourth quarter of the Wild Card round, which set the table for the Jaguars to win 31-30. The Eagles and Chiefs also missed one extra point each against Jacksonville. And that's it. 4 total kicks all year, including the playoffs. 2 extra points and 2 field goals.
That's an absolutely incredible amount of bad luck. The NFL is a league of close games, and as such three points here or there can be the difference in a win or a loss. And as Jaguars fans know from last year, every game counts hugely.
It's largely just about bad luck. Blocking kicks in the NFL just doesn't happen all that often, so it's often a matter of the other guy making a kick. If that percentage can simply revert to league average this fall, it could make a significant difference in some tightly contested games for the Jaguars.
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Featured image via Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK
