The 5 Best Jacksonville Jaguars Matches NFL 2022
The Jacksonville Jags are finally starting to pick up some momentum with their new franchise QB Trevor Lawrence. Let’s take a look at some of the key matchups from this past season. This will help us figure out what went right and what to expect for the 2023 season.
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Now, let’s have a look at how the Jags have fared recently.
The Jags are Coming Off a Frustrating Decade of Mediocrity
The Jags are a team that has seen a lot of ups and downs, but mostly downs in the past decade. Even before their recent debacle with Urban Meyer, their mismanagement was in the spotlight when superstar defensive back Jalen Ramsey transferred to the Rams over an altercation with management, in which he felt disrespected and unappreciated.
Around that time, they simply couldn’t get the QB position figured out either. Blake Bortles was a functional NFL QB at best. Then, Fitzmagic stepped in and had some great moments, as he always does, but was rather inconsistent and with the exodus of other key defensive players following the departure of Ramsey, they simple weren’t good enough to win with consistency.
Having the first-round draft pick in 2019 after a terrible season was a blessing, since they landed Lawrence who had all of the measurables and potential to become their long sought-after franchise quarterback.
Urban Meyer as HC turned out to be a terrible disappointment. Like many others who’ve tried, he couldn’t successfully make the transition from NCAAF to NFL. And he allegedly even kicked team kicker Josh Lambo and told him to “make the damn kick next time.” That made news headlines as Lambo came forward in a live TV interview to recount the abuse he took from Meyer. As a result, Meyer was fired and the organization, and owner Shad Kahn, suffered another embarrassing mess.
Lawrence is Finally Settled In
After an understandably rocky entrance into the world of the NFL and an all-out scandal with the head coaching position now behind him, Lawrence is getting into a groove.
New HC Doug Pederson has brought the team together for a much more cohesive unit. This past season they finished with a 9−8 record, having won the AFC South and achieved a one-point victory in a Wild Card game vs the Chargers. Although they lost the Divisional Playoffs vs the Chiefs, they had an impressive comeback year overall.
Wildcard Playoffs: Jaguars vs LA Chargers
In a thriller of a game, the Jags came back from 0−27 to win the game 31−30. This was the greatest comeback in Jaguars football history and ranks at #3 in all-time NFL postseason comeback victories.
This game saw the Jags in the spotlight again, with an extremely impressive win that will be remembered by fans forever.
Divisional Round of the Playoffs: Jaguars at Kansas City Chiefs
The Jags lost by a touchdown for a 27−20 total score. However, the Chiefs went on to win the Super Bowl and this close loss looks impressive considering that they held their own with the champions.
With a bit of turnover luck, who knows? Maybe Jacksonville could have pulled off an upset. But in the end, there’s no shame in losing a close one to the season champs.
Overtime Thriller vs the Dallas Cowboys
In the middle of their impressive five-game win streak to finish out the regular season, the Jags topped the Cowboys in an overtime matchup at home for a 40−34 victory. The game ended with an interception in overtime from Prescott intended for Brown that got picked off by Jenkins and taken to the house for a pick-six.
Narrow Win vs the Ravens at Home
The Jags hosted Lamar Jackson and the Ravens in an unusual game littered with fumbles and lots of field goals. The game was lost by the Ravens rather than won outright by the Jags, after a missed 39-yard field goal with 0:14 to go. The Jags survived a messy game and only lost one more game in the regular season, which was their next match up, a trip to Detroit to face the Lions.
Shutting Out the Indianapolis Colts at Home
After a close loss to the Washington Commanders to open regular season play, the Jags shut the Colts out in a 24−0 win. This was a feel-good win that the team needed after struggling for years. And although the Colts weren’t exactly a powerhouse in 2022, they did manage to beat the Jags in their regular season rematch at Indianapolis, with a final score of 27−34 in week 6. Still, the Jags got the much more impressive win of the two meetings.
What to Expect From the Jags in 2023
The Jags have WR Ridley coming back after a one-year suspension, which should be a nice piece added to their playmaking ability. They’re projected to have 9.5 wins in 2023, and probably another trip to the Playoffs if they meet or exceed expectations.
A 9- or 10-win regular season would be nice and wouldn’t be a surprise by any stretch with Lawrence improving steadily and Doug Pederson seemingly in firm command of the team. The team culture appears to be turned around, and many feel that the Jags’ momentum will continue to push them forward in a season that feels almost certain to be even better than the previous. Keep up with the offseason news and updates to get a feel for what to expect from the Jags.
Superbowl Odds for the Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jags currently have +2500 odds to win it all, which is pretty good considering how competitive they were against last year’s champs. But can they continue the magic? Last season they shined in big moments when they needed to, winning five straight regular-season games plus a Wildcard game for a 6−0 run. Now the question is, was some of that due to luck? Or can they sustain that heart throughout a 2023 season that shouldn’t be any easier schedule-wise than the previous year?
To compare, the Chiefs have +600 odds to win it all again. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that they’re the favorites, and they very well should, at least, make it to the Playoffs again, barring some terrible injury luck. They do, however, have the Jags to worry about, who no doubt have them in their sights as one of the games they’ll want revenge on this time around.
Conclusion
The Jacksonville Jaguars had a nice 2022 season—especially considering what a mess the 2021 season was with a final record of just 2−11. Now, with things rolling, we can expect something around 9−10 wins if all goes well for the Jags in 2023.
