Should We Still Care About The Jaguars?
While the Jaguars started this season with lofty expectations and underwhelming results, some are questioning whether fans should continue to support the team.
YES
When the Jacksonville Jaguars signed quarterback Trevor Lawrence in July of 2021, it marked a turning point in the Jaguars’ history. Many people agree that the Jaguars will start performing better in the coming seasons. Since the beginning of the season, Lawrence has completed 161 out of 270 passes. After the Jaguars’ win three weeks ago in London, the Jaguars have experienced a renewed following, and analysts are predicting more wins in their season.
Former University of Florida coach Urban Meyer started coaching the team in August, and many fans think that he is what the Jaguars need for a winning season. When Meyer coached Florida, he led them to three national championships. He has also been a college coach for 20 years, with nine years as head coach.
The Jaguars have a lot of hidden talent on their team, especially on offense, which is just what Lawrence needs to make big plays. Their running back, James Robinson, is rated RB1 on fantasy football. The Jaguars’ wide receiver, Marvin Jones Junior, is rated the 36th overall receiver in the NFL. Jamal Agnew got a 109-yard missed field goal return, which received the Verizon Play of the Week Award.
“The Jaguars have a lot of hidden talent on their team, especially on offense, which is just what Lawrence needs to make big plays. ”
The Jaguars might have a rough history of losing, but things are looking up for them. If they can pull out a couple more wins, the Jaguars might just have a shot at the playoffs and can be the team they used to be.
IAN CHERNESKI
NO
The Jacksonville Jaguars, winless until week 6, are following up a pitiful 1-15 season. Their 21-game losing streak nearly broke the all-time record. The endless disappointment halted momentarily against the Miami Dolphins two Sundays ago when newly signed kicker Mathew Wright (one of the Jaguars’ few bright spots) hit two long field goals to barely win the game against one of the NFL’s worst teams. Wright was signed after fan-favorite kicker Josh Lambeau was no longer able to perform. The Jacksonville team is losing supporters by the bunch. The Jaguars showed the steepest decline in attendance before the pandemic in 2019 as home games showed an 8.9% drop in ticket sales. And it hasn’t picked up since.
“I am not disappointed in the Jaguars… because I never had any hope [for them] in the first place,” Jacksonville native Biz Goytom said.
This season’s star running back, James Robinson, almost indisputably the team’s best offensive player, is still yet to see over 21 touches in a game. The team’s best receiving threat, Laviska Shenault Jr., has only 26 receptions and averages 6 targets per game. The Jaguars have only put up more than 20 points in three games. Shenault has a season-high 10 targets in two of those games. It’s clear that changes need to be made, and the Jaguars are not making them.
“Even when the Jaguars succeed, they find a way to let us down.”
The fans and good people of this city can only put up with so much. As a franchise, the Jaguars are 178-244. The only good season in recent memory was 2017, when the Jaguars boasted a defense full of generational talent and a pass rush for the ages. Now, a mere four years later, they’ve retained only one of the eleven starters from that defense. The three best starters from that year, Jalen Ramsey, Calais Campbell, and Yannick Ngakoue are all now on teams leading their divisions. Even when the Jaguars succeed, they find a way to let us down. The people of Jacksonville deserve better.
LOGAN HOLMAN