(09-12-2017, 12:34 AM)JaguarJosh05 Wrote: I don't know about Jaguars history but for 2017 and the young season these are some big implication games early on in the year. I think we're the only team in the league that starts the season with 2 straight divisional games? If you want to solidify yourself as an annual contender you have to make your division your best outs. Coming into the season the Titans were the favorites to win the division. They aren't by any means a complete or "elite" team by perspective but they present a lot of challenges.

Keep in mind, the team has only won two division titles in our history-1998 and 1999.  That was the old AFC Central...before realignment and before the AFC South was created.  In the fifteen or so years of the AFC South's existence, the Jaguars are the only team that hasn't won it.

Furthermore, how often does a ream have a two to three or more game lead on the rest of the division and lose that lead?  There is a reason they trot out the stats about teams starting 0-2 not making the playoffs.  It's hard to do.  I remember the 1993 Cowboys-the then defending Super Bowl champs-started 0-2 due to Emmitt Smith's holdout, signed him week 3, then won the division then the Super Bowl.  I seem to remember the Chargers starting 0-4 and still making the playoffs a feww years later.  But the fact is deficits like that are usually too hard to overcome to make the playoffs, much less win the division. 

I will be the first to admit that beating Tennessee this week in no way absolves the team from doing its job from weeks 3 through 17.  I also acknowwledge the team could lose this gane and still win the division.  But building that cushion would help tremendously.  It may help in terms of tiebreakers.  If Jacksonville wins, they will be 2-0 in the division and 2-0 in the AFC.  Tennessee and Houston would be 0-2 in the AFC.

This young and rebuilding team will need all the help they can get in winning the team's first division title since 1999.  The best way to get that help is to help ourselves by beating the tacks this Sunday.

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