(11-29-2017, 09:23 PM)jagibelieve Wrote: (11-29-2017, 11:39 AM)Bullseye Wrote: It's been said by many that our fan base got spoiled early in our franchise's existence due to the tremendous level of success this team had during the first five years. From 1996-1999, the Jaguars made the playoffs, including two conference championship games. Injuries and the salary cap kicked in and the Jaguars fell from the lofty standards set above to mediocre and losing football. While disappointing and distasteful, there was still some respectability around the team. JDR took over and led the team to four straight .500 or better seasons, including two playoff appearances, the last being in 2007. But in the years that have passed since, the fall from contention was far more precipitous and much longer in duration than any time in Jaguars history. Mere respectability became an antiquated notion. The losing became so pervasive and prolific, fans went from anger to numbness, as playoff hopes were gone by October.
It was then no surprise that Jaguars fans expected, at most, modest improvement from the team this year when Marrone was named head coach. Immediate, worst to first transformations are not exactly common, and have not been a part of our history. That is, perhaps, until now. After eleven games this year, the Jaguars find themselves at 7-4 and tied for first place in the division (actually sit at second due to the week 2 loss vs. Tennessee) and firmly in playoff contention headed into a three game home stretch against two divisional foes they dominated earlier in the year, sandwiched around a Seattle team with a depleted secondary.
Now headed into this year, many would have been thrilled with an improvement from two to three wins a year to seven. The incremental improvement most expected to see but didn't under Bradley would have been realized. Yet I don't think it a stretch to say that the entirety of the Jaguars fan base would be disappointed if the Jaguars finished the 2017 season with "only" seven wins.
So in that context, what is the minimum win total the team must meet to avoid 2017 being a disappointment? For the purposes of this discussion, let's avoid the Super Bowl or bust standard. We all want to win the big game, but I'm just talking about regular season wins and post season appearance, if possible.
To me, even though finally reaching .500 would be notable when compared to the losing that preceded it, that would be not enough. I think a ten win season would be the minimum win total to avoid this season being a disappointment. The remaining five games, including the aforementioned three game home stretch, are all winnable. I don't think it unreasonable to expect the Jaguars to win at least three of the remaining five. I think ten wins minimally should be good enough to get us into the post season, especially considering two current contenders for the 6th seed, the Chargers and Ravens, both lost to us head to head. If we finish with the same record, we will get in before either of them. The Ravens have one more loss than we have right now, and still have tough games left against Detroit and Pittsburgh. The Chargers have two more losses than we have, and still have games against Washington and KC.
What are your minimal win expectations? Why?
First of all EXCELLENT TOPIC!
Prior to the season I was thinking that .500 would be improvement and I would have been "satisfied" though not very happy about it. I figured that was a realistic goal.
At this point in the season after the games that have been played and how they've been played, I have to agree with you regarding 10-6. I would love to see the team win out, but realistically I don't think it will happen. My minimum at this point would be a winning season and a playoff appearance.
Thanks for the kudos re: topic choice.
I was just thinking about how far the team has come and how good it feels to finally be in the hunt at this time of year as opposed to being well into the mock drafts and talking about firing coaches, if not just plain numbness and apathy.
But then I recalled numerous posts from people exasperated not just by the continual losing but the lack of respectability and competitiveness in losing. If the team could have roughly seven wins and have a modicum of respectability, many fans would have been satisfied with that level of progress. But having seven wins now with still five remaining, I realized I wouldn't be satisfied with just seven wins, and probably nobody else would be either, even though that total more than doubles the win total of last year and already exceeds the best season under Gus Bradley.
I realized that it is perfectly reasonable for expectations to change over the course of a season. Is it fair to the players and coaches? Maybe, maybe not.
But I'm just glad we're for once, able to have this conversation.
Worst to 1st. Curse Reversed!
