On the one hand, when teams win championships, as sure as the sun rises, you will hear/see at least one jubilant player thank the fans.

 

There are other times when the player-fan relationship isn't so rosy.  Bortles likened critical fans to kindergartners.  Allen Robinson and Senderrick Marks chafed on twitter over fans being critical.  And in Detroit, Golden Tate expressed major disdain for the fans in Detroit who started booing the team and leaving early.

 

But this morning there was an article on PFT that sheds new perspective on this dynamic, from a player on a visiting team opining on the relationship between fans and team performance.

 

In relevant portion...

 

Quote: 

Cardinals safety <a class="" href='http://www.rotoworld.com/player/nfl/8653/tony-jefferson'>Tony Jefferson</a>, appearing on Tuesday’s PFT Live, agreed that the Lions lost their fight.

 

“They definitely did,” Jefferson said. “I think they lost it once their fans started booing them. It was kind of weird. They started cheering when they sat <a class="" href='http://www.rotoworld.com/player/nfl/5132/matthew-stafford'>Matthew Stafford</a>. . . . I don’t think fans understand how important they are to us. They’re very important, they play a big role especially in the fourth quarter. . . . Sometimes I don’t think the fans understand how important they are.”

 

  (Emphasis added)

 

Assume, for the moment, that Jefferson is correct.

 

Have Jaguars fans been a help to the team?  Have we ever been a hinderance?

 

Could we be more of a help to the team this year?

 

If Jefferson is incorrect, why?

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