The Jacksonville Jaguars were first place in the AFC South at the end of September. Then a winless October reversed their fortunes.
Now, the Jaguars find themselves deep in a hole with the Tennessee Titans racing out to a 5-2 record and a 3.5-game lead over 2-6 Jacksonville. However, according to veteran defensive lineman Dawuane Smoot, a playoff run is still very much a possibility for the Jaguars.
“We have everything in front of us,” Smoot said on the Jaguars’ O-Zone Podcast. “Just with the AFC, we see people only have three or four wins except for the outliers, people who have six. We’re right there. We have a lot of things in front of us.
“We’re still third in division, despite our six losses. So I feel like if we turn it around now, we can be in a playoff run before we know it.”
The 2020 Washington Football Team was the only franchise during the 12-team format to earn a spot in the playoffs after a 2-6 start. Fortunately for the Jaguars, they have 17 games to work with and an extra wild card berth up for grabs.
And like Smoot said, there aren’t many teams running away with postseason berths. The Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs, and Titans are the only three teams in the AFC that haven’t yet lost three games.
Still, the Jaguars haven’t given themselves much margin for error after losing five straight. If a postseason run is still on the table, Jacksonville needs to start stringing together wins right away, beginning with a Week 9 home game against the Las Vegas Raiders.