When the month of December began in 2022, the Jacksonville Jaguars were 4-7 and clinging for dear life to dwindling postseason hopes. After a 40-14 loss to the Detroit Lions dropped them to 4-8, the Jaguars caught fire and won their last five games to steal the AFC South title from the Tennessee Titans.
The outlook is much different this time around. Instead of playing for their lives on a weekly basis, the Jaguars enter December with a two-game cushion atop the division standings.
Can the Jaguars keep the same sense of urgency now that their season won’t be on the line every time they step on the field?
“Every game was a must-win for us,” Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence said of the end of 2022. “That was the sense of urgency and the feel that we had. I think there’s something to be said, that’s something we’ve talked about, is keeping that every week, regardless of maybe this year we’re in a little better position because we started off the first half of the season better.
“Still keeping that sense of urgency, they’re all must-win games. Every game is huge. It’s about setting yourself up for the postseason and so on. We understand that every game does matter, it really does, especially at the end of the season when everyone is fighting, scratching and clawing for these wins.”
“You look up at the AFC and there’s bigger things for this team,” Jaguars coach Doug Pederson said. “Our focus has to be just that. Leaning on our experiences a year ago can definitely help us in these moments.”
Getting into the playoffs shouldn’t be a challenge for the Jaguars at this point. According to the New York Times’ calculations, Jacksonville’s 8-3 record and current lead in the AFC South gives the team a 99 percent chance of making the postseason.
Instead, the Jaguars’ attention is turned toward the race for the No. 1 seed and the sole bye in the AFC. The Jaguars, Baltimore Ravens, Kansas City Chiefs, and Miami Dolphins all have three losses each.
“We’ve put ourselves in a situation where that’s obtainable,” Lawrence said. “We’re right there in the mix. I think that’s something that we’re definitely not oblivious to that fact. Obviously, we’re taking it one game at a time and you’ve got to win one game at a time in order to get there. We understand that’s real and that’s something that’s reachable for us and that we can do.”
Last season, the Jaguars earned the No. 4 seed in the playoffs and won a game at home against the Los Angeles Chargers before losing on the road against the top-seeded Chiefs.
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