The NFL kicked off Week 15 with a rare treat: the Jacksonville Jaguars did something right.
Days after suggesting he’d give his head coach up to four years to turn things around, owner Shad Khan finally opened his eyes to the unfolding chain of mailbox fires being set by Urban Meyer. In the past he’d ignore the wafting scent of gasoline and the singed clothes of his incompetent hires until their contract status made them easier to walk away from. It wasn’t until Meyer ran into the facility, engulfed in flame like an early Spike Jonze music video, that Khan was forced to act.
Meyer is no longer head coach of the Jags, and while we shouldn’t praise Khan for taking his hand off a hot stove despite being warned repeatedly he’d be burned, we can at least take solace in the fact Jacksonville will no longer be the least watchable team in the NFL. James Robinson will get to play for a coach who doesn’t hate him for reasons no one, even Meyer, seems to understand. Trevor Lawrence will blossom into something approaching the prospect he looked like at Clemson with a viable running game and an offensive philosophy beyond “I’m gonna clump all our wideouts together downfield, do something with that.” Valued special teams contributors will go un-kicked.
That sets the stage for a small, celebratory revival in Florida, even if it won’t move the needle elsewhere in the NFL — aside from being a cautionary tale. This week’s lineup of games will set the stage for the 2021 postseason. Six teams can punch their playoff tickets Sunday, though some of their paths are more fraught than others. The Green Bay Packers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers just need wins to lock down division titles. The New England Patriots need a victory and about five other things to go right to end their long postseason drought at one year.
Let’s take a look at what else we’ve got, including the famous Rhody Scumbag Lock of the Week (now 5-9 on the season!). Want the full lineup? Those can be found here.
Here are my breakout picks. All odds via Tipico.