Jacksonville Jaguars: Who is their biggest AFC South worry?
Capturing their first AFC South title last season, the Jacksonville Jaguars blew everyone away. Heading into 2018, which rival poses the biggest threat?
Easily the biggest surprise of any division was the Jacksonville Jaguars. The team went from being an after-thought to a contender. 2017 was one of their best years ever and they look to capitalize on that success in 2018. They’re definitely a team to watch out for this upcoming year.
Despite their heartbreaking loss to the Patriots, the team looks promising. In their division, they are easily the strongest, too. Even so, they’re not invincible as noted by their loss to the 49ers at the hands of Jimmy Garoppolo. Heading into the 2018 season, which AFC South team poses the biggest threat?
As noted with most other division, there’s always an incredibly weak team. For the AFC South, it’s the Indianapolis Colts. How could a team with such potential end up in this situation? Years ago, many predicted their success with quarterback Andrew Luck, but he’s been anything but lucky.
Bad joke aside, the Colts are in a rebuilding phase. The team has lost a lot of their potential stars and just needs to get back to basics. Of all the teams, I see the Jags having no problem beating the Colts.
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Moving onto the remaining two teams, it starts to get tough. Both the Houston Texans and Tennessee Titans have promising futures. Heading into the 2018 seasons, there’s a lot of hype around them, too. Albeit not as much as the Jaguars but both bring something unique to the table.
One does stand out above the other so let’s talk about the other. Since joining the Titans in 2015, Marcus Mariota has changed the franchise completely. Sadly, injuries have plagued him and it ends up hurting the team. Defensively, the team made strides this offseason by luring away Malcolm Butler from the Patriots.
Overall, there’s a lot to be excited about with the Titans. However, there’s no telling what first-year coach Mike Vrabel will do. Regardless, the Titans still pose a challenge for the Jaguars and could become AFC South champs if they can keep it together.
Easily the biggest competitor for the Jaguars is the Houston Texans. Last year was a bit of a fluke for the team. They lost some of their best players and never recovered from their losses. Heading into 2018, the team looks to be healthy and has added some depth on both sides of the ball.
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Personally, I see the Jaguars and Texans going head-to-head for the AFC South crown. The Texans with a healthy DeShaun Watson and JJ Watt are scary as are the Jaguars. Between the two, I see the Jaguars as a stronger team as their defense is incredibly good. While the offense might be questionable, their defense can go toe-to-toe with some of the best.
Overall, the AFC South race is a tough one. Between the 4 teams, the Jaguars are definitely poised for the most success, though.