2nd Best AFC Team in 2018? Jacksonville Jaguars

[maust]

Funny, I expect the chargers to fail every year.

And your expectations, unlike mine, are met. From this distance they are just a curious puzzle, a team you look at on paper and think should be good. Not unlike the Blue Jays, objectively you look at the roster most years and think 'there's a team that could do some damage' but somehow when the smoke clears...yeah, not much

 

[dafoe2016]

Looking around the AFC, it struck me that the Jaguars drafted two outstanding defensive rookies - DT Taven Bryant from Florida in the 1st round followed by S Ronnie Harrison from Alabama in the 3rd round to join a tough, young, successful defense that made it to the AFC Championship game.

Jacksonville Jaguars' 2018 draft: Analysis for every pick

Blake Bortles took a huge step in 2017. He was cool under pressure in the playoffs, and made good decisions against the Pats. The Jags are on the rise while other traditional AFC powers are in transition or fading.

I'm not particularly impressed with our traditional nemeses - Steelers, Broncos, Ravens or Colts. The rest of the AFC South is pretty tough and made changes, but the best of that bunch is Tennessee right now. Andrew Luck is a wild card. Who knows how that will work out. The Jags have the defense to deal with all of them.

From what I see, the Jags are our chief concern in the AFC.

If the Jags had an even remotely competent starting QB in the AFC Championship, they beat the Patriots, and most likely, the Eagles. Keeping him was a huge blunder. You are not winning a title with him as your starting QB.

 

[maust]

If the Jags had an even remotely competent starting QB in the AFC Championship, they beat the Patriots, and most likely, the Eagles.

The same Eagles team that won a defensive game against Atlanta, blew out a defensive juggernaut Vikings team and won a shoot out with New England was likely to lose to Jacksonville?

 

[everlong]

Every year there's a team who takes a giant step forward. Very few take the next step the next year. More regress. 2016 Oakland Raiders 12-4 were a lot of people's pick to make the jump and win the AFC or SB as one example.

Out of the surprising Jags, Titans, Eagles, Vikings and Rams I'd bet only two make the playoffs this year even with the Titans, Rams and Eagles all adding some nice pieces. Not a single one of those teams has more than one straight year of good or better QB play. If I had to guess, and likely doom, on two teams I'd say the Eagles and Rams are mostly likely to make it back. The AFCS could be surprisingly tough with all four teams being at least average.

 

[Joey007]

They will revert back to the 8-8 range this year. How they handle that, and what the front offices next moves are will determine whether they bounce back as a contender or languish in mediocrity.

Thanks. Now I guess we won’t have to worry about the Jaguars this year.

Patriots 15-1, no one else in the AFC better than 9-7. Hell yeah haterz

 

[Joey007]

Funny, I expect the chargers to fail every year.

Make no mistake, I do as well. I just think Rivers will have at least one more serious run before he retires. This is the best roster he’s had since the 2000’s.

 

[Uptown]

Houston & Jacksonville.

The Steelers will be good, but we’ve seen that movie before....zzzzzzz

 

[maust]

Thanks. Now I guess we won’t have to worry about the Jaguars this year.

Patriots 15-1, no one else in the AFC better than 9-7. Hell yeah haterz

Ahhh the world as seen through blue, red & silver glasses, every bit as distorted as when it's viewed via hater-vision.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

Make no mistake, I do as well. I just think Rivers will have at least one more serious run before he retires. This is the best roster he’s had since the 2000’s.

It always comes down to coaching with San Diego, not the talent. Rivers has had bum coaches ever since Shottenheimer left. Anthony Lynn? Who knows, but my money is on SD continuing to fall flat for the rest of Rivers’ career.

 

[Joey007]

It always comes down to coaching with San Diego, not the talent. Rivers has had bum coaches ever since Shottenheimer left. Anthony Lynn? Who knows, but my money is on SD continuing to fall flat for the rest of Rivers’ career.

Of a SB? Yeah I’d agree. But remember the team used to fall flat in the playoffs after winning 12-14 games.

 

[Deus Irae]

First offseason rankings take:


It's still early enough that personnel changes and rookie phenoms can alter things, and it's always early enough that injuries can alter things, but the likely playoff contenders are already set outside of said injuries, and the AFCW is probably the only division in the league where it's about unknowns.

Patriots
Steelers
Jaguars/Texans/Titans
????? (Raiders/Chiefs/Chargers)

Eagles
Packers/Vikings
Falcons/Panthers/Saints
Rams


Pittsburgh and New England should be the best in the AFC again, and the NFC should be wide open at the top, with 5 or 6 teams that could be the favorite come playoff time.

 

[goheels22002]

That D is legit but skeptical of Bortles and that O.

Bortles and the Jaguars beat the Steelers in the playoffs 45-42, in Pittsburgh. That's a complete football team. They added the fastest receiver on the board in the draft in the 6'3" kid from LSU that several people here liked for the Pats.

 

[Ring 6]

Thanks. Now I guess we won’t have to worry about the Jaguars this year.

Patriots 15-1, no one else in the AFC better than 9-7. Hell yeah haterz

Not sure my prediction about the Jaguars means what you want to say.
There will be lots of competition but I see Jacksonville taking a step back, others see them taking a step forward. That’s the way predictions work.

 

[Joey007]

Not sure my prediction about the Jaguars means what you want to say.
There will be lots of competition but I see Jacksonville taking a step back, others see them taking a step forward. That’s the way predictions work.

Which teams exactly? Not necessarily disagreeing with the main point, although I think they’ll be back in the playoffs. I just don’t like the whole idea of guaranteeing results.

 

[goheels22002]

It's still early enough that personnel changes and rookie phenoms can alter things, and it's always early enough that injuries can alter things, but the likely playoff contenders are already set outside of said injuries, and the AFCW is probably the only division in the league where it's about unknowns.

Patriots
Steelers
Jaguars/Texans/Titans
????? (Raiders/Chiefs/Chargers)

Eagles
Packers/Vikings
Falcons/Panthers/Saints
Rams


Pittsburgh and New England should be the best in the AFC again, and the NFC should be wide open at the top, with 5 or 6 teams that could be the favorite come playoff time.

I hit agree but pulled it back based on your last sentence. I fully agree that the AFC West is unknowable at this point. Gruden spices things up, and has a good team to work with

I am unimpressed with the Steelers who lost the two games that mattered most in 2017 - both at home. The loss to the Patriots was a defensive embarrassment, and the Jags came in and just beat the Steelers in a game that should never have been the shootout it was. Pittsburgh is in full fade mode. I have this feeling that Roethlisberger is the Jay Cutler of 2018.

You have the Titans on your list on par with the Jags and Texans. The Titans will be very interesting to watch in Vrabel's rookie year wth Dean Pees as his DC. He's got the players to win the division. The Texans need a full season out of Watson.

Looking at the 90-player rosters, the team that should be the class of the AFCN should be the Browns. They have great young players all over that roster. Classic example of assembling talent but not building a team.

 

[signbabybrady]

Bortles and the Jaguars beat the Steelers in the playoffs 45-42, in Pittsburgh. That's a complete football team. They added the fastest receiver on the board in the draft in the 6'3" kid from LSU that several people here liked for the Pats.

They solve their QB position?

 

[Hyped]

AFC Teams I am worried about in order:

1.) Houston - Deshaun Watson...if he keeps it up after defensive coordinators have had all off season to look at him on tape, he might be Michael Jordan of the NFL like Debo said. And they are getting some guy named J.J. back in the fold.. Only good news is that they play in the AFC South with Jacksonville, Tennessee, and even Indy with Luck capable of stealing a game or two.

2.) Pittsburgh - The Steelers will still be the Steelers with the 3 B's. And I am not seeing much resistance in the AFC North.

3.) Jacksonville - Solid D....solid rushing offense...but Blake Bortles...still not sold on the man just yet...but if he plays mistake free...these guys are hard to beat anyway.

4.) San Diego - I live in Charger country....these guys are pretty good...not there yet...but a load to handle. They could run through the AFC West with Denver weaker on D...but better at QB, Oakland starting over with a mean WR corps and Carr, and the Chiefs handling the reins over to Mahomes. I don't think the Chargers are the best in the AFC West talent-wise....but they SHOULD get off to a fast start as the other teams are gonna need to gel a bit.

5.) Miami - Yup, I am a bit worried about Gase cleaning house and brining in winners like Amendola, Tannehill returning, and the Fitzpatrick pick.

6.) Tennessee - The team got better in the off-season with Dion Lewis and two defensive draft picks that I liked. Not to mention that Mariota will be 100% as well. If they weren't in the AFCS..I might rank them higher.

7.) Buffalo - I think A.J. McCarron makes them a lot better....

8.) Oakland - I gotta like the receiving corps of Cooper, Nelson, and Bryant to go along with Carr.

9.) Kansas City - Mahomes brings a different dimension that Alex Smith never could, IMO.

 

[Deus Irae]

I hit agree but pulled it back based on your last sentence. I fully agree that the AFC West is unknowable at this point. Gruden spices things up, and has a good team to work with

I am unimpressed with the Steelers who lost the two games that mattered most in 2017 - both at home. The loss to the Patriots was a defensive embarrassment, and the Jags came in and just beat the Steelers in a game that should never have been the shootout it was. Pittsburgh is in full fade mode. I have this feeling that Roethlisberger is the Jay Cutler of 2018.

You have the Titans on your list on par with the Jags and Texans. The Titans will be very interesting to watch in Vrabel's rookie year wth Dean Pees as his DC. He's got the players to win the division. The Texans need a full season out of Watson.

Looking at the 90-player rosters, the team that should be the class of the AFCN should be the Browns. They have great young players all over that roster. Classic example of assembling talent but not building a team.

You're overthinking things, IMO.

1. The Steelers lost to the Patriots because a replay took away a TD catch. It was a "pick em" game before it started. It was a "pick em" game at the end.
2. The Jaguars matched up well against the Steelers, and beat them twice, but the season is about the entire season. The Jags lost both games against the Titans, yet people aren't putting the Titans above the Jags.
3. You're wildly overrating the talent on the Browns.

I do want to add this: If Pittsburgh can't find a way to mitigate the loss of Shazier, their LB corps will be a huge problem for them, and could cause them to drop way down in the "power rankings".

 

[Joey007]

One thing I can say is that this might be the weakest the AFC East competition has been in quite a while.

-Jets finally have a potential QB answer, but is a rookie undertaking a team that still has many holes.

-Bills overachieved to 9-7 last year, but haven’t improved in the offseason, and also have will have a rookie QB that will have to deal with a very depleted O-line.

-Miami has become a complete mess. They seem to have no idea as to whether they want to rebuild or reload. Getting rid of Suh, Landry for guys like Quinn and Wilson/an aging Amendola? What are they aiming to accomplish here? Not to mention they’re relying on Tannehill to stay healthy, who was an average QB to begin with.

If he goes down, it’s Brock time. Yikes!

 

[Ring 6]

Which teams exactly? Not necessarily disagreeing with the main point, although I think they’ll be back in the playoffs. I just don’t like the whole idea of guaranteeing results.

When did I guarantee results?