- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,257,468
- Reaction score
- 59
After months of being doubted and dismissed as true contenders by much of the national media, the Jacksonville Jaguars may finally be earning the respect a 13-win team deserves
Head coach Liam Coen has already told his team that it will take more than one season of winning to gain the respect of those outside the building, but it looks like the Jaguars' talent and potential are becoming harder to overlook.
The doubt surrounding the team has largely centered around a heavily criticized offseason, with the Jaguars opting not to make high-profile additions and a draft class many felt was full of "reaches."
There are also questions about whether quarterback Trevor Lawrence can continue his impressive play after his career year last season. Same for wide receiver Parker Washington. Many also wonder if unproven running backs Bhayshul Tuten and Chris Rodriguez Jr. will fill the void left by Travis Etienne, who left in free agency.
Training camp has had three days of practice so far. Tuten dominated Day 1 on Wednesday. Washington stole the show on Thursday. Lawrence, after a slow start to open camp, had an incredible day Friday. Have their strong starts to camp started to silence their doubters?
One prominent analyst, Peter Schrager, is not among Jacksonville's doubters. In fact, Schrager has incredibly high expectations for the Jaguars.
Appearing on The Pat McAfee Show on Friday, Schrager named the Jaguars his early AFC Super Bowl pick.
Technically, Schrager said Jacksonville "might" be his early SB pick. Even though he may be hedging his bets a bit, it is still noteworthy. While others are going out of their way to exclude the Jaguars from their group of contenders, Schrager is very excited about the team's potential.
He also is a big believer in Coen, and his ability to get the most out of his team.
"Liam Coen is a master motivator, and he knows exactly what buttons to press and what to do."
Schrager thinks Coen will be able to use the team's underdog mentality and small-market perception to motivate the Jaguars to prove everybody wrong. He also talked about Lawrence's "outstanding offseason" and the terrific foursome of wide receivers at his disposal.
Perhaps the most noteworthy opinion Schrager gave about the Jaguars was "they got better this offseason."
What? Better? We've been told for months that the Jaguars had completely botched the offseason and failed to make the necessary moves to get better. The popular belief was that the team didn't do enough to replace Etienne and linebacker Devin Lloyd.
Not according to Schrager, who believes the Jaguars' young players will step up their games while noting that almost every other key player from 2025's 13-win team is returning.
It's nice to have a trusted voice like Schrager speak up about how good the Jaguars can be this season. The team is loaded with talent and is coming off a fantastic season. Expectations should be that Jacksonville can go on a deep playoff run.
Of course, the Jaguars still have a lot to prove. Despite their success during the regular season, they were unable to win a playoff game, losing at home to the Buffalo Bills.
The team is now talented enough that playoff success is the only way they can be considered part of the top echelon of NFL teams. Getting to 13 wins again will be extremely difficult, but regular-season wins are no longer the measuring stick for this team.
The Jaguars' success this season will only be judged not by getting to the playoffs, but by how they perform once they're there.
Jacksonville has Super Bowl talent, and the team now has at least one Super Bowl prediction.
Join our ROUNDTABLE community! It's free to join. Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members. Download the free Roundtable APP, and stay even more connected!
Continue reading...
Head coach Liam Coen has already told his team that it will take more than one season of winning to gain the respect of those outside the building, but it looks like the Jaguars' talent and potential are becoming harder to overlook.
The doubt surrounding the team has largely centered around a heavily criticized offseason, with the Jaguars opting not to make high-profile additions and a draft class many felt was full of "reaches."
There are also questions about whether quarterback Trevor Lawrence can continue his impressive play after his career year last season. Same for wide receiver Parker Washington. Many also wonder if unproven running backs Bhayshul Tuten and Chris Rodriguez Jr. will fill the void left by Travis Etienne, who left in free agency.
Training camp has had three days of practice so far. Tuten dominated Day 1 on Wednesday. Washington stole the show on Thursday. Lawrence, after a slow start to open camp, had an incredible day Friday. Have their strong starts to camp started to silence their doubters?
One prominent analyst, Peter Schrager, is not among Jacksonville's doubters. In fact, Schrager has incredibly high expectations for the Jaguars.
Appearing on The Pat McAfee Show on Friday, Schrager named the Jaguars his early AFC Super Bowl pick.
Hedging His Bets
Technically, Schrager said Jacksonville "might" be his early SB pick. Even though he may be hedging his bets a bit, it is still noteworthy. While others are going out of their way to exclude the Jaguars from their group of contenders, Schrager is very excited about the team's potential.
He also is a big believer in Coen, and his ability to get the most out of his team.
"Liam Coen is a master motivator, and he knows exactly what buttons to press and what to do."
Schrager thinks Coen will be able to use the team's underdog mentality and small-market perception to motivate the Jaguars to prove everybody wrong. He also talked about Lawrence's "outstanding offseason" and the terrific foursome of wide receivers at his disposal.
Perhaps the most noteworthy opinion Schrager gave about the Jaguars was "they got better this offseason."
What? Better? We've been told for months that the Jaguars had completely botched the offseason and failed to make the necessary moves to get better. The popular belief was that the team didn't do enough to replace Etienne and linebacker Devin Lloyd.
Not according to Schrager, who believes the Jaguars' young players will step up their games while noting that almost every other key player from 2025's 13-win team is returning.
Final Thoughts
It's nice to have a trusted voice like Schrager speak up about how good the Jaguars can be this season. The team is loaded with talent and is coming off a fantastic season. Expectations should be that Jacksonville can go on a deep playoff run.
Of course, the Jaguars still have a lot to prove. Despite their success during the regular season, they were unable to win a playoff game, losing at home to the Buffalo Bills.
The team is now talented enough that playoff success is the only way they can be considered part of the top echelon of NFL teams. Getting to 13 wins again will be extremely difficult, but regular-season wins are no longer the measuring stick for this team.
The Jaguars' success this season will only be judged not by getting to the playoffs, but by how they perform once they're there.
Jacksonville has Super Bowl talent, and the team now has at least one Super Bowl prediction.
Join our ROUNDTABLE community! It's free to join. Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members. Download the free Roundtable APP, and stay even more connected!
Continue reading...
