AFC Game Of The Week
Jacksonville Jaguars at New York Jets
Jaguars: Who would’ve thought! That’s the beautiful thing about our league! You just never know who will come out of nowhere and play well. For this team, they’ve done a complete turnaround compared to the soap opera that was last season. First, let me commend the organization for hiring Doug Pedersen. I loved him during his time with the Philadelphia Eagles and he helped lead them to their first Super Bowl title in franchise history. Drafting Trevor Lawrence was the writing on the wall in 2021. As a Head Coach, helping develop a Quarterback is always the goal. This works perfectly for Trevor because Doug is an offensive minded coach and he’s also a former Quarterback himself. When I was on “The Prime” the other night, David “On Point” Huffman asked me what’s been the difference between this year and last year with them and of course, I stated the obvious, coaching! I’ve seen this Jaguars team give Doug more effort all this year alone compared to anything they did for Urban Meyer in 2021 and that’s because you’re seeing a group that will leave it all on the field for a coach. They weren’t on the same page last season with Urban and it showed. That should also be a lesson that some college coaches aren’t meant to coach at the next level, that is the NFL. This is such a gritty team. The upset win against the Ravens showed me they won’t back down from anyone and Sunday against the Cowboys was a stunner. With the Titans struggling, they can win the AFC South. Again, who would’ve thought! Tonight, they’re in East Rutherford to kick off week 16.
Jets: They’ve been one of the pleasant surprises this year. After 11 games, they sat with a 7-4 record. Now, they’ve dropped their last three games due to one thing, a lack of offense. Writing that just took me back to the game against the Minnesota Vikings because each chance they were in the red zone, they were held to a field goal. In that game alone, they kicked a total of five field goals and just imagine if those were all touchdowns instead, they would win that game. I said last week on the “NerdZone” that Mike White moves the needle for them as the starting Quarterback. Unfortunately, he was ruled out of the Lions game with a rib injury, and they turned back to Zach Wilson and as usual, he was hit or miss. There were moments when Zach showed why he was selected second overall back in 2021, then he also showed why people continue to question him and what’s been a huge issue with him has been consistency. What’s kept the Jets afloat this year has been the running game and the defense which has been one of the best in the league. They currently rank third in yards allowed per game and fourth in points. After such a strong start, they’ve come back down to reality and because of this slide, they find themselves on the outside looking in of the AFC playoff picture. Tonight, they will welcome the Jacksonville Jaguars to town to open week 16.
Jaguars X-Factor: Josh Allen– Not the Quarterback! There’s also a defensive player with the same name! Josh is one of the cornerstone pieces of this Jacksonville defense. If you’ve ever watched tape on this kid, the first thing you notice is his get off and how disruptive he is at the point of attack. Josh is a bully and can win his battles in so many ways up front. Even when he’s blocked out of place, he never gives up on the play! That’s what I admire about his game the most. The motor is electric always with him.
Jets X-Factor: Corey Davis– This has been the one receiver Zach has consistently leaned on in the passing game. If I were a Quarterback, I’d love throwing to Corey as well because he’s a 6’3 target that fights his way down the field and positions himself to make a catch. Corey knows how to free himself to make a catch. He’s either stretching the field vertically or he’s going over the middle of the field to make a catch in traffic. He knows a thing or two about playing the Jaguars dating back to his Titans days.
Final Thoughts: Never did I think I’d be previewing this one. With the Titans struggling as of late and having beat the Titans a few weeks ago, the Jaguars are in a prime position right now to win the AFC South and make the playoffs. The Jets are trying their best to get back into the win column. This is the second meeting between the first and second pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Tonight, the Jets must find ways to take pressure off Zach Wilson. This will come down to their running game and how effectively they can control the clock. In their last two wins, the Jets averaged 166 yards rushing and during the three-game losing streak, they averaged half of that (66 yards). Can Jacksonville keep this momentum going? I love the confidence they’re playing with at this moment. This Jags Offensive Line has been outstanding this year and they’ve allowed the fifth-fewest sacks in the league this year. This is a make-or-break situation for the Jets.
Prediction: Jaguars 24, Jets 17
