(estimated 7-minute read time)

The NFL is reaching its crescendo – only the Chiefs, Bengals, Eagles, and 49ers remain in the playoffs, with only two progressing to Super Bowl LVII in Arizona. However, one of the biggest stories of this season has been the turnaround of the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Having only entered the NFL in 1995 when the league expanded, the Jacksonville Jaguars are not a team steeped in history like the Packers, Colts or Steelers and in their short past, the team from Duval County, Florida have struggled to make their mark in the NFL and are still without a Super Bowl win.

Legendary players like Maurice Jones-Drew, Fred Taylor and Tony Boselli have come and gone and for billionaire owner Shad Khan, the lack of success had to change. Without a playoff appearance since 2017 and having only achieved that landmark on eight occasions since their inauguration in the NFL, the Jaguars have slowly been putting the pieces in place to create a beast of a team, worthy of the predator from which they bear their name.

Such is the mechanism of the NFL draft, finishing last in the division multiple years consecutively will yield higher draft picks. Meaning, if you play your cards right you can draft the best young talent from college and theoretically give you the better chance to win games, make the playoffs and potentially win that coveted Super Bowl trophy. Over the last couple of years, the Jags have certainly used their top draft pick hands to more than useful effect.

In 2021 they drafted star quarterback Trevor Lawrence with the first pick from Clemson – for his entire college career the man with the long golden locks from Knoxville, Tennessee had been a top prospect. Winning the college National Championship as a freshman, Lawrence always threw the ball with laser accuracy – a top athlete as well as being equipped with a cannon for an arm, Lawrence was always bound for the NFL.

Having secured his services in 2021 but still finishing bottom of the AFC, the Jags would again receive the top pick of the first draft round in 2022. With the offensive side of the ball locked down with a highly talented young quarterback, the 2022 draft for the Jaguars was about finding a future talisman on the defensive side of the game.

The Jags needed a man who would mercilessly hunt opposition quarterbacks and create havoc amongst opposing offensive linemen. They needed a man with the energy of a nuclear reactor and in Georgia Bulldog outside line-backer Travon Walker, the Jags had found their man. Picking Walker first in the first round of the 2022 draft, the Floridians gained one of the best defensive college prospects in years and now had superstar talent on either side of the scrimmage.

Two top draft talents though were not enough – there was still a missing piece of the jigsaw…the lack of a proven winner Head Coach. After the sacking of Urban Meyer in December 2021 in a shroud of controversy, Shad Khan’s next appointment to the Head Coach hot seat was more critical than ever. Who could be the man to take this supremely talented crop of young Jaguars to the next level?

Doug Pederson would be that man. A Super Bowl winner as backup quarterback to Brett Favre in 1997, Pederson would go on to win the player/coach double, guiding the Philadelphia Eagles to their first ever Super Bowl in 2017. In doing so, Pederson became only the fourth man to achieve this feat and joined Mike Ditka, Tony Dungy, and Tom Flores on an illustrious list of NFL greats.

During his highly successful stint at the Eagles, Pederson became known for his offensive flair and innovative play calling. Recognised also for his work with young quarterbacks, it seemed like Pederson could be a great fit for the Jags. Having taken a year out from the game in 2021, the Jags signed Pederson in February 2022 ahead of the start of the new season in September.

Now with this triumvirate of Pederson, Lawrence, and Walker in place, many felt like the 2022-23 season would the year the Jaguars could pounce. Ahead of the new season though, commentators within the game were still unsure of what the Jaguars might deliver and the doubters were initially proven right.

The Jaguars won only two of their first eight games of the season but despite this inauspicious start to the campaign, they showed enough prowess and attacking intent that given time to get used to Pederson’s systems and methods and hopefully find some consistency, this litter of Jaguars could perhaps make some waves.

A loss to the Denver Broncos in London seemed to be that catalyst. Their annual visit to Wembley ended in a poor defeat to one of the worst teams in 2022 but the players used that time in the UK to lay down a marker for the rest of the season. Players have spoken of the bonding and unity they were able to foster on their London visit, with many players never actually having left the USA before.

Even in defeat, the teambuilding was an invaluable experience for this group of players and upon their return from Wembley, the Jaguars won seven out of their last nine games to win the AFC South division for only the second time in their history. Lawrence and Martin were magnificent and under the tutelage of Pederson, these cats were starting to show their claws. What they did however on their first return to the playoffs in five years was unthinkable…

In the AFC Wild Card game they would face the LA Chargers and another young superstar quarterback, Justin Herbert. Catastrophe seemed like it would be the dish of the day in Duval as the Chargers built up a commanding 27-0 first half lead. A Jaguars score before halftime meant they would go in 27-7 down at halftime, with Lawrence being intercepted four times!

A record breaking feat would be required if the Jaguars were to get out of this one but despite having seemingly used up their nine lives, these cats were more than ready to play. A second half blitz descended upon the Chargers. Lawrence completed 18-of-23 passes for 211 yards and three touchdowns in which the Jaguars outscored the Chargers 24-3 across the final two quarters.

Their second touchdown of the game was perhaps the turning point – the Jaguars capped a 14-play, 89-yard drive with a Trevor Lawrence touchdown pass to Marvin Jones Jr. which gave them the belief they could go on to win that game. Lawrence looked like he was born to make those clutch plays and with the scores at 30-28 in favour of the Chargers and just seconds left on the clock, Jaguars kicker Riley Patterson calmly slotted a 36 yard field goal for the walk-off win.

The Jaguars second half comeback against the Chargers from a 27-point deficit would become the third largest in playoff history and fifth largest in NFL all time history. It was a remarkable moment for coach Pederson and owner Shad Khan, as well as being a true ‘coming of age’ moment for Trevor Lawrence. The Duval faithful went wild.

Sadly, in the divisional round the following week, the Jaguars would have to go to Arrowhead Stadium to face Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs and they couldn’t quite repeat the magic of the week before. A battling 27-20 loss was by no means a disgrace for the Jaguars and the clip of Trevor Lawrence shaking the hand of every man as they returned defeated to the locker room, showed that not only have they got a supreme athlete, in Lawrence they have a true leader the team will get behind for years to come.

The future is certainly looking bright for those Jacksonville Jaguars fans here in the UK and with them already confirmed to play at Wembley in 2023 and 2024, it’s fantastic to see one of the best young teams in the league returning. With NFL London Games dates due to be announced in coming months, watch this space for more NFL updates…