Both the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Detroit Lions are historically bad franchises, both having franchise records below .500. Both franchises have also never played in the Super Bowl, something only four teams have never done. The Jaguars are 8-8 in the playoffs, while the Lions are 7-13. But, there is reason to believe that those historically bad seasons are behind both teams.

Both teams went 9-8 this season after abysmal 2021 seasons. Both teams started 2-6 and gained momentum in the second half of the season to finish strong. The Lions were eliminated from playoff contention minutes before their Week 18 game. The Jaguars clinched the division after an intense nail-biting Saturday night game against their hated rivals, the Tennessee Titans. The Jaguars went on to win their Wild Card playoff game in thrilling fashion against the Chargers, before finally losing to the eventual Super Bowl Champions Kansas City Chiefs. Both teams head into the NFL offseason poised to solidify championship-caliber teams.

The Lions and the Jaguars have electrifying offenses that are going to be problems for opposing defenses for years to come. Both teams are ranked in the top 10 in total offense for the 2022 season, with the Lions ranked 5th and the Jaguars ranked 10th. Both teams are also ranked in the top 10 in passing offense, with the Lions ranked 6th and the Jaguars ranked 10th. The Lions’ offense is spearheaded by veteran quarterback Jared Goff, young rising star receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, and the consistently getting better veteran running back Jamaal Williams. Both Jared Goff and Amon-Ra were Pro Bowlers this year, along with T.J. Hockenson joining them from the Lions’ offense. The Lions were able to have multiple games where they scored 40 points or more, including one against the Jaguars. If the Lions continue having a high powered offense they can be tough to catch.

The Jaguars are spearheaded by their trio of young stars: quarterback Trevor Lawrence, running back Travis Etienne, and receiver Christian Kirk. Everyone in this trio had career years. Trevor threw for over 4,000 yards and showed to the league why he was picked first overall. Travis Etienne ran for over 1,000 yards, cementing himself as one of the league’s top rushers. Christian Kirk rejuvenated his career with over 1,000 receiving yards, silencing his critics. Trevor Lawrence got his first Pro Bowl nod and it’s safe to say that this won’t be his last.

The analysis of both defenses emphasizes why they say that “defenses win championships”. The Lions gave up the most yards on defense, with the Jaguars giving up the 9th most. Both teams were ranked in the bottom five for passing defense. The Jaguars were ranked 12th in rushing defense, but the Lions were ranked 29th. Even though both teams drafted young stars with the first two picks in 2022 draft, Travon Walker for the Jaguars and Aidan Hutchinson for the Lions, it wasn’t enough to consistently stop NFL offenses. Both teams have stellar offenses, but they both need some work on defense in order to have a team that can compete with the top teams in the NFL.

The Lions and the Jaguars are both young teams that have potential, especially on the offensive side of the ball. However, you have to be able to stop opposing teams from scoring to win games and that is something that both teams need to work on. And once both teams create a stellar team on both sides of the ball, it will be sooner, rather than later, that one of these teams will be competing for the Lombardi Trophy.

The post The Jaguars and Lions are Guaranteed Future Super Bowl Contenders appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

Most Likely 1pm Games

Vikings @ Bears (WINNER: Vikings)

The Bears might have Justin Fields but they also have only three wins. The Vikings should win this easily.

Texans @ Colts (WINNER: Texans)

Both teams are out of the AFC South race and two of the worst teams in the league. While this game should be competitive, the Texans have the momentum to win this game.

Chargers @ Broncos (WINNER: Chargers)

The Broncos’ ride this season has been very rough this season and it will end with the Chargers electrocuting the ride.

Cardinals @ 49ers (WINNER: 49ers)

The Cardinals came into this season as a team poised for the playoffs. Now they are team poised for the draft. 49ers will win this game with another stellar Brock Prudy performance.

Rams @ Seahawks (WINNER: Seahawks)

Can’t believe that the reigning Super Bowl champions are out of the playoff hunt already. Baker Mayfield should be a wildcard to this matchup so it will be close, but the Seahawks will want to win to potentially sneak into the playoffs.

Chiefs @ Raiders (WINNER: Chiefs)

This AFC West matchup would have been compelling had the Raiders not been a team prone to collapsing in games. The Chiefs are going to win this game and try to clinch the AFC bye.

Most Likely 4pm Games

Patriots @ Bills (WINNER: Bills)

While this game might not seem compelling at first glance due to the team’s records, this game will mean a lot to both teams. The Patriots will try and clinch the last spot in the AFC playoffs while the Bills will try and clinch the AFC bye. It will be a fun game to watch.

Lions @ Packers (WINNER: Lions)

Week 17 will determine how important of a game this will be but this game will be against two teams trying to desperately make the playoffs and salvage their mediocre seasons. However, the Lions are trending upwards and should give Aaron Rodgers a chance to spend some time with his family this winter.

Cowboys @ Commanders (WINNER: Cowboys)

The Cowboys will be looking to end the regular season strong against a Washington team that will be trying to secure a wildcard spot. The Cowboys should win this game, but Dak is prone to throwing the game away so this will be a good game nonetheless.

Most Likely Saturday Night Game

Titans @ Jaguars (WINNER: Jaguars)

Not only is this a heated AFC South rivalry, this game will decide who will win the AFC South. This should be an intense game but the Jaguars are red hot and will clinch their second ever AFC South title, first since 2017.

Most Likely Sunday Night Game

Ravens @ Bengals (WINNER: Bengals)

No matter if Lamar Jackson plays or not, this game will be a heated AFC North battle. Both teams are going to be fighting for the divisional title and a chance to host a playoff game. The Bengals will most likely win this game, especially if Lamar Jackson is not playing.

Possible 1pm or 4pm Games

Buccaneers @ Falcons (WINNER: Buccaneers)

The NFC South could be still undecided in this game and this would be a chance for Tom Brady to clinch the playoffs after an abysmal season. The Buccaneers should win this game but the Falcons will try to make it close.

Browns @ Steelers (WINNER: Steelers)

Mike Tomlin has never had a losing season in his career, but this game could decide if he does. It could also decide whether or not the Steelers could sneak into the playoffs. It’s a longshot, but the Steelers should win and look to the results of other games in the AFC to see if they are a playoff team.

Possible 4pm or Saturday Afternoon Games

Giants @ Eagles (WINNER: Eagles)

The Giants and Eagles will be playoff teams and this NFC East rivalry game will still have some intensity as the both teams will want to lock their playoff seeding. The Eagles should win this and enter the playoffs with a bye and a lot of momentum.

Jets @ Dolphins (WINNER: Dolphins)

The Jets are collapsing right now, but both teams are still in the playoff hunt. This game could decide which team gets that last wildcard spot in the AFC. Even though Tua is always in concussion protocol, the Dolphins should win this game and secure their spot in the playoffs.

Panthers @ Saints (WINNER: Panthers)

Not only could this game decide the NFC South, but this could also decide who gets the last playoff spot in the NFC. This should be a close game but the Panthers should edge this one out.

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Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne are not new to being teammates. In fact, they played together at Clemson and were both drafted by the Jaguars in the 2021 NFL Draft. While Trevor was an instant starter, Travis was trying to figure out his role. With a running room led by James Robinson, the undrafted rookie sensation who had over 1,000 rushing yards, Etienne had to be the backup. Head Coach Urban Myer, if you can even call him a coach, worked out Etienne as more of a wide receiver than the running back position that he was drafted for to maximize the productivity of both backs. Even though Etienne was a versatile player coming out of college, only 8 of his 78 touchdowns in his collegiate career came through the air. That is not necessarily enough to want to play him more in the receiver position, but it isn’t uncommon for Urban Meyer to have to have made some questionable decisions in his short lived and disappointing NFL coaching career (i.e. Tim Tebow). Unfortunately, Etienne went down with a season-ending injury in the preseason, so we did not get to see anything from him until the 2022 season.

When Etienne finally got the chance to show his playmaking ability, he didn’t disappoint. Through 13 games, he has ran for 814 yards and four touchdowns, averaging 5 yards a rush. He is also a receiving threat as he has 25 catches for 214 yards for a total of 1,028 total scrimmage yards so far this season. His productivity this season eventually led to the trading of James Robinson as the Jaguars feel that Etienne is the future and ready to lead the rushing offense. While he has shown that he can be a dependable back running and catching the ball, he has also shown that he is dependable losing the ball as well, with him fumbling the ball four times this season. Ball security is going to have to be an emphasis for Etienne moving forward for him to elevate his game.

While Travis sat on the sidelines for the 2021 season, Trevor was thrown into the dumpster fire that was the 2021 Jacksonville Jaguars. After the Jaguars traded fan favorite and social media sensation quarterback Gardner Minshew away at the end of preseason, Trevor was given the full reins to the Jaguars offense. After an abysmal 1-15 2020 season, Trevor was put in the (very easy) position of getting the Jaguars more than one win. Even though Trevor managed to accomplish this goal, he was only able to win 3 games. The 3-14 record led to the team drafting first overall for the second time in a row, which turned into Travon Walker out of Georgia. Lawrence finished the 2021 season with 3641 yards passing, 12 touchdowns, and 17 interceptions. Some sports talk pundits and fans were skeptical that Lawrence was the generational talent that many claimed him to be, with some even calling him a bust. But in 2022, he has shown the league that he is here and his time is now.

Through 13 games in the 2022, Trevor Lawrence has shown the skills that made him the number one overall pick. He has already passed for 3,202 yards with 20 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. He is on pace to eclipse his 2021 stats by a considerable margin with him already having more touchdowns this season and almost matching his passing yards with four games left to go. While he has shown that he is capable of being the quarterback of the future for the Jaguars, he has also shown that he is still a young quarterback who is prone to make questionable decisions. Three of his interceptions this season have occurred in the red zone and most of them inevitably led to the Jaguars to lose those games. Once Lawrence lessens the impact of his interceptions, those close losses will become close wins.

The 5-8 record does not tell the real story of the 2022 Jacksonville Jaguars. Besides the blowout loss to the Lions in Week 13, the Jaguars have been in every game and played for all four quarters, never looking defeated. This team has a high upside and are still in the 2022 NFL playoff hunt, sitting at 10th in AFC standings. If the Jaguars are able to win out, the Jaguars could be in the playoffs for the first time since 2017. In order to win out though, the Jaguars would have to upset the Cowboys, beat the Jets in primetime, and beating the Titans twice in a season, something the Jaguars haven’t done since 2005. The Jaguars would probably not make it out of Super Wild Card weekend if they were to make it, but the fact that this team, after going 3-14 last season, could even be in the conversation of playoffs is a feat in itself. Doug Pederson has taken this team from the depths of football hell and brought them into the light, allowing them to shine. If Pederson can get more from his team next year, the Jacksonville Jaguars will be a solid playoff contender, with the lethal duo of Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne leading the offense.

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