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.

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.

The post Why Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne Are a Sensational Two-Headed Beast in the Making appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Andy Davies

The AFC South has been won by the Tennessee Titans, but the addition of Matt Ryan by the Indianapolis Colts and the loss of A.J. Brown for the Titans means the division is as usual, very wide open.

Since 2013, all four teams in the AFC South have won the division. However, who has the best quarterback?

In our final quarterback ranking list, here are your AFC South quarterback rankings.

1. Matt Ryan (Indianapolis Colts)

The only MVP winner in this list, Ryan joined the Colts this offseason after over ten years with the Atlanta Falcons.

In 2021, he still managed to throw for 3,968 yards, 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.  Unless injury strikes, Ryan will reach the 60,000 career passing yards mark, currently being 265 away. Only seven players have previously reached the 60,000 mark and Ryan , who is currently eighth on the list for most career passing yards, can eclipse Phillip Rivers into sixth place on the list should he throw at least 3,705 yards or more.

A really good season, where he throws at least 33 touchdowns will also allow Ryan to reach 400 career passing touchdowns. He would become just the eighth player in NFL history to reach the 60,000

Whilst he showed signs of ageing last season, he still makes it as the best quarterback in this list, in what is a bad bunch.

2. Ryan Tannehill (Tennessee Titans)

Tannehill was an eighth overall pick in 2013, when he was selected by the Miami Dolphins. However, injuries and inconsistent play (as well as bad coaching) saw him eventually traded to the Titans in 2018.

He came in for Marcus Mariota mid-season and ended up winning Comeback Player of the Year. Over the course of his career, he has thrown for over 30,000 passing yards, 199 touchdowns and 102 interceptions. Despite this, he has shown signs of decline in the past twelve months. 

In 2021, he threw for 3,734 touchdowns, 21 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. This is a stark contrast to the 33 touchdowns and 7 interceptions he threw in 2022.

His position as the Titans’ starter is also in question, with the team choosing to draft Liberty QB Malik Willis in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft. He showed his potential in Thursday night’s preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens, completing 6 of his 11 passes for 107 yards  as well as a 7-yard touchdown run.

Tannehill has proved to be a good quarterback for Tennessee, excelling in particular when using RPO plays. However, he has yet to prove he can be the guy to take the Titans to the next level. 

This was proved in their Divisional Round when the number one seed Titans lost to the Cincinnati Bengals, despite Joe Burrow being sacked nine times. Tannehill threw three costly interceptions, and his future has been questioned ever since.

Despite having running back Derrick Henry and a brilliant head coach in Mike Vrabel, the loss of A.J. Brown could end up being the final nail in the Ryan Tannehill Titans coffin.

3. Davis Mills (Houston Texans)

Houston could be a realistic destination for Tannehill should the team decide they don’t want to pursue long term with their current starter Davis Mills. 

Mills was drafted 67^th overall out of Stanford and actually had a solid first NFL season in 2021. He was arguably the second-best rookie quarterback in a class that albeit did not exactly light up the league. In 13 games, he threw for 2,665 yards, 16 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. 

These are neither outstanding nor terrible stats. He did a solid job in a season of turmoil, with everything that went on off the field. 

Solid is exactly why Mills is third on this list. He wasn’t terrible but also hasn’t quite done enough to break into the top two.

4. Trevor Lawrence (Jacksonville Jaguars)

The 2021 first overall pick had a torrid rookie year but is now free from a dysfunctional Urban Meyer. He threw for 3,641 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 17 interceptions.

However, he can no longer use the Meyer excuse with new head coach Doug Pederson. Should Lawrence have another bad year, there will be more and more usage of the word “bust”. 

Right now, it is hard to put him anywhere but the bottom of this list. Despite this, should he fulfill the potential that we all saw in Clemson, then he will certainly be a lot higher than fourth.

The post Ranking the AFC South Quarterbacks right now appeared first on Pro Football Mania.