If A QB Meet A QB: Jaguars At The Bye

Believe it or not, it was only 10 weeks ago that we all came together to preview the Jaguars’ 2019 season. Were we ever so young?

This writer predicted a 6-10 season for the Jaguars, who at the bye sit at 4-5 and tied for last place in the AFC South. And that was BEFORE the following things all happened:

• $88 million QB Nick Foles broke his collarbone less than one quarter into his Jaguars tenure and has not played since.
• Foles’ backup, rookie 6th rounder Gardner Minshew, became a folk hero in Duval; he’s gone 4-4 as a starter, become a dark horse Rookie Of The Year candidate, and arguably supplanted owner Shad Khan for Best Mustache on the team.
• CB Jalen Ramsey did his best Anthony Davis impression, playing all of three games before throwing a hissy and faking all sorts of injuries until the Jags got fed up and traded him to the Rams.
• Jason Mendoza, hanging out in a astral plane somewhere, finally heard the news that Blake Bortles had been cut from the Jaguars.

 Jalen Ramsey encourages teammates at Jaguars practice.

Normally the Jaguars greet the bye week rather literally, waving goodbye to their playoff chances. One might imagine that in their current position, that annual tradition is being renewed.

NOT SO FAST! Allow me to argue that the Jags can make a second half surge.

While the Jags have already played the Chiefs, Panthers, Saints, and Texans (twice), their second half schedule has a cumulative record of 26-36, which includes the division rival Colts counted twice. If we posit that division matchups are generally competitive and throw out the Colts, the non-Colts opponents are 16-30.

The bye also means the return of Big Dick Nick. While Minshew has played admirably overall, he struggled in his last start and might project best as Foles’ successor for the title of “Best Backup QB In The NFL”. Foles always does his best work coming to the rescue. What a chance to audition for the next team who will talk themselves into him as a long-term starter!

Finally, if we cede the first AFC Wild Card spot to the Bills, the main competition for the second Wild Card will be the Colts and the Raiders. The Jags finish the season with the Raiders, Falcons, and Colts in that order. Are you trusting Derek Carr?

Terrible schedule? Super Bowl MVP at quarterback? Emerging star DJ Chark to throw to? Still-quite-good defense? Raiders? Baby, you got a stew going!

REVISED PREDICTION:
9-7. The Jags go 5-1 over their next six (really) and face the Colts Week 17 in a virtual playoff game, with the winner securing the last Wild Card spot. The Colts win.

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BrettFavresColonoscopy

I miss Jaxson de Ville

tomsellecksmoustache

Woke culture took him down for trying to make a timely joke. Exactly what Todd Phillips alluded to.

rockingdog

college gameday signs keep getting better and better…

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EI8LssEWoAAZs1L?format=jpg&name=small

rockingdog

found a funny:
me: can you dust my wets?

server: you can just ask for Parmesan cheese

me, confused, lifts all of my spaghetti with my hands: please. My wets.

theeWeeBabySeamus

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SonOfSpam

Post title flashed me back…were you going for this at all?
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nomonkeyfun

I thought it was Burfict that had the QB hunting hat?
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Rikki-Tikki-Deadly

Help! I accidentally inserted Ignatius J. Reilly instead!
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Low Commander of the Super Soldiers

But how do the Jaguras feel about no longer being the default London bound team?

TheRevanchist

I don’t agree with you, but I am pro-Minshew. He works that look like a 70’s pr0n star. I hope he is around for a long time.

blaxabbath

Minshew dies of a coke overdose during bye.

blaxabbath

You’re trying to tell me this isn’t a .500 team?

Unsurprised

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