It Was Always The Jags (IWATJ)
Don’t call it a comeback, but the Jacksonville Jaguars are on the road to recovery and, hopefully, the Super Bowl. Since the founding of the Jags in 1995, they have yet to make it to the Super Bowl. But with the progress made this season, the Super Bowl dream is closer than it seems.
After the 2017 playoffs upset against Tom Brady (Myles Jack wasn’t down) and the Patriots, the Jags have been in a bit of a slump, with their past two records being 1-15 and 3-14, the worst in the AFC South division and in the NFL for two years in a row. The problem stemmed from the lack of a coach and quarterback.
The Jaguars have been through three coaches in three years. Urban Meyers was highly controversial and fired midway through the 2021 season, leaving their rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence and the team in shambles.
However, with a successful offseason and the addition of the two-time Superbowl champ Head Coach Doug Pederson, the Jaguars had a comeback season.
“We have not quit. You can call that cliche if you want, I don’t care.” – Trevor Lawrence
The 2022 season didn’t look great, with a five-game losing streak. But even when they were losing, the Jaguars looked like a winning team and proved that when they won the important games. At the beginning of December, the Jaguars had a 4% playoff chance, and very few believed. But “It was always the jags,” and they came back after the second half and beat the Cowboys and the Chargers.
They advanced to the playoffs and made it to the divisional round against the Kansas City Chiefs, where they lost 27-20.
Even though the season has ended, the team’s impact on “DUVAL” hasn’t. The Jaguars Foundation is a nonprofit sector of the team. The Foundation works in the community to support military, education, and other efforts to improve the founding town of the Jaguars. Their mission states, “Believing that youth represent the community’s future, the Jacksonville Jaguars Foundation is committed to supporting programs benefiting economically and socially disadvantaged youth, families, and other NFL and team charitable initiatives.”
Projects the Foundation works on are writing grants, Turkey Time with the O-Line, football camps, and many others.
The Jaguars are a big part of the Jaguars community both on and off the field and will continue to be for many seasons to come.
And you never know…Super Bowl LVIII?
DUUUUUUVVVVAAALLLL!!!!