First of all, no handicapper is right all the time – or we’d be rich. And I was wrong about the 2016 Jaguars. Honestly, I didn’t think they’d win the AFC title or anything but perhaps contend for a wild-card spot and show true improvement and they didn’t in finishing 3-13 – their sixth straight year of five wins or fewer. The Jacksonville Jaguars seem to be small NLF odds favorites for the 2017 season. With this in mind, let’s see what we can expect from them.
2017 Jacksonville Jaguars NFL Season Win/Loss Total Prediction
2017 offseason by the numbers.
Read MORE → https://t.co/X0GINuSLVU pic.twitter.com/NMvkX3DRnw — Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) July 11, 2017
Jacksonville Jaguars Futures Odds
- 2017-18 Regular Season Total Wins: 6.5
- Odds To Win AFC South: +580
- Odds To Win AFC: +2800
- Odds To Win Super Bowl LI: +5500
2016 Season Recap
Earlier in the 2016 season, following a Week 5 win in Chicago, the Jaguars were 2-3 and easily could have been 4-1. At first they lost Week 1 at home to Green Bay in the waning moments. Then they mounted a late drive that came up short on a fourth-and- 1 play at the Packers 14. They also had converted their previous three fourth-down plays, but Allen Hurns failed to move the sticks on a bubble screen. Later on in Week 3 while playing at home, the Jags lost just 19-17 to Baltimore. Justin Tucker kicked a 54-yard field goal with 1:02 remaining. The Jaguars had plenty of chances to win in a wild fourth quarter. They forced three consecutive turnovers in the final frame, but only got a field goal out of it. Blake Bortles also threw two interceptions that ended drives in Baltimore territory, and Jason Myers had a 52-yard field goal blocked. After the last of those nine straight losses following the Chicago win, coach Gus Bradley was fired.How Bad Was Gus Bradley?
Bradley was 14-48 (.226) in three-plus seasons with the Jaguars. The only coach with a worse winning percentage is Bert Bell (.190), who also was the Philadelphia Eagles’ owner. Last year was supposed to be the season that the Jaguars had a legitimate chance to win the AFC South, which is the worst division in the NFL. Owner Shad Khan said after the 2015 season that a winning record in 2016 was “everybody’s reasonable expectation.” This is not a talent-poor roster. On the contrary, the defensive depth chart is impressive, led by rookie cornerback Jalen Ramsey. The team’s young receiver trio of Allen Robinson, Allen Hurns and Marqise Lee can make big plays if QB Bortles gives them a chance.New Coach Isn’t New
As a result of Bradley’s firing, Jacksonville turned to Doug Marrone in the final two games for Bradley as interim coach and the team went 1-1. Apparently, he made enough of an impression on the front office during those two weeks as Marrone go the full-time job. Marrone previously coached the Bills from 2013-14, going 15-17. In reality, going from Bradley to Marrone really doesn’t seem like a significant change, even if the two have completely different backgrounds and skill sets. Above all, the Jags also brought back former coach Tom Coughlin to run the front office, although GM David Caldwell is still around. All three contracts will run through 2019.It’s All On Bortles
My reasoning for the Jags improving last year was because Blake Bortles was much better in 2015 than he was as a rookie. For instance, Bortles set single-season franchise records for passing yards (4,428) and passing touchdowns (35) in 2015. At the present time, it appeared the Jaguars had finally found a franchise quarterback for the first time since Mark Brunell. However, Bortles regressed in 2016. For example, he completed 58.9 percent of his passes for 3,905 yards and 23 touchdowns with 16 interceptions, including three returned for touchdowns to give him 11 in his career. Bortles also suffered a Grade 1 sprained right AC joint midway through the season, aggravated it five weeks later, and also dealt with tendinitis in his right wrist. Bortles’ mechanics were also a mess, too. Hence his footwork got sloppy and his delivery was out of whack.Fournette For Rookie Of Year?
To take some pressure off Bortles, the Jaguars are likely to run more this year behind rookie Leonard Fournette, the No. 4 overall pick. The rookie didn’t get an immediate declaration from Marrone that he would be the starter, but there will be no hiding the fact that Fournette is the clear No. 1 coming out of training camp. He is also accustomed to running with a fullback from his days at LSU, and the Jaguars are accommodating as well with either former Jets lead blocker Tommy Bohanon or rookie seventh- rounder Marquez Williams. Fournette weighed 240 pounds at the 2017 NFL Combine and ran the fastest 40-yard dash in combine history for anyone his size — 4.51 seconds. He then shed 12 pounds and got down to 228 at his pro day. Coughlin said Fournette is the special play-maker the Jaguars need. “We need to put the ball in the end zone,” Coughlin said. “This guy (Fournette) will put the ball in the end zone for us.”
