After finishing 4-13 last year and failing to make the playoffs in back-to-back seasons, the Jacksonville Jaguars knew they needed to make significant changes to the way they did things. And they did precisely that. Aside from cleaning house and bringing in a new regime, they gave the roster a massive overhaul. But despite the upgrade across the board, it looks like the Jags didn't do enough, at least in the eyes of an NFL analyst, to qualify for the postseason in 2025.
Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz of USA TODAY Sports ranked all NFL teams from most to least entertaining ahead of 2025 and placed the Jags at No. 22, pointing out that they're trending in the right direction but will ultimately come up short of the playoffs.
"First-year head coach Liam Coen's savvy play designs could unlock something special for Trevor Lawrence, burgeoning superstar Brian Thomas Jr., and two-way standout Travis Hunter," Middlehurst-Schwartz wrote. "Meanwhile, new general manager James Gladstone has vowed to assemble a defense that's 'urgent and explosive.' Rapid change seems within reach for a team that had 10 losses in one-score games-setting a record in Super Bowl era - but there may not be enough along either line for the version to truly take hold in Year 1 of the new regime."
All things considered, Middlehurts-Schwartz makes a few compelling points. Liam Coen's scheme and coaching will be a breath of fresh air for a team that had one of the least imaginative offenses in the NFL last season.
Moreover, Lawrence and budding star Brian Thomas Jr. will benefit from the addition of Travis Hunter and Dyami Brown to the wide receiver corps. It will also help that the team's brass beefed up the offensive line, and No. 16 will now have more time to throw. Similarly, the backfield trio of Bhayshul Tuten, Tank Bigsby, and Travis Etienne should find more open lanes and opportunities to break off big runs.
On defense, all positions got reinforcements in the offseason, and there's nowhere to go but up after a lackluster 2024. With Anthony Campanile now at the helm, nothing is impeding the unit from experiencing a surge. Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen are back at their playing weight after being asked to bulk up last year. Arik Armstead will also switch back to defensive tackle after mostly lining up on the edge last season.
Having said that, it's easy to understand Middlehurst-Schwartz's skepticism. Lawrence has been inconsistent, while Coen has never held the position at the NFL level. Couple that with the fact that both the coaching staff and the roster are filled with inexperience, and it's easy to picture Jacksonville just falling short of the playoffs.
The Jaguars have the pieces to be a fun team (but many things will need to go their way)
Focusing on the fun factor, the Jacksonville Jaguars should be significantly more entertaining in 2025. Liam Coen will surely go through bumps on the road as he gets a good grasp of the job. However, he appears to have a willingness to adapt and listen to his players, something his predecessor, Doug Pederson, failed to do.
Coen's approach most definitely will make practices and classroom learning feel less heavy. That will carry over onto the field, where players will perform to the best of their capabilities. Granted, this is just guesswork, but the Jags showed enough progress in the offseason to make you think that Coen could get the team going right off the bat.
Of course, the Jaguars have their work cut out. They'll need several underperforming players, including Trevor Lawrence, to bounce back in 205. Similarly, the front office's roster additions will need to pan out. Simply put, many things will need to go Jacksonville's way to make a playoff push. Middlehurst-Schwartz doesn't think they'll pull it off, but nobody should bat an eye if the Jags are playing meaningful football in January.
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