JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Doug Pederson does his best to remind players to live in the moment and not look past it.
Sometimes, that’s easier said than done.
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With six games left, the Jaguars (8-3) are in the driver’s seat of the AFC South and beginning the put things together consistently. They’re coming off back-to-back strong performances, division wins over the Titans and Texans, and head into their first Monday night football date since 2011 next week against the Bengals riding a wave of momentum.
While the national narrative about the Jaguars remains lukewarm, Jacksonville’s 24-21 win over Houston puts it firmly in control of its playoff destiny. For Pederson and the Jaguars, they’re focused on one day at a time, but the growth has been notable.
“I’ll tell you this the deeper into the season we get, I think the better we play as a football team. It’s really easier for me to keep the guys focused and keep their attention to detail,” Pederson said.
“This time of year, too, there’s a lot of speculation and talk of playoff picture and seedings and all that stuff. That generates a little bit of interest there. Even though we don’t look past the week we’re in, you can’t help yourself but listening to the outside noise and the media talk about that.”
Just how significant was that win over Houston?
The Jaguars now have a 98% chance of making the playoffs, and a 92% chance of winning the division, according to ESPN Analytics. The Texans are at 53% and 5%, respectively, after the loss.
While it remains a longer shot, Jacksonville is also at least in the conversation alongside the Chiefs, Dolphins and Ravens for the No. 1 overall seed in the AFC, a perk that comes with a first-round bye and homefield advantage in the playoffs. They’ve won seven of their last eight games.
At this point last season, Jacksonville was 4-7 and heading into a week where it got pasted 40-14 by Detroit. The Jaguars won their final six games and snatched the AFC South title away from Tennessee in Week 18. Now, Jacksonville is on the other side of the ditch, the frontrunner with a shot at winning back-to-back division titles for just the second time in franchise history.
Quarterback Trevor Lawrence has stacked strong games together, accounting for six touchdowns across those two outings. Calvin Ridley has gotten going in that span (15 catches, 191 yards, 3 TDs, two-point conversion) and the offensive line hasn’t given up a sack.
Against Houston, a team it lost to badly in Week 3, Jacksonville dialed up a constant pass rush against red-hot rookie C.J. Stroud and seldom let him get comfortable in the pocket. While Stroud had success moving around and stretching plays with his legs, the Jaguars turned in a very strong performance against an offense that had been one of the league’s best.
Edge Josh Allen had another breakout game, including a career-high 12 pressures, according to Next Gen Stats. Eight of those were against Laremy Tunsil, one of the league’s best tackles and a Columbia High School graduate.
Allen had 1.5 sacks for 24 yards in losses on Houston’s final drive. Considering that Matt Ammendola’s 58-yard field goal was short by no more than a couple feet, those plays were a game-changer. He has 12 sacks this season, also a career-high, and seems positioned to break Calais Campbell’s single-season franchise record of 14.5.
“For us, this is what I appreciate about our guys, they really stay in the moment, they stay in the present. They just focus on the task at hand and that’s just getting better this week,” Pederson said. “It’s fun when you’re winning, because you want to continue to play more games and continue to win and have success. The minute you let up, look into the future a little bit, is when you get beat. It’s my job to make sure that the guys stay locked in and present.”
The next step comes Monday against the Joe Burrow-less Bengals, who are a 7.5-point underdog against the Jaguars. Jacksonville hasn’t played on Monday night since Dec. 5, 2011, a 38-14 loss to the Chargers.
“It’s obviously exciting, it’s great for our organization and franchise and for our players to be in the national spotlight on a Monday night. We’re fortunate to have a home game in front of our fans,” Pederson said.
“It’s always an electric moment, it’s very exciting to be a part of these games. We’ll have conversations this week, it’s really just approaching it the same, learning to control your emotions. I want the guys to feel relaxed, but at the same time, continue to have that edge that we’ve had the last couple of weeks.”