JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – It may have felt like it long before now, but the Jaguars have been mathematically eliminated from the playoff race for the second consecutive season.
Jacksonville’s 23-20 loss to the Texans on Sunday, coupled with a win by the Chargers and a win by the Broncos officially eliminated the Jaguars from the playoffs. Jacksonville dropped to 2-10 with the loss, while both the Chargers (8-4) and Broncos (8-5) can finish no worse than 8-9.
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It’s been one of the most forgettable seasons in franchise history for the Jaguars, one that infamously began with the proclamation by owner Shad Khan during an in-house production by the Jaguars prior to the season that “this is the best team assembled by the Jacksonville Jaguars ever.” The 30th season has been a disaster from the start.
Jacksonville’s best team ever assembled is currently tied for the league’s worst record with the Raiders and Giants. The Jaguars currently own the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft due to strength of schedule, according to Tankathon.
The Jaguars have been racked by injuries, with starting receivers Christian Kirk and Gabe Davis both lost for the season. Head coach Doug Pederson has been unable to turn things around since Jacksonville started last year 8-3 and briefly held the No. 1 seed in the AFC. Khan handed out massive extensions in the offseason to edge Josh Hines-Allen, cornerback Tyson Campbell and quarterback Trevor Lawrence, and the team brought in high-priced players in free agency like Davis and defensive lineman Arik Armstead.
Lawrence has missed two full games with a shoulder injury and suffered a concussion in Sunday’s loss, his second in less than a year. There’s at least some consideration by the team in shutting Lawrence down for the remainder of the season.
The Raiders are riding a league-high eight-game losing streak. Jacksonville visits the Raiders on Dec. 22 in a game that could go a long way in determining that No. 1 pick.