The Jacksonville Jaguars haven’t won a lot lately, which is why their run in 2017 took may by surprise. But even if they were an established winner like in the late 90s, they were still underdogs.
That’s exactly why they made CBS Sports’ list of unlikely playoff teams twice. The 2017 Jags were the first team on the list after coming in at the No. 8 spot.
Here is what analyst Jeff Kerr had to say about the group that became known as “Sacksonville.”
The Jaguars earned the reputation of “Sack-sonville” after finishing second in the NFL with 55 sacks on the year. Jalen Ramsey and Calais Campbell were first-team All-Pros and Malik Jackson, Yannick Ngakoue, Telvin Smith, and A.J. Bouye earned Pro Bowl berths. The defense allowed the second-fewest points (16.8) and the fewest passing yards (169.9) — ranking in the top-five in every major pass defense category.
Then there was Blake Bortles, who threw for 3,687 yards and 21 touchdowns (84.7 rating) in his best season. Jacksonville’s leading receiver was Keelan Cole (748 yards, three touchdowns), while Leonard Fournette rushed for 1,040 yards and nine scores in his rookie season. The offense finished fifth (26.1) in points per game and sixth in total yards (365.9).
The 2017 season was unforgettable as the front office put it all together in the offseason. With Tom Coughlin joining the mix, general manager Dave Caldwell then put together a fantastic free agency class that included Calais Campbell and A.J. Bouye. He added that with notables who were already on the team like Jalen Ramsey, Malik Jackson, Yannick Ngakoue, and Paul Posluszny, to name a few.
All of those moves led to the construction of one of the best defenses ever created within the past decade. The team also had some players on the offensive side who were talented, too, like Leonard Fournette and Allen Robinson (although he missed the season with an ACL tear).
Unfortunately, the Jags mixed a lot of the wrong people both on the front office and player levels, and it all imploded. As a result, the success was short-lived, and the 2017 Jags were a one-hit-wonder.
As for the second team to make the list, the 1996 Jags were slotted at the No. 2 spot.
A second-year football team made its conference championship game? How in the world did that happen? The Jaguars and Carolina Panthers both made their respective conference championship games in 1996, but the Jaguars’ run was more improbable.
Handed the reins as the franchise quarterback, Mark Brunell made the Pro Bowl — throwing for 4,367 yards with 19 touchdowns and 20 interceptions (84.0 rating). Jimmy Smith and Keenan McCardell were the best kept secrets in football, as Smith had 1,244 receiving yards while McCardell finished with 1,129 (and a Pro Bowl appearance). Tony Boselli was excellent on the offensive line, making the first of five straight Pro Bowls.
The 1996 Jags were a team full of underrated talent, and they were able to put it all together after a 4-7 start, which eventually turned into a 9-7 regular- season record. Now looking at it in hindsight, it’s easy to see why they had the talent to do so as Tony Boselli is now the first Jaguar to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, and people have made cases for Jimmy Smith and Coughlin, who coached the 1996 Jags to be in there, too.
When the Jags made the postseason, they were able to knock off two teams who were better than them, starting with the Buffalo Bills, then the Denver Broncos in the following round. All of the aforementioned names in the article played a huge role in those victories and solidified themselves in Jags’ history that postseason.
The current Jags are projected to win six games by many in the football community. However, with a coach like Doug Pederson, they have a chance to shock some and potentially take identical paths to the postseason as the 201 and 1999 Jags did.
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