Can the Jaguars avoid a near fatal 0-3 start?
Believe it or not, but as the Jaguars sit at 0-2 heading into Monday night’s game at Buffalo, history says their playoff hopes are already bleak. Since 2015, 74 NFL teams have started 0-2 and only eight (10.8%) have made the playoffs. The Bengals did it in 2022 and the Texans did it last year, so it can be done, but the alternative is nearly fatal.
Since 1990, 164 NFL teams have started 0-3 and only four (2.5%) have rallied to make the postseason. An 0-3 hole would all but guarantee that Jacksonville will miss the playoffs for a second straight year and sixth time in the last seven seasons. The last team to climb back from an 0-3 start and make the playoffs? The Texans in 2018.
Can Trevor Lawrence get back in the win column?
Obviously, if the Jaguars plan to get their season back on track, it starts with their quarterback. Trevor Lawrence, who inked a five-year, $275 million contract extension in June, has lost his last seven starts. The 2021 No. 1 pick has hardly looked like a franchise quarterback during this span, throwing 10 touchdowns against seven interceptions. Lawrence must be better, though he shouldn’t shoulder all of the blame. It’s no secret that the Jaguars’ offensive line hasn’t really held up its end of the bargain, allowing Lawrence to be sacked 17 times in his last seven starts. If the team wants Lawrence to return to a Pro Bowl level of play, it also needs to give him time to operate against the Bills.
Homecoming for Morse and Davis
Monday night’s matchup between the Jaguars and Bills at Highmark Stadium will serve as a homecoming for Jacksonville center Mitch Morse and wide receiver Gabe Davis. Morse started 77 games for the Bills over the last five years before joining the Jaguars. Davis was drafted in the fourth round by the Bills in 2020 and totaled 163 catches for 2,835 yards and 27 touchdowns in 64 games with Buffalo. Morse and Davis were integral parts of the Bills’ current four-year reign as the AFC East champs.
