Two of the best teams in the National Football League meet this Sunday in Jacksonville when the Jaguars host the San Francisco 49ers. Both teams are in first place in their respective divisions, the Jaguars are two games ahead of the second place Houston Texans in the AFC South Division and the 49ers are tied for the top spot with the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC West Division.
The 49ers have been knocking on the door of a championship in recent seasons under the leadership of head coach Kyle Shanahan. Four years ago, the 49ers were in the Super Bowl, losing to the Kansas City Chiefs in a game that saw Andy Reid and company win the first title for the Hunt owned team in 50 years. Last season, the 49ers advanced to the NFC Championship Game and were derailed first by an injury to quarterback Brock Purdy and then the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Jaguars rise to prominence is more recent. Two and three seasons ago Jacksonville had the worst record in the league, but followed those two disappointing campaigns with strong drafts that included adding franchise quarterback Trevor Lawrence to their arsenal. The horrible season experienced by Jacksonville two years ago could be traced to the disastrous season orchestrated by their head coach, Urban Meyer.
Meyer had a brilliant career coaching college football, including three National Championships. He won a pair of titles with the Florida Gators in 2006 and 2008 and a third as head coach of the Ohio State Buckeyes in 2014. His pro coaching experience was not nearly as successful. His only season on the Jacksonville Jaguars sideline in 2021 was cut short with his firing and a record that was the worst in the NFL.
I still contend that the Jaguars fans should celebrate the horrible coaching job he did given he misused a stable of talent that included Lawrence and gave Jacksonville one more year of the top pick in the NFL draft.
The Jaguars put together strong drafts to stock a team that one-time Philadelphia Eagles head coach, Doug Pederson, was able to mold into a winner. In his first season on the Jaguars sideline, he guided them into the postseason and a playoff opening win over the Los Angeles Chargers. Pederson, who guided the Eagles to a victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII, is looking to become the first coach in NFL history to win a Super Bowl with two different teams.
When a team is horrible for a number of years and then jumps into the playoffs they often have a down year the following season. It is because while their bad records gave the team a chance to improve while pushed by the motivation to overcome losing years, the first winning season often leaves expectations above actual talent following their initial successful campaign.
So far, the 2023 Jaguars do not appear victims of overconfidence eroding their play on the field. Their four wins included victories over the Buffalo Bills in London and the Pittsburgh Steelers on the road. They also have had two weeks to prepare for their home encounter against the 49ers after enjoying their open date last weekend.
The 49ers also have had two weeks to prepare for this game, they too had their bye week during the Ninth Week of the NFL season.
While both teams have had an extra week to get ready for Sunday’s showdown, the 49ers lost three straight games heading into their bye week while the Jaguars are riding a five game winning streak.
Who do you think that favors?
Good teams often respond with big efforts against quality opponents after a loss. How do you think the 49ers will do after three losses and a week off?
Me too.
Qoxhi Picks: San Francisco 49ers (-3) over Jacksonville Jaguars