NFL Playoffs Set: Jaguars Eliminated, Steelers and Bills In

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NASHVILLE – The Jaguars were in a must-win situation on the road against division rival, the Tennessee Titans. While many might’ve assumed it would be an easy walk in the park, it wasn’t that simple. This team dealt with too many injuries and quarterback Trevor Lawrence clearly wasn’t 100 percent healthy. Although the Jaguars put up a good fight, the Titans still won 28-20. The Jaguars were officially eliminated from playoff contention.

It’s a stunning turn of events no matter the perspective. A fearsome team that was once 8-3 and had a serious run to at least advance to the Super Bowl suddenly ran into too many injuries and inconsistent performances. In the end, the once 8-3 Jaguars lost five out of the last six games. The Jaguars lost 34-31 to the Cincinnati Bengals in overtime, 31-27 to the Browns, 23-7 to the Baltimore Ravens, 30-12 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, won 26-0 against the Carolina Panthers then lost to the Tennessee Titans 28-20. Lawrence dealt with a painful right shoulder injury and the Jaguars didn’t have Receiver Christian Kirk out on the field due to an injury.

Let’s look at it from this perspective. The much younger Houston Texans drafted rookie quarterback CJ Stroud with the second overall pick as well as stud wide receiver Tank Dell in the 2023 NFL Draft. What looked like an obvious rebuild with little expectations turned into a 10-7 season with a Wild Card against the Cleveland Browns.

The obvious frontrunner didn’t make it into the postseason. The Jaguars joined the Cincinnati Bengals as the only other pre-season division favorite, to miss the playoffs. Both teams dealt with injuries and inconsistent performances.

The 2024 playoffs feature a few surprises such as Houston and Cleveland advancing. The Browns had a nearly impossible road to the playoffs considering the five-plus season-ending injuries to the team suffered this year. Players such as right tackle Jack Conklin, running back Nick Chubb, left tackle Jedrick Wills, and quarterback DeShaun Watson all suffered season-ending injuries. Yet, with all the depth, this team is a dark horse to win the AFC. Houston is another dark horse with Stroud at the helm. Stroud started almost every game for Houston. He passed for 4,108 yards, 23 touchdowns and only five interceptions.

Joining these two dark horses is the defensive juggernaut Pittsburgh Steelers, another team that wasn’t quite expected to make the playoffs. Then again, how many times were the Steelers counted out in general conversations during the early parts of the season? This is just a familiar refrain by now.

The Detroit Lions are also a surprise team that not many could’ve expected to see in the post-season. It’ll be interesting to see how far this team advances.

Playoff Schedule

AFC

#1 Baltimore (Bye Week)

#2 Buffalo Bills vs #7 Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday January 14th 1:00 P.M. Eastern time – CBS

#3 Kansas City Chiefs vs #6 Miami Dolphins Saturday January 14th 8:00 P.M. Eastern time- Peacock

#4 Houston Texans vs #5 Cleveland Browns Saturday January 13th 4:30 P.M. Eastern time – NBC

NFC

#1 San Francisco 49ers (Bye Week)

#2 Dallas Cowboys vs #7 Green Bay Packers Sunday January 14th 4:30 P.M. Eastern time- FOX

#3 Detroit Lions vs #6 Los Angeles Rams – Sunday January 14th 8:00 P.M. Eastern time- NBC

#4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs #5 Philadelphia Eagles Monday January 15th 8:00 P.M. Eastern time – ESP