What Record Does Sports Illustrated Predict For the Jaguars in 2024?

A year after the Jacksonville Jaguars had one of the worst late-season collapses in franchise history, the Jaguars are hoping to put the narrative of the past behind them.

The Jaguars, who went 9-8 and missed the playoffs last year after starting 8-3 and losing five of their last six games, are entering 2024 with legitimate optimism. There is hope that the lessons and stings from 2024, along with aquired pieces in free agency and the draft and the hire of defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen, can help the Jaguars find the playoffs again.

A year after the Jaguars struggled under the bright lights, Sports Illustrated's Matt Verderame predicts a 10-7 record for the Jaguars. Such a record would mean a playoff spot for the Jaguars, which would be their second such apperance in three seasons.

"The Jaguars are looking to bounce back after falling apart after an 8–3 start in 2023. For Jacksonville, it has a second-place schedule, including games with the Eagles, Raiders and Browns. If the Jaguars are going to overtake Houston and win the AFC South crown, winning at least two of those three games is paramount," Verderame said.

Verderame has the Jaguars finishing second in the AFC South and one game behind the 11-6 Houston Texans. The Indianapolis Colts (8-9) and Tennessee Titans (5-11) both trail behind them. The 10-7 record would also tie the Jaguars with the Buffalo Bills for the fifth-most in the AFC in Verderame's projections.

“Yeah, as a coach, you’re hopeful that’s the motivation. The way we finished the last month and a half is not our standard and it’s not what we talk about," Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said in March at the league meetings in Orlando.

"It goes against everything we talk about, really. We still had opportunities all the way to the 18th week of the regular season. We’re there at the end, we just got to figure out a way to push through that envelope and be there and credit to Houston, they battled their tails off all year. They were much like us a year ago in ’22. We had to battle our tails off to get to where we got to. A credit to DeMeco [Texans Head Coach DeMeco Ryans] and his staff and those players in Houston for winning the division the way they did.”