By Darryl Slater | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
The Jaguars are on the doorstep of the Super Bowl, entering Sunday's AFC Championship Game at the Patriots. So can the Jets in 2018 do what the Jaguars did in 2017, when they pulled off a remarkable turnaround from 2016? It is possible. Let's take a look at some keys for the Jets, in order to accomplish a potential run to the AFC title game.
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AP Photo
Remember, before the 2017 season, the Jaguars hadn't reached the playoffs since 2007. In their previous five seasons, they won three, five, three, four, and two games. So even as the Jets lick their wounds from a second straight 5-11 season, they surely can see that a massive turnaround is possible.
CREATE A DOMINANT DEFENSE
It's no secret how the Jaguars are winning games, and how they went 10-6 this season. It's their defense. The Jaguars finished 2017 ranked first in Football Outsiders' defensive DVOA ratings. Todd Bowles is a defensive-minded head coach, so with the right (talented) players in place, can he build something similar with the Jets? Bowles' defense this season finished just 18th in DVOA. Not good enough when you don't have a successful offense, either.
GET COMPETENT QUARTERBACK PLAY
This year has proven that you don't need the next Tom Brady to push for a Super Bowl. Just look at what the Jaguars have done with Blake Bortles. The Jets this offseason absolutely must go out and get a competent quarterback, either in free agency or the draft. Kirk Cousins is certainly good enough, with the right talent around him, to lead a team to the AFC title game, like Bortles has done (thanks largely to his defense). But Bortles himself is better than last season, too. He has boosted his quarterback rating from 78.8 to 84.7. He isn't an elite quarterback, but he's been just fine for the Jaguars this season.
HAVE CONTINUED COACHING STEADINESS
Doug Marrone has brought coaching competence and stability to the Jaguars, in just his first full season as their head man. Bowles has the right, even-keel demeanor to be a successful NFL coach. Rex Ryan's approach worked at times, but ultimately proved too unstable. The issue with Bowles, of course, isn't how he gets too emotional during tight, in-game situations. It's his curious-at-times decision making in those big spots.
SPEND WISELY IN FREE AGENCY
This one is on Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan. The Jaguars made key free agency pickups like cornerback A.J. Bouye last offseason. (Side note: It's pretty darn important in today's NFL to have a shutdown corner.) The No. 1 corner spot is just one position Maccagnan could attack in free agency this offseason. But he can ill afford to spend big and have a contract flop, like Darrelle Revis and Muhammad Wilkerson. Should Jets fans trust Maccagnan to make a big-ticket acquisition or two in free agency? They don't have a choice.
GET AN IMPRESSIVE RUNNING BACK
Bilal Powell and Eli McGuire are fine running backs, but not stars. Matt Forte surely is a goner this offseason. So the Jets — in free agency or the draft — need to add a dynamic running back. Could Saquon Barkley be a draft option for them if they sign Cousins? Just look at what Leonard Fournette was able to do for the Jaguars this season — as a rookie, no less. He ran for 1,040 yards and nine touchdowns. He ranked fifth in the NFL with 80 yards per game. The Jets have to get a back like him. It helps make up for inconsistent quarterback play.
USE DOUBTS AS MOTIVATION
The Jaguars have done a great job of this lately, and the Jets were no doubt fueled in 2017 by preseason speculation that they could go 0-16. They didn't go 0-16, of course. But five wins for the second straight year isn't a huge consolation prize. Now it's time for the Jets — like the Jaguars in 2017 — to take that "us against the world" mindset to the next level. Time for the Jets to prove doubters wrong and actually push for the playoffs. Nobody will peg the Jets for 0-16 in 2018. Expectations will be higher, as they should be.
HAVE A STRONG SECOND HALF
Teams that make deep playoff runs often close out the regular season well. And that was the case for the Jaguars this season. Yes, they lost their final two games and went 3-2 in December, which is a critical month in the NFL. But in their nine games after their bye, the Jaguars went 6-3, with a pair of three-game winning streaks. They were able to emerge successfully from their bye week, and they took care of business at home. They went 5-0 in Jacksonville after the bye week. Good stuff.
GET A LITTLE LUCKY
Look, it takes a little luck for any team with a quarterback like Bortles to go 10-6 and reach the AFC title game. And the Jets will still be a young group in 2018, one that isn't completely used to finishing off games and winning on a consistent basis. And that's OK. The Jets will have to find their footing and find their way through the early stages of 2018. Nobody would blame them if they stumbled into some good fortune along the way. It often takes good fortune to help produce a special season.
Darryl Slater may be reached at dslater@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @DarrylSlater. Find NJ.com Jets on Facebook.
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