As we approach Thanksgiving, the Jaguars sit a top the AFC's Wild Card standings. During the summer we tempered our expectations and figured it would be a long year of rebuilding with the focus on a strong team in 2010. The first two games seemingly confirmed that with a close loss to the Colts followed by a blowout against Arizona.
Following a stretch that included losses with scores 41-0 and 30-13, it was assumed the Jaguars were simply not good enough to make any kind of run this year. However, the Jaguars have caught fire since then winning three straight to control their own playoff destiny.
The turnaround has not gone unnoticed by the national media, several of which have pegged Jack Del Rio as either a strong contender or their choice for Coach of the Year this year. Jack certainly deserves a good amount of credit for the turnaround job this season. He has gotten the players to buy in and has kept things afloat when it seemed this season looked lost. However, I still can't helped but be bugged by it.
If I had to pick an article that I'm the most proud of, it would be this piece I wrote back in July discussing the pros and cons of Jack's tenure as head coach.
All of the hallmarks of that article are quite present in this team. We are still a schizophrenic bunch that is capable of imploding or exploding week after week. However, this team has never quit and has found a way to be ahead of the two participant's in last year's AFC championship game.
All I can say is this, just as I'm amazed I can say the Jaguars lead the Wild Card race, I never thought I would type Jack Del Rio and Coach of the Year in the same sentence.
-Jonathan Loesche