There is absolutely no reason the Jaguars should lose to the Jets today

The Jacksonville Jaguars are statistically a damn good football team through the first three games.

First in yards given up per play on defense.

First in sacks.

First in fumbles recovered.

First in sacks allowed.

Second in turnover differential.

Third in turnovers.

Fifth in points scored on offense.

Sixth in rushing yards.

The New York Jets are a team about a week removed from us being sure they were tanking — a 38-year-old Josh McCown is throwing to receivers you’d be hard-pressed to name, handing off to Bilal Powell, backed up by a defense headlined by youth, potential, and inexperience.

Their starting running back is out. Their starting right tackle is doubtful. One of their starting outside linebackers is in doubt as well. Mo Wilkerson might not play.

The defense is limping and the offense is one-dimensional. I will put this as plainly as I possibly can:

There is absolutely no reason the Jaguars should lose to the Jets today.

This is a franchise, especially an offense, looking for some stability. They will have every opportunity today to claim it. Even the ceiling of this Jets team isn’t good enough to stop this current Jaguars team if we execute well.

But...

This Jaguars team is not to the point where we should expect wins against teams we should beat. They’re just not. Hope, sure. Until this team shows it can win the games it should, why should we expect it will?

But if we can go up to New York, play our game, and come back with a win, we’ll be one step closer to climbing out of the NFL’s basement. Unfortunately, that’s where we are. There are teams in this league that win nine out of 10 games they should. The Jaguars have been the opposite this past decade, snatching defeat from the jaws of victory and relying largely on flukes or others’ mistakes (or both) to win.

I want to expect a win, but the best I can do is hope. But if the Jaguars lose today, it’ll be harder to expect wins against weaker opponents later.

Go kick their ass today, Jaguars.