With the Tennessee Titans losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday Night Football and moving to 6-4 on the season, the Jaguars now are sitting in first place in the AFC South. It’s the first time the Jaguars have had at least a share of first place in the division since 2002, but with a win against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, Jacksonville can move into sole possession of first place in the division and officially hold a 1-game lead over the Titans.
While the Jaguars are sitting in first place in the AFC South, they’re currently the No. 3 seed in the AFC playoff race behind the New England Patriots and the Pittsburgh Steelers, but of which sit as the No. 1 and No. 2 seed, respectively, and currently hold a first round bye. The Jaguars in the current scenario would host their first playoff game since 1999, however, so it’s still a big deal even if they’re playing on the first week of the NFL Playoffs.
The Jaguars have been in the “hunt” for the playoffs a few times in the last decade, but most of the time you could tell that it was inevitable they would fall off and miss out. This season however, sitting at 6-3 and hoping to move to 7-3 after a matchup with the 0-9 Browns, the Jaguars are in the driver’s seat and control their own destiny. Getting one game up on the Titans would be a huge advantage, considering the Jaguars have the second easiest schedule in the NFL remaining and their schedule parallels the Titans almost identically (Jags play the Seattle Seahawks, Titans play the Los Angeles Rams).
The Titans have been struggling lately and didn’t look good at all against the Steelers on Thursday, so it’s the perfect time for the Jaguars to put some distance between the two before their showdown in Nashville at the end of December.