The Jacksonville Jaguars have already clinched a playoff berth for the 2017 season, but on Sunday when they head to the west coast, they must avoid the potential trap game against the San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers matchup is a true trap game, as it’s on the road against a poor team following the Jaguars coming off a big divisional win, playoff berth, and with a showdown on the road against the Tennessee Titans the following week.
That is how trap games work, folks.
Picking the 49ers over the Jaguars on Sunday will probably be common, because it’s pretty ripe for an upset. Combined with those things I mentioned above, the 49ers have been playing really well since Jimmy Garoppolo took over as the starting quarterback. While Garoppolo has as many interceptions as touchdowns in his three starts, he’s also lead two late game winning drives and kept the 49ers in the game.
Now, the Jaguars are better than any of those teams during that three game stretch, but that’s why they’re called trap games.
You could also add another layer on Sunday if the Titans lose at home to the Los Angeles Rams, as the Jaguars will have locked up the AFC South division title before the game even kicks off. They’re still chasing the No. 2 seed and a first round bye, plus will have plenty of players looking to prove why the were 2018 Pro Bowl snubs (hello Yannick Ngakoue), so I don’t expect the Jaguars to sleepwalk through the game.