Cats Making NFL Playoff Pushes

By: Michael A. Chase Jr.

01/06/2023 

For the Jacksonville Jaguars and Detroit Lions this has been a year of much initial failure that transformed into one that featured terrific playoff pushes for both teams. Now, both squads go into the upcoming final NFL weekend with a chance to punch their playoff tickets with victories. TUSV will look at the Jaguars and Lions' late-season runs to the edge of playoff qualification, describing the main reasons behind each squad’s turnaround and growth.

The late-season pushes by these two teams have been fueled by what is always the case in the NFL – quality quarterback play. Both Jacksonville and Detroit have gotten stellar play from their signal-callers, aiding their surges up the standings.

Jaguars Factors

After a trying rookie season for quarterback Trevor Lawrence due to a bevy of reasons, he has looked every bit of a first-overall pick during this postseason push for the Jaguars. The Jaguars are 8-8 and have won 4 straight to put themselves a week 18 victory over the Tennessee Titans away from a playoff berth and division title. Lawrence's maturation has been noticeable in year two, passing for 3,901 yards, rushed for 294 yards, and accumulated 29 total touchdowns coming into week 18. He’s managed this while displaying constant growth in his understanding of how to read defenses and manage games. The development of Trevor Lawrence has truly been crucial to Jacksonville's turnaround and has them set up to be a dangerous threat if they secure a postseason spot.

The next major contributor to the Jaguars' surge has been the health of running back Travis Etienne. His return to the field has added a massive jolt to this Jaguars' offense, as he has rushed for 1,108 yards and 5 touchdowns while providing explosiveness from the position that the team has not seen since the days of Maurice Jones-Drew. Add in his effectiveness as a pass catcher and he has proven to be a perfect balancer to Lawrence and the passing attack that has led to this offense being 11th in points per game.

The final factor that has led to the Jags' surge is the impact of their offseason additions both at head coach and on the roster. It’s clear to see that head coach Doug Pederson has changed the culture in Jacksonville very quickly, turning around a team coming off a debacle of a situation with former coach Urban Meyer. He has breathed life back into a team that looked rudderless most of last season and has been a huge part of the development of Trevor Lawrence. Pederson has brought his Super Bowl pedigree to a Super Bowl-less franchise and has quickly put them back on an upward trajectory. As for the impact of the team's offseason additions – the Jags have gotten great production from free agents and rookies alike. Whether it’s Christian Kirk becoming an instant 1,000-yard receiver, guard Brandon Scherff solidifying the offensive line, or rookies like linebacker Devin Lloyd, safety Andre Cisco, and defensive end Trayvon Walker all contributing heavily to a young defense. In an offseason where many of their moves were questioned, it is safe to say now, they all worked out to have the Jags one win from quite the one-year transition.

Lions Factors

In his second year in Detroit following his departure from the Los Angeles Rams, Jared Goff has helped put the Lions in a position to make the playoffs for the first time since 2016. Detroit is 8-8, having won 7 of their last 9 games to being just a win versus the Packers and a Seattle loss from reaching postseason play. Jared Goff has found comfort within Detroit's system and is putting up arguably the best numbers of his NFL career – posting 4,214 yards, 29 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions on the year, and doing an excellent job spreading the ball around to a host of pass catchers. His clear comfort within the system and confidence as a leader this season are welcomed sights for the Lions. The only downside of his performance is it that it is sure to make Detroit's future decisions at quarterback that much more difficult.

The next major factor to the Lions' surge is the offense itself, which has taken many by surprise with how explosive it is. Now outside of 2nd-year stud receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and running back Deandre Swift, there are few household names on this unit that are lighting up the league. Yet head coach Dan Campbell and offensive coordinator Ben Johnson have created an offense that is 5th in points per game, while also being 8th in pass yards per game and 11th in rush yards per game. The one-year turnaround their offense has seen is incredible and the fact they have done this without their first-round pick Jameson Williams for most of the season is commendable. Now we will see if this unit can overwhelm a surging Packers defense and get themselves into the postseason.

The final factor to highlight are the major contributions the Lions' defense has gotten from rookies this year. While throughout the year they have been the worst defense in the NFL, they have nonetheless made small strides towards improving their play. The major development of some of Detroit's rookies has been huge to a unit starting to make those subtle strides. Second overall pick defensive end Aiden Hutchinson has been the instant difference maker they had hoped for, compiling 7.5 sacks and 3 interceptions to this point, and making huge plays in big wins throughout the season. Even still, you also have unheralded newcomers like defensive back Kerby Joseph and linebacker James Houston providing major boosts. Joseph is tied for the team lead in interceptions with three, while Houston shockingly leads the Lions with eight sacks. Having this type of significant production from young players on defense bodes well the Lions’ current and future chances.

In all, the Jaguars and Lions have gone from staring a disappointing season in the face to standing on the doorstep of the postseason dance. Now we'll get to see if these two young teams can complete these late-season runs and punch their playoff ticket. If so, we’ll have a couple of Cats ready to wreak some havoc in the 2023 NFL playoffs.