Yes, you're reading that right. As of Wednesday, November 8th, 2017, the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Tennessee Titans are in the position to play an NFL playoff game against one another. Does that not sound insane?
There has to be something wrong here, right?
There's no way the Jaguars and the Titans, two of the worst teams to play the sport, are playing winning football. And despite how crazy this sounds, it's true. These two teams are playing competitive football and they're managing to win games. Both teams sit at 5-3 and tied atop the once lowly AFC South. But, to me, this potential game signifies something else. This could be the start of overturning in the NFL that has been needed for a long time.
For years, the NFL has been defined by 6 or maybe 7 teams constantly exchanging championships between one another. The Packers, Patriots, Steelers, and Seahawks have run the league for years now.
There's a team that can surprise every now and then, but that happens too few and far between. Because of this consistent dominance, the NFL has become a too predictable. Rarely do teams improve in the offseason, and there is very little roster turnover.
That's what makes the NBA so great despite having a virtually guaranteed champion. Teams get better every year or a superstar changes teams. That's what makes the NBA better than the NFL. Teams constantly change and get better, and that's extremely hard to find in the NFL.
You go into the NFL season thinking that the same teams are going to win it all, and they usually do. That might just be changing though.
The Titans and the Jaguars are both hoping to become the next team to beat, but until they get there, they'll live under the shadow of their pasts. And in their pasts, these were two teams defined by losing.
But as Marcus Mariota keeps throwing touchdown passes and Calais Campbell keeps getting sacks, these teams are ready to welcome themselves into playoff football for the first time in years. Tennessee has benefited from a light schedule, but they've managed to hold on to late leads multiple times.
Simply put, they know how to win late. And good teams know how to win late. With a weak schedule for the rest of the season, Tennessee has one of the best shots to win the AFC South.
On the other side of this game, the Jacksonville Jaguars are loaded on the defensive side of the ball. From Calais to Jalen Ramsey to Talvin Smith, they have a ridiculous number of ballhawks and attackers on that crew.
With a manageable offense led by rookie running back Leonard Fournette, they've exceeded all expectations en route to a 5-3 record of their own. They hold the best win out of the two teams with a 30-9 dismantling of the Steelers and have a weak schedule as well.
One that includes a week 17 matchup against the Titans, as it could decide who gets home-field advantage in this potential playoff game.
As this potential game gets closer and closer, the NFL could only get more excited about it. While there will be people who think this game will be boring, dull or not worth it, it's only the opposite that reigns true.
A Titans-Jaguars playoff game could be exactly what the NFL needs in order to gain some real parity for the league. This could hopefully be the first step into an NFL filled with Goff-Wentz Superbowl matchups and Jalen Ramsey taking on Antonio Brown for a full 60 minutes of playoff football.
Change is coming for the NFL, and it can't get here soon enough.
