The Jacksonville Jaguars are once again a playoff team, ending a drought that went all the way back to the 2007 season.
Once the NFL’s laughingstock for performance on the field, the Jags have rebounded following yet another losing season in 2016 to become one of the best teams in the AFC.
Blake Bortles threw three touchdowns passes, including two to a reserve receiver who slept in his car earlier this season. The Jaguars won for the seventh time in eight games to clinch a postseason berth for the first time since 2007.
Bortles finished with a season-high 326 yards and the best QB rating (143.8) of his career, including 186 yards and a touchdown to rookie Keelan Cole. Primary punt returner Jaydon Mickens, who stepped in for injured starter Marqise Lee in the first quarter, caught four passes for 61 yards and two scores against the Texans (4-10).
It was a career day for Mickens, who reportedly spent nights in his car outside the team’s facility while on the practice squad earlier this season.
Now, for a change, he and his teammates will be getting playoff checks.
This is a huge step for Jacksonville. The Jaguars were an NFL-worst 22-74 over the previous six years, and despite picking high up in the draft each year, hadn’t really had much hope for a rebound season until this year.
Gus Bradley was fired one year ago Sunday, ironically following a close loss in Houston. Khan hired Tom Coughlin to oversee football decisions and made interim coach Doug Marrone, who had previously coached in Buffalo, the head coach. Coughlin and Marrone added several key players and changed the culture with a grueling offseason and training camp.
The Jags got off to an up-and-down start, but have hit their stride down the stretch.
Bortles has turned heads lately, with seven touchdown passes and no turnovers the last three games, all of which have been Jaguars’ wins. Cole and fellow rookie Dede Westbrook have been equally impressive.
The Jags played Sunday without rookie Leonard Fournette, who was inactive because of a sore right quadriceps muscle.
Jacksonville’s defense has been the glue all season and was dominant again, helping the Jags get out to a quick lead that the Texans could not come back from. Jacksonville led 31-0 for the biggest halftime lead in team history.
The defense had one lapse, when DeAndre Hopkins beat Jalen Ramsey for gains of 40 and 25 yards in the third quarter. The second one went for a touchdown. Hopkins, however, finished with only 4 catches for 80 yards.
T.J. Yates, making his first start since 2015, was mostly ineffective in place of Tom Savage (concussion). Yates completed 12 of 31 passes for 128 yards, with the TD and an interception. Yates had barely any time to analyze the defense after each and every snap, as he is playing behind arguably the worst offensive line in the league.