Last Updated on 01/09/2023 by てんしょく飯
The NFL, the world’s premier professional football league, played its final two games of the final 18 weeks of the 2022 regular season on January 7.
In the game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Tennessee Titans, the winner of which will advance to the playoffs by winning the AFC South Division, the Jaguars scored a TD (touchdown) on a big play by the defense in the 4th quarter to win the game.
The Jaguars finished the season with a 9-8 record and clinched their first district championship and playoff berth in five years.
NFL Week 18 Jacksonville Jaguars ○20-16● Tennessee Titans (January 7, 2023, TIAA Bank Field, Jacksonville, FL)
The Titans struck first with a 51-yard FG (field goal) by K Randy Bullock in the 1Q, followed by a 21-yard TD pass from QB Josh Dobbs to TE Chig Okonkwo in the 2Q.
The Jaguars followed with a 25-yard pass from QB Trevor Lawrence to WR Christian Kirk for a TD late in the 2Q, but the Titans scored on a 39-yard FG by Brock on the last play of the first half to go back up by 6 going into the half.
The Jaguars then added two more FGs, one by the Titans, and the Titans took a 3-point lead late in the 4th quarter. Titans QB Dobbs was pounced on by a blitzing Jaguars S Rayshawn Jenkins and fumble forced, recovered by OLB Josh Allen and returned for a reversal TD.
The Jaguars ran away with it and won the district championship. They were the 4th seed in the playoffs.
“Longhair” QB Lawrence grows up, doubles TD passes and cuts INTs in half.
The Jaguars were 1-15 two years ago and 3-14 last year, finishing last among the 32 NFL teams for the second year in a row. The Jaguars, who had been in a slump, made a joyful shout in front of their home fans at the end of the regular season.
The hero was Allen. The edge rusher, known by the same name as the Bills’ star QB, entered the 2019 draft in the first round. Two years later, QB Lawrence joined the team with the first overall pick in the first round. Allen, Lawrence, and DE Trevone Walker, who was taken first overall this spring, will be the future of the Jaguars.
Last year, the Jaguars were a lost cause. In his first year, QB Lawrence had a dismal 17 INTs (interceptions) and 12 TD passes. Lawrence, with his long hair and aristocratic appearance, won 46 straight games in high school in the three years after his sophomore year and went 38-2 at Clemson University. In the amateurs, the elite rarely experienced a losing season, but in the pros, he continued to suffer.
The Jaguars brought in Doug Pederson, a former Super Bowl winner with the Eagles at QB, as HC this season. Pederson’s experience with the Packers, where he was the backup to famed QB Brett Favre for many years, made him a good fit to mentor Lawrence.
Lawrence started all 17 games this season, passing for 4113 yards, 66.3% success rate, 25 TDs and 8 INTs; his success rate increased by 10%, more than doubling his TD passes and less than half his INTs.
Also significant was the return of RB Travis Etienne from injury. Etienne, who played three years with Lawrence at Clemson University, missed all of 2021 with a serious knee injury. This greatly affected Lawrence’s performance. Etienne helped Lawrence with 316 yards in pass receptions as well as 1125 yards in runs.
The reinforcements also hit the mark. WR Christian Kirk, acquired from the Cardinals, had 1108 yards and 8 TDs in pass receptions, WR Zay Jones, transferred from the Raiders, had 823 yards and 5 TDs, and TE Evan Ingram, joined from the Giants, had 766 yards and 4 TDs. The top three pass receiving players all started this season. members from this season.
Nevertheless, the team continued to struggle in the first half. They were 3-7 through Week 10. Both the team and the fans were in doubt, wondering if they would have another losing season or another double-digit loss.
The team was improving, but six of the seven losses were by one possession. Offensive decision-making was a problem.
Lawrence’s passing ability finally began to blossom in Week 12 after the bye week. He passed for 321 yards and 3 TDs against the Ravens, 364 yards and 3 TDs against the Titans in week 14, and 318 yards and 4 TDs against the Cowboys in week 15, high-scoring against a strong defense.
Lawrence’s decision making, especially on short passes, has improved, and he is now able to make passes over the middle as well. Lawrence passed for 1779 yards, 12 TDs, and 2 INTs in 7 games after the bye.
The team went 6-1 in the second half of the seven games. They ended the official season with five straight wins.
The Bengals, who were 2-14 in 2019 and in last place in the NFL, broke the losing streak by selecting QB Joe Burrow with the first overall pick. Two years later, they went 10-7 and won the district championship. They also made a god-like run in the playoffs and made it to the Super Bowl.
In 2020, they finished last in the league with a 1-15 record, picked Lawrence first overall, and won the district two years later with a 9-8 record. What lies ahead for the Jaguars, who so far are following the same path as the Bengals. Only the football gods know.
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The AFC playoffs have six teams. The six teams have been selected for the AFC playoffs: No. 1 seed: Chiefs, Bills, Bengals, No. 4 seed: Jaguars, Chargers and Ravens.
The Patriots, Dolphins, and Steelers will vie for the remaining one slot, the seventh seed. The requirements to make the playoffs will be as follows for each team.
■ Patriots 8-8.
They play the Bills in Week 18. A team can advance to the playoffs if they
Win against the Bills
■Draw against the Bills + Dolphins draw + Steelers lose or tie or lose to the Bills + Dolphins lose to the Jets + Steelers lose to the Browns
■ Dolphins 8 wins and 8 losses
Week 18 will be against the Jets. They can advance to the playoffs if they
Win over the Jets + Patriots lose or draw
A tie with the Jets + Patriots loss + Steelers loss or tie
■ Steelers 8 wins and 8 losses
Week 18 will be against the Browns. They can advance to the playoffs if they
Browns win + Dolphins lose or draw + Patriots lose or draw
Draw with the Browns + Dolphins lose + Patriots lose
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