Week 9 Power Rankings

The revolving door of the number one team is alive and well. For the 4th week in a row, the team we previously had number one has lost the following. The Chiefs were the latest victim as they fell 24-9 at Denver, marking Patrick Mahomes first loss against the Broncos. This season of NFL play has seen the renaissance of defensive play - and it was on display against this past weekend. We saw multiple teams this week lead with defense while offenses continue to struggle on a weekly basis. We also have a new “hottest” team in the NFL…and they resolve in Duval county. Let’s reveiew the latest power rankings!

POWER RANKINGS - WEEK 8 (October 26th-October 30th)

The Cream of the Crop

1. Philadelphia Eagles (+1) Philly just keeps on winning. Even with the Commanders up 14-3, this game never felt in doubt. Jalen Hurts had his best game on Sunday and AJ Brown continues to be a special, special player. The Eagles are back on top as the team to beat in the NFC.

2. Baltimore Ravens (+2) This team keeps finding a way. It isn’t always pretty, but it doesn’t have to be. Sunday it was Gus Edwards who carried the offense. Next week it can be someone else. That’s what makes this team dangerous.

3. Kansas City Chiefs (-2) Mahomes finally lost to the Broncos. It took a long while, but the Chiefs winning streak was snapped at 6 on Sunday in a snowy setting in Denver. They just didn’t look right all game. Massive game on deck in Germany against the Dolphins.

4. Jacksonville Jaguars (+1) All they do is win, win, win no matter what. That’s five in a row for the cats in Duval. They currently have the best SOV (Strength of Victory) in the AFC while having the toughest SOS among the AFC elite. The defense is excellent and the offense is coming along. Dangerous football team with a much needed bye next week.

You’re Really Good, but How Good Are You?

5. Miami Dolphins (+2) You play who is on your schedule. The Dolphins took care of the Patriots Sunday with another double digit victory. Jalen Ramsey made his debut and picked off Mac Jones. They now get on a flight to Germany to take on KC for their third test of the season. So far they are 0/2.

6. Detroit Lions (-) The Lions beat a team they were supposed to beat handedly. Are they the biggest threat to Philly in the NFC?

7. Dallas Cowboys (+1) They beat the Rams in the first quarter and then cruised. While we will praise them this week, next week is the big one. A game against the Eagles with the division lead on the line. Will Dan show up two weeks in a row?

8. Cincinnati Bengals (+3) They’re back.

9. Seattle Seahawks (-) The new leaders of the NFC West! Seattle won a tight game at home against Cleveland and traded for Leonard Williams. They’re going for it, and why not? This is a serious football team.

10. San Francisco 49ers (-7) Now losers of three in a row after looking unstoppable. Brock Purdy hasn’t looked comfortable in a month, and all of a sudden the Niners are holding onto a wild card spot by a game. What a difference a month makes.

You Need to be Active on Deadline Day

11. New York Jets (+4) Won the ugliest of games on Sunday, but when we look back in six months it will still say “W”. This team needs more - a receiver and offensive line depth should be on Joe Douglas’ wish list. A massive game against the Chargers looms on Monday Night.

12. Minnesota Vikings (+4) Another win, but at what cost? Kirk Cousins is done for the year with an achilles injury. Brutal loss for Minnesota and likely kills their Super Bowl hopes. They are the most interesting team to watch on deadline day.

13. Buffalo Bills (+1) They took care of business at home, but it wasn’t pretty. There is something off with this team, but I can’t pinpoint it. With all their injuries on defense, they should look for help there.

Nice Teams; That’s All They Are

14. Cleveland Browns (-4) Credit PJ Walker for keeping the Browns afloat while DeShaun Watson nurses his injury (ego??). But a brutal mistake late in the 4th quarter yesterday cost the Browns from potentially being 5-2. This team won’t get to where it can with the QB play from either quarterback.

15. Pittsburgh Steelers (-2) The Steelers got “out-steelered” at their own place and then cried about it after the game. Not a good look. The defense is solid, but the offense is way, way, way behind schedule.

16. Houston Texans (-4) For all the talk about CJ Stroud, it was very weird to see a conservative gameplan against an 0-6 football team. Just when we were loving Houston, a stark reminder they are now quite there…yet.

We WANT to Believe in You!

17. New Orleans Saints (+3) They’ve now put together 5 straight competent quarters of offensive football. In a wide open NFC South, maybe they finally figured something out? I’m not sold yet.

18. Los Angeles Chargers (+3) A vintage Herbert performance on SNF reminded us how good he is. This team didn’t break a sweat. Next week? A gigantic game against the Jets on Monday Night Football with AFC positioning at play. Which Chargers team will show up?

If We Take Small Pieces From All of You, We Have a Good Team!

19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-) The Bucs beat who they’re supposed to…and lose who they’re supposed to lose to.

20. Tennessee Titans (+4) Will Levis looked incredible in his first start. Can he carry it over to a second game? It will be interesting to see if the Titans sell on deadline day.

21. Denver Broncos (+8) Ok, MAYBE the Broncos aren’t that terrible. They still aren’t good, but no denying this team is way better than it was in September.

22. Atlanta Falcons (-5) Someone needs to be held accountable for not entertaining the thought of Lamar Jackson and then benching Desmond Ridder in Week 8. Concussion or no concussion - Ridder got benched. This team needs a QB. Arthur Smith’s job is in danger.

You Drive Me Crazy

23. Washington Commanders (+2) I can’t imagine being a fan. The ultimate tease.

24. Los Angeles Rams (-6) This team has dropped 12 spots in two weeks. I think they are who we thought they were. Stafford is hurt, again.

25. Indianapolis Colts (-3) They score 27 points against a good Saints defense….and give up 38 to the poor Saints offense. The Colts are stuck in hell.

26. Las Vegas Raiders (-) There is now a stench on the Raiders. This team was more disciplined under Rich Bisaccia.

We Watch Because?

27. New England Patriots (-) Of Bill Belichick

28. Chicago Bears (-5) They currently employ a D-II QB who has as many wins as Justin Fields in a year.

29. Carolina Panthers (+3) To watch Bryce Young’s Development.

Do We Have to Watch?

30. Green Bay Packers (-) There is nothing special. You’re better off painting.

31. New York Giants (-3) Only in torture chambers they show the Giants. They team actually moved backwards in the pass game yesterday (-.5 Yards Per Pass). I mean good christ.

32. Arizona Cardinals (-1) How many guys take the bus to the facility? I think I’d rather know that whole interaction than watch whoever is worse than Josh Dobbs.

Five “Other” Coaches That We Need to Recognize

It’s Halloween season if you weren’t aware. One of my favorite times of the year - getting to dress up as whatever/whoever you want with little to no repercussions? And an excuse to eat things you probably shouldn’t. Who doesn’t love that? I’m also a horror fan, and growing up, one of my favorite horror movies was “The Others” starring Nicole Kidman. I remember being able to scare my sister at any time of day just by simply saying “the otherrrrssss” and she would run and cry in fear. It was fantastic. But that movie pertained to ghosts, or beings who lurked in the shadows. And that is the purpose of this article today.

We are about to embark on Week 8 of the NFL season. And we have done a solid job talking up teams, players, fanbases, etc. But one area we haven’t really covered is the coaching department. More than any other sport in the United States, NFL coaching is wildly important. It’s the sport where motivation and messaging to your players is a key ingredient to yearly success. It’s also something that can absolutely derail a team. We always talk about how coaches come in and change the “culture” around the league for different squads all the time. Last year we saw Brian Daboll and Doug Pederson do it. This year DeMeco Ryans and Shane Steichen are doing a really good job at changing the culture in Houston and Indianapolis, respectively. But the purpose of today’s article is to highlight some of the guys who aren’t on the surface, and lay beyond the shadows - much like the ghosts in “The Others”. See how I’m connecting the dots here? I know, really invaluable writing.

I like to think I have a good eye for things like this - so I’ve been thinking about different positional groups and even coordinators who have gone under the radar over the past couple of years and to give them their opportunity to shine today. So if you’re looking for an article on Pete Carroll, Andy Reid, Ben Johnson or Wink Martindale - I apologize, but you won’t here those names. We are taking a much deeper look into some of the “other” best coaches in the NFL.

*These are in no particular order, just five guys who deserve recognition

1. Hank Fraley - Offensive Line Coach, Detroit Lions (4th Year)

Hank Fraley has been with the Lions now for six years, starting out as assistant offensive line coach in 2018 and taking over the main duties in 2020. Over his time with Detroit, we have seen the Lions become one of, if not the premiere team in the NFL when it comes to offensive line play. You want to hear something wild? This is the Lions current starting offensive line:

LT - Taylor Decker

LG - Jonah Jackson

C - Frank Ragnow

RG - Graham Glasgow

RT - Penei Sewell

Every single one of these players was drafted by the Detroit Lions. Three in the first round (Decker, Ragnow, Sewell) and two in the third round (Jackson, Glasgow). Four of them have spent their entire career with Detroit - Glasgow spent the last couple of seasons with Denver but then came back to Detroit for 2023. And the kicker?  Decker and Glasgow started in 2016, Ragnow in 2018, Jackson in 2020 and Sewell in 2021. Hank Fraley developed all of them. And now he is reaping the benefits of his boys dominating every week up front. The Lions currently rank 2nd in pass protection and 4th in run blocking in 2023, according to PFF. This is the second year in a row that they have been in the top 10 in run protection. We all know that EDGE rushers are the hot thing in the NFL today, and while there are plenty of men who make offensive lines sleep at night, the Lions are not one of those teams. They have consistently gotten better in Sacks Allowed since Fraley’s arrival. Their year over year ranking in Sacks Allowed since Fraley took over as OL Coach - 22nd, T-8th, T-5th, T-3rd. You are reading that right. They jumped from 22nd in 2020 to tied for 8th in 2021 (and that was with a Frank Ragnow season ending injury). They also have three all-pro caliber players on the line with Decker, Ragnow and Sewell. Fraley clearly has an eye for talent - he may not be a scout, but if you think he doesn’t have any impact on what lineman the Lions are taking, you are out of your mind. We have seen the Lions go through a massive culture shift since Dan Campbell took over. And Campbell kept Fraley on staff in 2021, believing in his ability to develop. Well, he has done that and then some as the Lions now have one of the most potent offenses in the NFL. And they wouldn’t be able to do it without the play of their dominant offensive line, and Hank Fraley has a ton to do with that. Ben Johnson gets a lot of chatter in Detroit, but don’t forget about Hank Fraley - one of the key cogs to the engine that makes the Lions go.

2. Clint Hurtt - Defensive Coordinator, Seattle Seahawks (2nd Year)

I remember the 2022 off-season. The quarterbacks stole a lot of the headlines - mainly Aaron Rodgers retirement talk and Russell Wilson’s impending trade from Seattle. Once Wilson was traded, everyone (and I mean everyone) had the Seattle Seahawks pegged as being one of the worst team in the NFL that season. Well, the season played out and Geno Smith garnered most, if not all of the attention. Winning comeback player of the year and leading the Seahawks to a playoff berth when everyone thought they would be picking in the top three in the 2023 draft.

Now, if I handed you a blank piece of paper and asked you to name the Seahawks defensive coordinator, would you be able to? Probably not. And that’s ok. They go under the radar, and that’s the way they like it. Clint Hurtt took over in 2022 from Ken Norton Jr. and immediately made some changes. Hurtt switched the Seahawks base defense from a 4-3 to a 3-4 leading to an increase in team sacks from 34 in 2021 to 45 in 2022. Per the Seahawks official website, Uchenna Nwosu and Darrell Taylor were the only pair of teammates to each have 9.5 sacks and three forced fumbles each last season. They also garnered one of the steals of the entire draft is Riq Woolen, a 5th round pick into a star corner who, if not for Sauce Gardner, probably would’ve won defensive rookie of the year. Fast forward to 2023 and the Seahawks are actually being carried by their defense. They are currently 7th in total defense according to PFF, the 6th best team against the run (87.2 YPG) and are one of thirteen teams giving up less the 20 PPG (19.7). They have also drafted extremely well - this past draft they spent their top 10 pick on Devon Witherspoon, the lanky, athletic corner out of Illinois - and that move is already paying dividends. He is currently the front runner for DROY as he already being matched up with top receivers on the other side of the field. They also drafted Derick Hall, the project rookie out of Auburn who is starting to make his presence known in the Seahawks D-line room.

Hurtt has been able to communicate extremely well during his stint in Seattle, and if he continues to impress and help lead the Seahawks to another playoff berth, ears may get perked up about possible NFL head coaching opportunities.

3. Bobby Slowik - Offensive Coordinator, Houston Texans (1st Year)

Let’s get one thing straight - DeMeco Ryans is a hell of a coach, and if the trend keeps on going, he will win coach of the year in 2023. Ryans is the second defensive coordinator to get hired from the Kyle Shanahan tree (Robert Saleh), but unlike Saleh, Ryans is making an immediate impact. He has the Texans at 3-3 through their bye week when people thought they were at least 1-2 years away. Ryans didn’t come alone though - he brought over Bobby Slowik from San Francisco to be his OC and help mold CJ Stroud into an NFL quarterback. Slowik was in San Francisco for 6 years and worked as the passing game coordinator under Shanahan - a role that will never get recognized because Shanahan gets all the praise for the offensive success. But think of the Quarterbacks that Slowik has worked with in his 6 years with the 49ers - Brock Purdy, Jimmy Garoppolo, Trey Lance and Nick Mullens. He has proven to be successful with Jimmy and Brock. He has now moved over to Houston and is working wonders with CJ Stroud. As we all know, Stroud broke the record for most passes before throwing his first INT for a rookie; folks, that’s Bobby Slowik. He has done a masterful job at putting Stroud in positions to succeed. Slowik’s passing attack ranks 12th in the NFL through seven weeks and his receivers rank 6th. The run game hasn’t been able to get going as much, but I think that has to do with the depleted offensive line. The Texans are in the top half of the league in total yards per game and rank within the top 10 for passing yards per game. The turnaround in Houston’s offensive ability has been remarkable.

Will Slowik be able to keep Stroud upright and keep up these kind of numbers all year? I’m not entirely sure. But there is reason to be optimistic. Coming from the San Francisco school of coaching hasn’t been the worst thing in the world. While Robert Saleh and the Jets haven’t been able to find team success yet, Saleh has transformed the Jets into one of the top defenses in the NFL - that’s no accident. He, as well as Ryans, both had schemes in San Francisco extremely conducive to today’s NFL. I have faith that Slowik will fall from the same tree. Kyle Shanahan’s offense has proven to be wildly successful in the NFL - just look at his track record. And Slowik is doing it with guys who many people thought were afterthoughts in the NFL - Nico Collins, Robert Woods, John Metchie; just like the QBs in San Francisco. It seems after the disaster that the Texans went through the past couple of years, they finally got it right with DeMeco Ryans at the helm and Bobby Slowik as the OC.

4. Deshea Townsend - Secondary/Cornerbacks Coach, Jacksonville Jaguars (1st Season)

The one common theme amongst Jacksonville Jaguars coaches? Experience. Playing experience that is. The majority of their coaches have NFL experience prior to coaching, and Deshea Townsend may be the most decorated of them all. He is a two time Super Bowl champ, both with Pittsburgh, and amassed 21 career interceptions as well as 15.5 sacks over nine NFL seasons. Townsend has been around the block, both coaching in the NFL and college ranks. But, one common theme with him is that his secondaries have been successful anywhere he’s been. Lets review:

2011 - Assistant DB’s coach (Arizona Cardinals) Limited opponents to 215.9 net passing yards, 5th best in the NFC.

13-15: Cornerbacks Coach, Mississippi State - Led the nation in passes defensed (89) and passes broken up (73) while ranking 15th nationally in Interceptions (15).

19-21: Secondary Coach, Chicago Bears - Defenses ranked inside the top 12 every year in passing yards per game, with the best output being in 2021 where the Bears ranked 3rd in passing yards per game while finishing 7th in first downs allowed.

*All info via Jaguars.com

Townsend took a year off in 2022 and was then hired by Doug Pederson in 2023 to lead a young, hungry Jaguars secondary that the team had put a lot of resources into. A group led by draftees Tyson Campbell (2nd Round, Georgia) and Andre Cisco (3rd Round, Syracuse) as well as FA signings Darious Williams and Rayshawn Jenkins, the Jacksonville defense saw an increase in 2022, but were looking for more of a spark in 2023. How’s this for a spark. The Jacksonville Jaguars are number one in the NFL in coverage grade in 2023 (90.4). When you think of secondaries, you think of the Ravens, Jets, Saints, Falcons, Chiefs. You normally don’t think of Jacksonville. You need to start doing so. Takeaways? Check. They lead the NFL in takeaways through 7 weeks with 16. 9 of those are interceptions to go along with 29 (!!!) PBU’s. None of their starting secondary has a receiving rate higher than 65.2. They have only been called for five penalties. Five. Stat watchers will point and look at the fact that they rank 31st in passing yards allowed per game and say they aren’t good, but when you actually look at the numbers, this is an elite secondary. The Jaguars have been up in the second half in each of their last 4 games, so the opposing team has had to throw the ball to try and climb out of a hole. Both Gardner Minshew and Derek Carr had 50+ pass attempts when they played Jacksonville, something neither of those offenses want to do. Townsend has come in and been a stud for the Jags secondary, and if Mike Caldwell does get calls for Head Coaching opportunities this year, Townsend will be a popular pick to replace Caldwell as DC for Jacksonville.

5. Stump Mitchell - Running Backs Coach, Cleveland Browns (4th Season)

Right now when you think of the Cleveland Browns, you think of defense. You think of Jim Schwartz. Nick Chubb. Hell, you may still think of Baker Mayfield. I guarantee you don’t think of Stump Mitchell, who outside of rocking a sick beard, is maybe the best running back coach in the entire league. Mitchell has been a coach for 21 years, but his work with Cleveland the past four has definitely been his best. A former player, Mitchell has overseen five running backs rush for over 1,000 yards (Ricky Watters, Shaun Alexander, Clinton Portis, David Johnson and Nick Chubb). That is an impressive list. He was also the man behind Andre Ellington (remember him?) when he had his 1,000 yard scrimmage season. He was the running backs coach when Shaun Alexander set the record for 28 touchdowns in 2005. He has an extremely established background.

His work with the Browns though is great. Starting in 2019, he guided Nick Chubb in rushing for 1,494 rushing yards (2nd in NFL) as well as 1,772 scrimmage yards, which is the 5th most in Browns history. In 2020, Mitchell used the two headed monster of Chubb and Hunt; both running backs had over 1,000 scrimmage yards for the season and amassed a combined 23 touchdowns. In 2021, the Browns led the NFL in rushing average at 5.09. Chubb again finished 2nd in rushing and has been a pro bowler every year under Mitchell. This season has been a little different though. Nick Chubb had a nasty injury on Monday Night Football a few weeks ago that sidelined him indefinitely, and the Browns had little to no avenues of where they were gonna go for a rushing attack. But have no fear, Stump Mitchell is here.

The Browns inserted Jerome Ford into their starting role and picked up Kareem Hunt for a second stint with Cleveland as he was roaming the free agent streets. Anyone who thought the Browns would skip a beat in the rushing department should receive an “F” for something. This year, the Browns rank 5th in rushing with an 82.8 grade according to PFF, and are second in rushing yards per game at 147.5. That’s an astounding number. And doing it without Nick Chubb is all the better. It really is a testament to how Mitchell prepares his room each and every week. This is a Browns team that has had injuries at the QB and RB spot this year, and yet they are 4-2 behind some old school football - a hard, physical, violent defense and a thumping running attack. The days of being an OC or even a HC for Stump Mitchell may be gone, but Mitchell will be in the NFL as long as he wants to be. He’s been nothing but successful every step of the way.

Why Giving the Jacksonville Jaguars a new Stadium is Great for the NFL

Photo via The Athletic

We have roughly had this website for three months and I have yet to write any story about my beloved Jaguars. You can all thank the city of Jacksonville for that, as the release of that new stadium design got the juices flowing again. The initial reaction was one of hope, shock and awe by those who are “in the know” and saw the designs. And like with any Jaguars post, it was also met with jokes and venom of people who mention “that’s not London” or “for your twelve fans”.

Those people are ignorant, and just have absolutely no idea what’s going on farther than they can see. As NFL fans, we see how constantly the shift is from being good to bad and vice versa. Other than Hockey, Football has the biggest year to year turnover, which is great for the league. It’s not often that players or coaches come along that can stabilize a franchise for years to come. Those types of things don’t happen everyday. In today’s NFL, the names that come to mind are Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, Jalen Hurts, Josh Allen - all those players have stabilized their teams into being perennial playoff and Super Bowl contenders. As of a couple of weeks ago, the Buffalo Bills broke ground on their new NFL stadium, which will make its debut in 2026. And we typically love watching all these players play.

But the Jaguars? They aren’t allowed to be good. They aren’t allowed to be great. They are the butt of every joke, so if we can’t make fun of them, then who will we, as a collective fan base make fun of? The Lions, Browns and Jets all have playoff aspirations this year. The perennial bottom feeders aren’t “fun” anymore because they can actually complete. So we are supposed to make fun of who…The Patriots, Colts, Raiders, Packers? teams with rich histories and Hall of Fame players in the rafters. No, that’s not allowed. The bad teams always need to be bad to maintain the status quo.

So why is it “great” for the NFL for the Jaguars to get a new stadium? What does that mean for their long term future in Jacksonville? I’m glad you asked. Let’s switch sports for a second. I wanna travel to the NBA for a second. Back in time to 2009 and 2013 - when the Warriors and Bucks respectively drafted Stephen Curry and Giannis Antetokoumpo. The Warriors were playing in Oakland, and the Bucks in Milwaukee - and neither team was taken seriously. Small market teams with little no chance every year because no one wanted to play in those cities. They didn’t have the bright lights of New York or Los Angeles; or the beaches of sun that Miami has; or the undying loyalty that cities like Boston, Philadelphia and Houston have. Milwaukee…Oakland. No one cared. But players come along and transform the game. No one has more than Steph since Michael Jordan.

We fast forward to today and the Golden State Warriors franchise is now one of the top organizations in NBA history. They also got a new arena - now closer to San Francisco, and they are a top attraction in the league for players and fans alike. Steph did that. Over in Milwaukee, Giannis led the Bucks to the title just two years ago and the small city of Milwaukee is now revered as one of, not if the toughest place to play in all of the NBA. Players want to go play there. Giannis did that.

Parity is good for a league. Players wanting to go to small cities is good for the sport. It keeps teams, fans and cities engaged. It gives other cities hope that it can one day happen to their city. Their team. Their player. If the cities of Milwaukee and Oakland can achieve greatness, then there is no reason that Jacksonville can as well. The plans for this new stadium comes on the heels of the Jags going from 4-7 to winning the division at 9-8 and pulling off one of the top three comebacks in NFL postseason history. It wasn’t a coincidence that the city released the plans after this season.

The NFL needs a new “New England Patriots”. It needs a new “Kansas City Chiefs”. Teams that had little to no history of success before those iconic players got there. We as a society thrive on seeing new teams rise up and take the mantle. We want the engine that never could to take down the Mad Titans. But we only want them to do it for a few years and then hand it off for another team. As the famous Harvey Dent said:

“You either die a hero, or live long enough to see yourself become the villain.”

— Harvey Dent, The Dark Knight (2008)

Jaguars fans have been waiting since 1996 to find a franchise quarterback. A guy that can put the team on his back and go win a game if every one of his teammates was subpar that day. We liked Mark Brunell, but we fell in love with people who would never be considered franchise guys; David Garrard, Byron Leftwich, Blake Bortles - all three of these have mild success with this franchise and the fanbase thought they were the second coming because they just had a taste of it. And the same thing has happened this off-season. Trevor Lawrence rose from the dead last season after fans had given up on him, analysts and experts gave up on him. And like a phoenix he rose from the ashes after his return from London and led the Jags to the playoffs. He just clocked in at number six on Chris Simms QB rankings for this season (if you’re into that sort of thing). This was the same “expert” who ranked Zach Wilson ahead of Lawrence when the 2021 NFL Draft was coming up. Stood by it and shouted it to the rafters after their rookie seasons. Wilson wasn’t on Simms 2023 Top 40, for those wondering.

This one seems like it’s gonna stick though because of the talent and the drive this kid house. He has the right coach as well, as Doug Pederson has transformed a franchise who was thought of as the gum on your shoe after the Urban Meyer debacle, into a well-respected franchise who even has made Trent Baalke look good. This is a franchise where its fans wore clown outfits to the last game of the 2021 season in protest to the owner, and now the GM has a clown toy on his desk to remind him and where he was before (courtesy of The Hunt on Youtube).

It seems like a truly phenomenal turnaround, almost too good to be true. And time will tell if the Jaguars are for real and will become perennial playoff contenders. But this new stadium signifies that the NFL is ready for the Jaguars to have a seat at the table. The lowly Jaguars getting their opportunity. Everyone who's a fan of the NFL should be rooting for the Jags, because it is truly a symbol that any team can overcome the highest of adversities. If the same franchises won consistently, then what’s the point? Where is the return on the investment? That’s where all the “this is rigged” comes from. We want the little engine that could to get to the top. This stadium proposal seems like a doorway for Jacksonville - and if they are able to walk through it, then good things will happen for this franchise.

And they absolutely deserve it. Every single fanbase deserves to climb the mountain and experience what it’s like to be on top. Personally, I never have. Between the Mets, Knicks and Jaguars, it seems like I may be doomed forever. But there is a hope that comes with a new stadium. A hope that you belong and that something, even if it seems insignificant, is aligned for once. We all see what’s going on in MLB with the Oakland Athletics. It’s not something that any commissioner, fan or player want to be a part of. It’s hard to watch and it’s a disgraceful scene to be completely honest. But I do feel that’s what is on the horizon for the city of Jacksonville if this plan doesn’t get approved. This is it. This is the moment where the tide can turn, and the city of Jacksonville has the fate of the Jaguars in their hands.

Trevor Lawrence, Doug Pederson, Calvin Ridley, Tyson Campbell, Christian Kirk, Travis Etienne, Josh Allen, Travon Walker - those are a few names of a young core that is ready to thrive. And these players are excited about this. Do yourself a favor and go check out the Jaguars Twitter retweets from the announcement video, and you will see what they players think. Those guys want to be in Jacksonville. They want to be a part of something special. The same way that the players in Golden State and Milwaukee did. Those teams built for a few years before they broke through. And now…well, I don’t think those franchises will have any problems for a long time, even post Steph and Giannis. The Jaguars have that opportunity in front of them now. Trevor Lawrence, Doug Pederson and Shad Khan have that opportunity in front of them right now. The city of Jacksonville has that opportunity in front of them right now…

They just need to go and take it.

Video created by Jacksonville Jaguars