The two games that remain on their schedule are against the two teams fighting for the AFC South Division title. You might say the Jaguars hold the AFC South title in their hands.
If you're looking for something of interest in what remains of this season, there it is. The Jaguars will be involved in two high-profile games, beginning this Sunday at Alltel Stadium against the Titans and concluding in Indianapolis on Dec. 29.
Time to play David Garrard and get a look at the future? Explain that to the 14 AFC teams still in postseason contention. Oh, by the way, the Jaguars are still one of those teams. They were not mathematically eliminated yesterday as they first believed, and they will remain "alive" if Tennessee beats New England tonight.
"The focus is on playing to win. We're playing two teams in our division," Tom Coughlin told reporters today, following yesterday's 29-15 win in Cincinnati.
Coughlin isn't buying into the idea of playoff contention, but understands his team's integrity is at stake in the final two games, and Coughlin would love nothing more than to finish with a couple of wins that would allow the Jaguars to avoid their third consecutive losing season. If that was to happen, Coughlin would be hailed by the national media as having turned in one of the season's best coaching performances.
"It would be a great way to finish our season. We're on a high note for our preparation. Playing at home this weekend in our final home game? That would be very important," he said of the prospect of upsetting visiting Tennessee.
The Titans began the Jaguars' slide this season on Oct. 13. The Jaguars were 3-1 when they went to Nashville. They left 3-2 and with a quarterback woozy from a helmet-to-helmet hit by Titans cornerback Samari Rolle, and it was an injury the effects of which hindered Mark Brunell's performance through what would be a four-game losing streak.
Now, the Jaguars would like to do to the Titans what the Titans did to the Jaguars, which is to say ruin their season. A Jaguars win this Sunday could cost the Titans the AFC South title, and possibly leave them out of the playoffs.
