Jaguars-Eagles: 3 Reasons Why Week 9 is a Must-Win

Why can the Jacksonville Jaguars not afford to leave Week 9 without a win against the Philadelphia Eagles?

Dec 18, 2022; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson watches on against the Dallas Cowboys in the first quarter at TIAA Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Reper-Imagn Images / Jeremy Reper-Imagn Images

The Jacksonville Jaguars need a win in the worst way.

This was true entering Week 9 in 2022, when the Jaguars were 2-6 and riding a five-game losing streak. That team managed to turn things around and finish 9-8 to earn a playoff birth.

It is just as true for the 2024 Jaguars, who are limping into Week 9's contest with the Philadelphia Eagles without the margin of error for any more losses.

But what exactly makes Sunday a must-win game? We break it down below.

Jaguars future schedule

Jacksonville's future schedule is a major reminder of why close losses to the Packers, Houston Texans, Miami Dolphins, and Cleveland Browns were so impactful. The Jaguars have little-to-zero margin of error, and things do not get any easier after Sunday's game vs. the Eagles. Not at all.

For starters, the Jaguars still have games against the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings coming up. They also have games against the Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts, each of whom are ahead of the Jaguars in the AFC South. Finally, they have a game vs. a New York Jets team that may have their backs against the wall themselves.

Holding the locker room together

Reports came out after Week 4's loss to the Houston Texans that head coach Doug Pederson had either lost the locker room or was on verge of doing so. The locker room responded with gusto, with nearly every player in the Miller Electric Center vehemently denying the report before notching their first win of the season.

That was entering the fifth game of the season, though. The Jaguars have played four games since then, and on Sunday they are entering the third quarter of the season. Lose Sunday and fall to 2-7, and the Jaguars may have a locker room that loses anything to play for the rest of the way of the season.

3-6 is much different than 2-7

Make no mistake about it -- 3-6 should never be a team's goal. It is a losing season by a large measure, and it would take a miracle second-half of the season in most cases to turn it back into a winning season. With that said, the Jaguars could at least half talk themselves into the chance to do something at 3-6.

At 2-7, though? The Jaguars would be in full-blown season's over mode. They would be able to maybe lose one more game to have a sniff at the playoffs, and they would be four whole games behind the Houston Texans. The Jaguars need a win to give them something to keep playing for.

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