Will Jaguars Run into a Buzzsaw for the Third Week in a Row?

The Jacksonville Jaguars have played well over the last few weeks, they just happened to do so in a losing effort against some of the best teams in the NFL. Will it happen again this week?

Nov 3, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) leaps over Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Ronald Darby (25) while running with the ball during the fourth quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

The Jacksonville Jaguars started the season 0-4 and are now 2-7. Over the last two weeks, they have suffered narrow losses to two of the best teams in the National Football League. This Sunday, they have the pleasure of playing the Minnesota Vikings, another one of the best teams in the league.

The Vikings are 6-2, and one of their two losses came against the 7-1 Detroit Lions. The Vikings are statistically better than the Jaguars in the most critical categories. While the Jaguars are home Sunday, they still have an uphill battle.

Bill Bender of the Sporting News recently released his predictions for this weekend’s slate of games. He believes the Jaguars will keep things close before losing by a touchdown. That has been consistent with how the Jaguars have played over the last four weeks.

The Jaguars are in the middle of a challenging stretch of games. They have faced the Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles in consecutive weeks.

They lost both games by a combined eight points.

Bender predicts the Vikings will win by a score of 28-21.

“The Vikings stopped a two-game losing streak in Week 10, and Sam Darnold will look to continue his hot streak,” Bender said. “He averages 263 yards with six TDs and three interceptions in his past three games. 

“He might make a mistake or two on the road against the Jaguars, but this team continues to make too many mistakes. Jacksonville is 1-4 Straight Up when they have at least two turnovers, and Minnesota should be able to force a few miscues on the road.”

Although the Jaguars have played competitive football against some of the best teams over the last four weeks, they have still lost three of their previous four games. There is not much of a reason to believe they will have different results against a formidable Vikings team.

If the Jaguars hope to turn their season around, they must change how they have done things through the first nine games. The Jaguars must figure out the change that is necessary to end the poor performances they have had this season, whether it be coaches or players.

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