Big Cat Country
This week, we asked Jacksonville Jaguars fans which team they would least like to face in the AFC playoffs.
49% of respondents chose the Houston Texans, and another 42% chose a team from the AFC East (the Bills or the Patriots).
The Jaguars and the Texans are both undefeated (7-0) since the last time they matched up against each other in Week 10. Houston backup quarterback Davis Mills pulled off a historic 19-point comeback to hand Jacksonville its worst loss under Liam Coen — yet as frustrating as the result was at the time, the current version of the Jaguars may not have come to life without that tough loss.
“Post Houston, that was a tough locker room,” Coen said the week of Christmas. “That was a tough feeling and that was gut-wrenching at the time. But I do recall Josh Hines-Allen speaking very briefly. I think Arik Armstead said a few things and then we ended it. I didn’t go on and on, and we didn’t have a lengthy post-game. We said a few things. It was from the heart, it was real. But also, I think the guys knew in that moment some things needed to change and we had to operate differently in terms of a 60-minutes mindset football game. And so, I’ll continue to look back to that game as something that has helped us and fueled us moving forward.”
The Texans boast one of the NFL’s best defenses, if not the best outright, so I can’t blame Jaguars fans for being nervous about that matchup. At least we know that the team would be highly motivated to have a different result against Houston this time around.
As for the confidence survey, 98% of fans are confident in the direction of the team — a season high, and up from 97% last week.
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