Playing Monday Night Football can be an advantage for teams, especially as the season winds down.
Both teams participating in this game have the unique opportunity to see how the Sunday slate plays out and understand where they lie.
For the Jacksonville Jaguars, knowing the result of Sunday’s game puts more pressure on them to beat the Cincinnati Bengals.
As Cameron Wolfe recently pointed out, a win for the Jaguars would bring them into the No. 1 seed in the AFC.
Jacksonville Jaguars control their own destiny for AFC’s number one seed and a playoff bye. If JAX wins out, the AFC goes thru DUVAL.
— Cameron Wolfe (@CameronWolfe) December 4, 2023
He showcased the fact that the Jaguars control their destiny.
If they win tonight and win the rest of their games this season, they will have a playoff bye, a massive advantage over their opponents.
Having the top seed also guarantees home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
Given their recent history, this is unique territory for the Jaguars.
The Jaguars have only made the playoffs twice in the past ten years.
They made it to the AFC Championship in 2017, losing to the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium.
Trevor Lawrence did lead this team to the playoffs last year, sneaking in with a 9-8 record.
If their record is any indication, this looks like an entirely different Jaguars team than last season.
Lawrence appears confident and collected, ready to lead this team to a potential first-round bye.
Doug Pederson has made a monumental impact in Year One, a sign that Lawrence needed a coach who believed in him and provided him with the necessary tools to succeed.
All eyes will be on the Jaguars in this game against the Joe Burrow-less Bengals.
NEXT:
Jaguars Defender Makes Strong Projection For This Season