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One reason each team can win Super Bowl 53

By Joe Schiller

FOXBOROUGH, MA - JANUARY 13: Head coach Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots reacts as Tom Brady No. 12 looks on before the AFC Divisional Playoff game against the Tennessee Titans at Gillette Stadium on January 13, 2018 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
FOXBOROUGH, MA - JANUARY 13: Head coach Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots reacts as Tom Brady No. 12 looks on before the AFC Divisional Playoff game against the Tennessee Titans at Gillette Stadium on January 13, 2018 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /
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FOXBOROUGH, MA – JANUARY 21: Blake Bortles No. 5 of the Jacksonville Jaguars warms up before the AFC Championship Game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on January 21, 2018 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
FOXBOROUGH, MA – JANUARY 21: Blake Bortles No. 5 of the Jacksonville Jaguars warms up before the AFC Championship Game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on January 21, 2018 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images) /

Jacksonville Jaguars: The defense will carry mediocre quarterback play

The Jaguars were the surprise team in the AFC this year and were backed by an unstoppable defense. The secondary allowed just 169.9 passing yards per game and the pass rush presence of Calais Campbell and Yannick Ngakoue up front was almost impossible to stop. An AFC championship berth is a huge step but it doesn’t come without a cost. It likely means Blake Bortles will be treated like the quarterback of the future.

Bortles is an average quarterback and you know exactly he brings to the table each week. There were questions about him as a starter heading into the beginning of the season. Bortles was a beneficiary of Leonard Fournette’s breakout rookie season and of course an incredible defensive performance on the other side of the ball.

The Jaguars are left in a tough position because they aren’t going to move on from Bortles for at least one more season. This means Doug Marrone and his coaching staff must learn to continue to win with average quarterback play under center. It’s definitely possible like we’ve seen but that means all other facets of the team have to be at their best.

Stay warm deep into the playoffs with this Jaguars hoodie.

We saw just a glimpse of how good the Jaguars can be in 2017 and they’ve got just about the entire defense returning next season. Defense win championships and the Jaguars have the blueprint to dominate in the AFC. They’ll be looking for revenge and reaching Super Bowl 53 isn’t too far off for this team.