AFC South: 5 things to look for in 2018

1. Will the Jaguars be a one-hit wonder?

The 2017 Jacksonville Jaguars had a tremendous season, but there’s no denying that they came out of absolutely nowhere. You’d be hard-pressed to find someone who actually expected them to accomplish what they did last year. So that begs the question … were the 2017 Jaguars a fluke, or are they the real deal?

Based on what they did last year – unleashing the most ferocious defense in the league, winning the AFC South with a 10-6 record, and coming just one win short of reaching the Super Bowl – the Jags should technically be the favorite to repeat as division champs, even though the AFC South is really anyone’s division right now. But Jacksonville, a.k.a. “Sacksonville,” will be met with tough expectations in 2018. Improving on last season can only mean one thing: going to the Super Bowl.

The Jaguars reached the AFC title game last year based on two things: monstrous defense and a fierce running game. They might have the best cornerback tandem in the league with Jalen Ramsey and A.J. Bouye. They used rookie running back sensation Leonard Fournette to run the ball down the throats of opposing defenses; even while missing three games, Fournette still rushed for 1,040 yards and nine touchdowns.

Jacksonville had such a good supporting cast that it was able to achieve what it did with Blake Bortles at quarterback, who in his four years in the NFL, has never exactly received any rave reviews. Bortles makes big plays here and there, but the passing game is not his strong suit. Nonetheless, the Jags decided to sign him to a three-year extension in the offseason. They believe they have such a good team around him that they don’t need to rely on the passing game to win.

So that will be one of the more interesting subplots of the 2018 Jaguars: will Bortles play well enough to help them capture the magic again?