Publisher’s Letter

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

“W e had a really good crowd today. They got loud on a couple of those defensive fourth down plays in the second half, and that was good for the guys out there. Listen, you get paid to win games, right. You win, the fans show up. I’m a fan. I want to go watch a winner, so I’ll pay money to watch a winner. We have to just win games.” These are just some of the comments shared by Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson following the team’s decisive victory over the Indianapolis Colts in September.

Jaguars’ fans, especially the die-hard ticket-buying ones, can identify and appreciate Pederson’s comments. For too long fans have hoped for the same thing—just win games. Mind you, we’re not greedy. Few of us are clamoring for a Super Bowl appearance, though that would be nice. In time, that will come. Most fans desire more modest goals, such as winning as many games as you lose, or attending games late in November and December that can determine a spot in the playoffs. Securing a high first round pick in next year’s NFL draft? We’ve been there, done that. So, it’s not surprising to see the excitement that the team has generated early in the 2022 season. As I write this, the Jaguars have a record of two wins and one loss and stand in first place in their division. The franchise’s 23-year-old quarterback Trevor Lawrence was named the AFC’s Offensive Player of the Week following a decisive victory over the Los Angeles Chargers, a team many figured was one of the NFL’s best. That maybe so, but on one Sunday afternoon in September it was bested by a squad from Florida that had a long history of underachieving on trips to the West Coast.

Of course, the 17-week football season is just warming up. There are many games still to be played, which means there are numerous opportunities for elation and heart-break. But that’s what it means to be a fan, riding the ups and downs of any given season. It goes without saying that Jaguars fans are praying for many more ups than downs this year. It’s been a few years since we’ve been treated to that. As coach Pederson succinctly said, just win games. Do that, and the stadium will fill, teal will be worn and Monday mornings will be markedly happier across Northeast Florida. u