“It wasALWAYS “It was

an off-the-cuff remark uttered by Jacksonville Jaguars safety Andrew Wingard following the team’s 36 to 22 win over the Tennessee Titans in Week 14 quickly became a rallying call, a subtle boast that the Jags were destined to make it to the playoffs this year. It was a bold statement considering the team’s play up to that point on the NFL calendar and its recent penchant for losing seasons. But despite being kicked to the sidelines by most sports media prognosticators, the team turned it around and started to win. And it kept on winning.

It was a perfect January night for football. The weather in Northeast Florida was clear and a cool 59 degrees for the 8:15 PM kickoff. The game was rescheduled for Saturday night and TV networks ESPN and ABC had flown in their A-Team of Troy Aikman and Joe Buck to call the game for a national audience. The primetime clash came with a simple understanding—win and advance to the playoffs; lose and the season’s over.

The parking lots immediately surrounding TIAA Bank Field opened four hours prior to kickoff. Tailgaters’ vehicles were lined up along Gator Bowl Boulevard, ready to roll in and unpack their chairs, grills, tents, coolers and TVs. Charcoal smoke drifted from Duval Street over Lot J and out across the St. Johns River, where a small armada was disembarking fans who had arrived by pleasure craft.

The gates to the stadium opened a few minutes before 6 PM and fans, thousands wearing Trevor Lawrence jerseys, teal sweatshirts and countless Jaguars logos, began filtering through the beer and hot dog vendors to find their seats. It was standing room only inside the Bud Zone, as it was one level above in the section devoted