Written by Michael DiRocco at ESPN.com
It was easy to pick out a common theme among the Jacksonville Jaguars players after Sunday’s 20-17 overtime victory over the Los Angeles Chargers at EverBank Field.
They were amazed at the craziness and back-and-forth momentum swings in the final two minutes of regulation and overtime. They also were adamant that none of the teams of the past several seasons wins that game.
No way they bounce back from two interceptions in the final two minutes, including one that came after a Chargers fumble and ruined a potential game-tying field goal. No way they overcome a pair of taunting penalties. And the game-winning field-goal attempt being tipped and still making it through the uprights on Sunday doesn’t even come close the last few years.
“If any of those things happen, if half of those things happen, two years ago we fold and it’s over,” quarterback Blake Bortles said.
Yet the Jaguars (6-3) didn’t fold.
They kept making mistakes and committing stupid penalties, yet still found a way to make a couple critical plays late to win their third consecutive game and keep pace with Tennessee in the AFC South. The players say it’s because they’ve bought into the culture that Doug Marrone and Tom Coughlin have established and because of the leadership in the locker room.
They also said the team is much closer than in past years, in part because they bonded while going through what was an emotionally and physically exhausting training camp.
But, really, the bottom line is this: The Jaguars have better players than they’ve had over the past several seasons.
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