Dallas Cowboys vs. Jacksonville Jaguars: What Are Experts Saying About the Jags?

No, the Jacksonville Jaguars aren’t creating headlines on the field, but believe it or not this is a great time to be a Jaguars fan.

The Jaguars are in the middle of a successful rebuild while also experiencing the growth of their international market—a point that will be well-evidenced as the team travels to London to face the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. 

In short, there is finally hope for a franchise that has had to endure so much heartache over the years.

Thanks in large part to the ownership of Shad Khan and the direction of general manger David Caldwell, the fanbase (I see you, Bold City Brigade) is revitalized, enthusiastic and excited about the future.

A lot of the buzz surrounding the Jaguars this week has been around their sustained presence and growing fanbase in London. However, what's being overlooked by a lot of media outlets is the emergence of some of the Jaguars' young players over the past few weeks. 

Let's see what some media analysts had to say about these stories! 

Michael DiRocco: Teammates Believe in Bortles

AJ Mast/Associated Press

Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com recently put together an article discussing how Blake Bortles’ mistakes have finally cost the team a victory.

While it’s easy to turn on Bortles, who has thrown 13 interceptions already this season, DiRocco does a good job reminding readers that Bortles is a rookie and that his teammates are standing confidently beside him.

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On-the-job training in the NFL can be brutal. It can, and has, sowed doubt and ruined confidence. All you have to do to see that is go back through the first-round quarterback busts over the past two decades. Bortles' isn't at that point and his teammates are confident he'll never get close.

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My Take

The NFL has become so overanalyzed in terms of statistics these days, especially with the growing popularity of fantasy football, which puts Bortles under some undue scrutiny.

The bottom line here is that Bortles is a rookie quarterback who came into the league needing some development; as if that wasn’t enough, he also happens to play for a really bad, young team. The best thing the Jaguars and fans can do for Bortles is let him grow. I truly believe he’s going to be a good one.

Ryan O’Halloran: Team Could Risk Victories in 2014 for Health in 2015

David Kohl/Associated Press

Jaguars beat writer Ryan O’Halloran recently put together a piece for The Florida Times-Union highlighting all the injuries Jaguars’ players have dealt with this season. At the end, O’Halloran wondered if it made sense for a bottom-feeding team to consider getting players healthy for the 2015 season.

Here’s what he said:

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Do the Jaguars face a decision if they enter December with a 1-11 record? Do they ask veterans (and rookies) to continue fighting through their aches — with diminished returns — so they can avoid the semi-infamy of winning just one game? Or do they proceed and shut those players down to get an early start on their surgery and/or rehabilitation?

Regardless of the record, my prediction is the security general manager Dave Caldwell enjoys and the confidence he has in coach Gus Bradley will allow him/them to ignore the record and do what’s right for the individual player.

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My Take

This is pretty straightforward. The Jaguars aren’t going to competing for a wild-card spot this season, and the goal of the season is really young-player development.

I believe the Jaguars could have a legitimate shot at being competitive in 2015, but they’ll need to be completely healthy. It wouldn’t be a bad move to take care of the injured players as the season winds down and prepare for a strong 2015.

Gene Frenette and Ben Estes: Jags’ UK Presence Will Keep Them in Jacksonville

John Raoux/Associated Press

Ben Estes is a contributor for Sports Illustrated and spent some time this week talking about the Jaguars’ annual trips to London.

Estes notes, citing a report from Frenette—a writer for the Florida Times-Union—that the Jaguars' partnership with London has actually improved their chances of staying in Jacksonville. Check out what he has to say:

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The extra revenue provided from the London games has allowed the Jaguars to remain stable financially, which means the franchise won't have to move over concerns of continued viability in Jacksonville, according to officials.

Last year, a $63 million renovation of home stadium EverBank Field was approved by the city of Jacksonville, with Khan contributing $20 million of his own money. That and the team's increasing revenues have made it so “nobody talks about blackouts or relocation anymore” for the Jaguars, according to (Mark) Lamping.

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My Take

This is actually a really good point. Ever since Shad Khan took over the franchise it seems to be in a better spot financially. Every year the franchise holds a publicly streamed “State of the Jaguars” conference that displays its economic growth, and I’ll be curious to see how it improves over 2014 alone.

The Jaguars have a fanbase known as the “Bold City Brigade” that has coined the phrase “Duval ‘Til We Die”, and with the way things are going the group wont be disappointed.

The Jaguars should stay in Duval County for the foreseeable future with the savvy business mind of Shad Khan and the potential success they stand to have after they complete their team’s rebuild.

Gur Samuel: Jaguars Are Becoming 'London’s Team'

Nicky Hayes/Associated Press

The NFL’s International Series is always a lot of fun for Jaguars fans, and it’s even more so when they’re playing “America’s Team”—the Dallas Cowboys.

Gur Samuel of SB Nation covers the NFL and the International Series. This week he took time to write about the growing popularity the Jacksonville Jaguars are experiencing across the pond.

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Gus Bradley noted yesterday that having those 50 fans on the sideline during their stretches created ‘an unbelievable atmosphere. We have over 35,000 Union Jax fans to go along on this journey with us along with our fans back home... to start off the week like this is great.’

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The Jaguars' continued presence in London has made them quite popular, and the players are really buying into it. Samuel quoted both Cecil Shorts and rookie Luke Bowanko as players who enjoy the fans in London.

My Take

It’s a good time to fall in love with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Sure, their record isn’t great, and they’re hard to watch. But they have an excellent front office and have solid young pieces in place to build around.

The fact that Shad Khan has made the Jaguars’ international presence a priority and that the Jaguars fanbase has such a big presence on social media make it easy for international fans to feel like a part of the family.

There was a time when Jacksonville was considered a dying market, but the loyal, enthusiastic fans, both locally and internationally, have revived the franchise.

For a team that could badly use a marketing identity, “London’s Team” has a good ring to it.

Jason Bailey: Denard Robinson 'Impressive'

AJ Mast/Associated Press

Jason Bailey is a copy editor over at Grantland and recently published an article highlighting the rise of Denard Robinson.

Bailey clearly admires Robinson and had this to say about him:

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It’s not hard to see Jamaal Charles or Chris Johnson — the dreadlocks sticking out the back of Robinson’s helmet help — when watching Robinson aim directly for his offensive tackles, ready to slipstream into the open field. Because as impressive as Robinson’s 4.43 speed is, it’s his willingness to wait for blocks that really has him succeeding. Like an ambulance with sirens blaring, Robinson can run red lights, but he’s found that stopping briefly at intersections helps prevent disaster, too. This season, he has zero fumbles on 102 touches.

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Bailey goes on to say that if it wasn't for Blake Bortles’ position as the leader in this offense, he believes Robinson would be the offense's outright leader.

My Take

I always thought that Robinson could be a great talent, but I never thought he’d display the all-around ability he has.

Robinson has gone from a “home run hitter” to a legitimate starting running back. Robinson runs with a rare combination of speed, patience and power. Robinson is also smart enough to know when to engage in contact and elude defenders.

At this rate, I think he truly could be one of the next elite backs in the league.