courtesy jaguars.com

There is an excitement in the air around Jacksonville, Florida that has not been felt in over five years.  This town has always been supportive of its football team, but it’s an extra sense of unity one does not normally feel during football season.  What makes this weekend different from others?

For the first time in over five years, the Jacksonville Jaguars return to Monday Night Football.  Not only is the significant, but the Big Cats are also facing the Superbowl Champions the Pittsburgh Steelers.  Normally when facing the Steelers I would favor the opponent and the case would be closed, but in this instance I would have to say this is an entirely different circumstance.

Why, you ask?  First of all, Pittsburgh has never beaten the Jaguars during a Monday night game.  True:  they have been victorious during other nights/days, but not on a Monday night.  Second, look at the fan support.  I grew up in another NFL town (New Orleans) and the fans can’t even compare to Jacksonville. 

Third and most important, the Jaguars are discovering a key ingredient to on-field success:  team unity.  We saw last week how Byron Leftwich started to show some maturity and try to make some command decisions with the football.  Perhaps he still is not where he needs to be, but there is some definite improvement.  This type of leadership comes from having the on-field experience.

It should be interesting to see how the Big Cats fare this week.  It’s a great deal of pressure to perform well on the field every week, but this seems to add a great deal more.  The Jaguar players, however, seem up for the challenge and in my opinion will be able to deliver as expected.

I strongly encourage my fellow citizens to wear your teal shirts on Monday in support of our team.

Until next time, be kind to each other…