The Jacksonville Jaguars got a massive win over the New York Jets in Thursday Night Football in Week 16, but the victory has an asterisk after the team lost defensive end Dawuane Smoot to injury.
The DL is feared to have torn his Achilles late in the win at MetLife Stadium. Smoot has been excellent for the Jags and one of their best defensive linemen this season; he will undergo an MRI on Friday morning, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
Former NFL head team doctor David J. Chao shared his thoughts on Twitter on Thursday night, expecting Smoot to need surgery for the injury which would end his season.
It would be a devastating blow for a Jaguars' team that now controls their own playoff destiny after a convincing 19-3 win on Thursday. The 7-8 team had just an 8% chance to make the playoffs after Week 13, but following three straight wins, that number has jumped to 54%, according to ESPN Analytics.
The Jags defeated the Tennessee Titans and Dallas Cowboys in Weeks 14 and 15, scoring more than 35 points in both contests. They'll now head to Houston to play the lowly Texans in Week 17 on New Year's Day, before closing out the season at home against the same Titans they beat by 14 two weeks ago.
If Jacksonville can string two more wins together, they'll be locked in for their first playoff appearance since 2017, and just second since 2007. But they'll likely have to do it without one of their best defensive players following Dawuane Smoot's injury on Thursday.
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