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Two years ago, the Jacksonville Jaguars looked like they were next up in the AFC. They had just won 10 games, captured the AFC South division title and made it all the way to the AFC Championship Game where they came within one quarter of beating the New England Patriots.
Entering the 2018 campaign, many felt that the Jaguars could make it to the Super Bowl thanks to a dominant defense and a strong ground game led by Leonard Fournette.
Jacksonville ended up winning just five games, going 2-10 over its final 12 contests en route to missing the playoffs.
The Jags have since undergone some significant changes, particularly at quarterback where the Jaguars decided to replace the much-maligned Blake Bortles with Nick Foles.
Expectations for the Jaguars are not very high entering 2019, but maybe that's a good thing.
Here are three X-factors for Jacksonville to get back to where it was two seasons ago.
3. How will the New-Look Offensive Line Fit?
The Jaguars' offensive line was horrendous in 2018, largely due to the fact that left tackle Cam Robinson went down for the season with a torn ACL after Week 2. Jacksonville will be getting Robinson back for this season, and it also made a couple of moves to address the line during the offseason, signing Cedric Ogbuehi and drafting Jawaan Taylor.
Make no mistake about it: in order for the Jags to come even close to performing the way they did in 2017, the offensive line has to be significantly better than it was this past season.
Robinson's recovery will be monumental, and how Ogbuehi and Taylor fit into the scheme will be huge, as well.
2. Leonard Fournette's Conditioning
Fournette played in just eight games this past season due to injuries, but even when he was on the field, he looked like he was playing at half speed, rushing for just 439 yards and five touchdowns while averaging a meager 3.3 yards per carry.
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![Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen looks on during a rookie minicamp at Miller Electric Center Saturday, May 10, 2025 in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]](https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Liam-Coen-at-Jaguars-OTAs.jpg)
Tom Coughlin chastised Fournette after the season, questioning his desire and demeanor after an incredibly lackluster campaign in which Fournette looked slow and out of shape.
The third-year back has supposedly been working very hard during the offseason, but it remains to be seen just how good Fournette's conditioning will be come the regular season.
If he has another bad year, the Jaguars will be in trouble, and so will Fournette.
1. The Nick Foles-Chris Conley Connection
Foles spent one season with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2016, and during that season, he and wide receiver Chris Conley developed a good relationship.
Now, both players are on the Jaguars, and with Jacksonville lacking a whole lot of talent in the receiving corps, the connection between Foles and Conley could end up paying dividends.
Conley had the best year of his NFL career with Foles under center in 2016, hauling in 44 receptions for 530 yards.
He is coming off of a 2018 campaign in which he caught just 32 passes for 334 yards and five touchdowns, but that was on a loaded Chiefs offense in which he was not one of the top options.
Now, Conley may find himself as one of Foles' main targets in the Jags' limited passing game, and the positive history between the two players may end up being the best part of Jacksonville's offense in 2019.
