2017 Jacksonville Jaguars season
The [2017 National Football League|NFL season|2017 season] was the Jacksonville Jaguars' 23rd in the National Football League and their first under head coach Doug Marrone. Marrone was hired after acting as the team's interim head coach for the final two games of the 2016 season. The team improved on their 3–13 record from 2016 and ended their 10-year playoff drought dating back to 2008 with a Week 15 win over the [2017 2017 Houston Texans season|Houston Texans season|Houston Texans]. They also secured their first winning season since 2007 after a 30–24 win over the Seattle Seahawks. On December 24, 2017, they clinched their third division title, and their first AFC South title following a [2017 2017 Tennessee Titans season|Tennessee Titans season|Tennessee Titans] loss. They won the wild card game against the [2017 2017 Buffalo Bills season|Buffalo Bills season|Buffalo Bills] 10–3, then headed to Pittsburgh, beating the [2017 2017 Pittsburgh Steelers season|Pittsburgh Steelers season|Pittsburgh Steelers] 45–42 to advance to the AFC Championship to face the [2017 2017 New England Patriots season|New England Patriots season|New England Patriots], the first time that they had made the AFC Championship Game since 1999. Despite leading for much of the game, the Jaguars allowed two fourth quarter touchdowns, and ultimately lost to the Patriots 24–20.
The biggest catalyst for the Jaguars success during the 2017 season was their defense. Jacksonville finished in the top of the league in multiple defensive categories, and were considered "historically good" by some analysts. The Jaguars defense led the league in forced fumbles, completion percentage, passing yards allowed per game, passer rating and defensive touchdowns. They also finished second in sacks, interceptions, total takeaways, yards allowed per game and points allowed per game. Along with their spectacular defense, the Jaguars were also the top rushing offense in the NFL, averaging 141 rush yards per game.
The Jaguars would neither make the playoffs nor win the division again until 2022.
Offseason
NFL draft
Draft trades- The Jaguars traded TE Julius Thomas to Miami for its seventh-round selection.
- The Jaguars traded their second- and sixth-round selections to Seattle for its second-round selection.
Regular season
Schedule
On December 13, 2016, the NFL announced that the Jaguars would play host to the Baltimore Ravens at Wembley Stadium in London, England, as part of their commitment to the London Games. The game occurred during Week 3, and was televised in the United States. The kickoff was announced in conjunction with the release of the regular season schedule.The remainder of the Jaguars' 2017 schedule was finalized and announced on April 20.
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.