What Should We Expect?

Riding high off their playoff run the year before, the Jacksonville Jaguars headed into the 2008 season with high expectations. Fans and media alike were touting the Jaguars as a legitimate Super Bowl contender. From the outside looking in, it appears that the organization itself shared those same expectations. Trading up in the first round to select Derrick Harvey and throwing big money at Jerry Porter on the first day of free agency gives one the feeling that the Jaguars were of the belief they were only a player or two away from reaching the big game. By finishing the 2008 season with a 5-11 record, the Jaguars, as well as their fans, were dealt a cold, hard dose of reality. In hindsight, while a healthy Jaguars may have posted a slightly better record, it is clear that the expectations the majority of us had for the 2008 Jaguars were too high. So with that said, what should we realistically expect for the 2009 season? As I wrote in a previous post, I am cautiously optimistic about the 2009 Jacksonville Jaguars. What I expect from the team can be summed up in one word - improvement. At the end of the 2009 season, I want to have seen a team that has shown real improvement. I want to see a team that is heading in the right direction and whose future looks bright. I am not expecting a team that goes deep into the playoffs or even a team that wins the AFC South. While those things would certainly be nice, and I hope for them to take place, I do not expect them. There is a difference between hopes and expectations, a difference that a lot of fans fail to see. My hopes are entirely different than my expectations. Hopes are not always based on reality, while expectations should be realistic. And my expectations for the 2009 Jaguars are to see an improved team who, at the end of the season, are still playing meaningful games, which means I expect them to contend for a wild card spot. Those are my expectations, and I think they are realistic. So what do you think? Are my expectations too high? Too low? What are your expectations? What should we expect?