First of all, apologies for not posting in the last month. I had planned to do full coverage of my trip to Wembley for the 49ers game but the experience took over me and it completely slipped my mind!

Anyway, on to the point of this post.

In Week 12 of the 2012 NFL season the Jacksonville Jaguars beat the Tennessee Titans to improve to 2-9.

In Week 12 of the 2013 NFL season the Jacksonville Jaguars beat the Houston Texans to improve to 2-9.

The feeling around the team could not be more different between the two years.

In 2012 the Jaguars were experiencing what has been referred to by some people as a dumpster fire. Nothing was working. The supposed quarterback of the future was on IR. And it was becoming increasingly obvious that the men in charge had zero idea what they were doing. Following a Week 11 that saw the Jaguars play very well in the first half before losing a large lead in the second half and eventually losing in overtime to the Texans, the Jaguars returned to Everbank Field and defeated a Titans team that was experiencing their own problems. It would prove to be the Jaguars last win in 2012 on their way to a 2-14 record and even in victory it was hard to get excited. The team lacked direction. We, as fans, couldn’t see the light at the end of the tunnel.

In 2013 the Jaguars are going through a complete rebuild. Steady improvement has been the order of the day. We know we’re terrible. But we’re getting better. The new players brought in by the new regime are talented and hungry, if inexperienced. Our starting secondary is made up of three rookies and a free agency pickup on a “prove it” deal. And it has become possibly our strongest position group. Think about that for a moment. The position group that Dave Caldwell and Gus Bradley payed the most attention to in the offseason (the draft especially) is our biggest strength. That has to give you hope for the future if nothing else. This 2-9 team feels VERY different to last years 2-9 team. We’re 2-1 since the bye. As Gus Bradley’s philosophy has permeated through the Jaguars’ facility the team has started to play better and better. The arrow is pointing up for the Jaguars. The future is bright. We may not make the playoffs in 2014. But we will be in contention. And one day, one day soon, there will be a victory parade through the streets of Jacksonville with the Vince Lombardi trophy as the guest of honour.