The Jacksonville Jaguars just absolutely smoked the Baltimore Ravens 33-10 on Thursday Night Football, boosting their record to 6-2 and giving them a sweet lead in the AFC South. You’d think everyone in Jacksonville would be popping champagne, right? Nope. Linebacker Foye Oluokun is out here dropping truth bombs, warning his team that wins can’t “mask stuff” they need to fix.
The Big Win, The Bigger Warning
Look, 33-10 against the Ravens, that’s a statement game for sure. The Jags are 6-2, comfortably leading their division, and look set to grab another AFC South title. But Oluokun isn’t about to let anyone get complacent. He told reporters point blank, “You win and it feels great. We can’t let wins mask stuff. You’ve always got stuff to improve.” He’s been around long enough to know the score. He’s seen teams ride the high of winning straight into a wall because they stopped grinding. The veteran linebacker knows it’s “all about who’s playing the best in December and then we make that run in January and February.” This team needs to keep learning, even when they’re winning, and keep improving “all the way through the year.”
Ghosts of December Past
Oluokun isn’t just spouting clichés. He’s speaking from hard-earned experience. He’s in his ninth NFL season, with five of those years spent in Jacksonville. He remembers the lean years, but more importantly, he remembers the season when they “let a lot slide because we were winning.” That was likely the 2023 season. The Jaguars were cruising, sitting pretty at 8-3. Everyone thought they were unstoppable. Then came December, and the wheels just flew off. They lost five of their final six games, completely blew their playoff shot, and even got head coach Doug Pederson fired because of the meltdown. Second-year head coach Liam Coen is enjoying success now, but Oluokun’s memory of that epic collapse is clearly fueling his urgency.
Oluokun’s Leadership and The No. 1 Seed Chase
On the field, Oluokun is absolutely walking the talk. Against the Ravens, he led the team with seven tackles, plus snagged a sack and a tackle for loss. This guy is a tackling machine, currently leading the team with 58 combined tackles. He’s on pace to blow past 100 tackles for the seventh straight season! His message is clear: the most “advantageous situation” for the playoffs is that No. 1 seed in the conference. That means a first-round bye and home-field advantage all the way through the postseason. Right now, the Jaguars are sitting at the No. 3 seed in the AFC, trailing the Denver Broncos and Buffalo Bills. Denver actually holds the head-to-head tiebreaker after beating the Jags 20-13 back in Week 2. So yeah, the Jaguars are winning, and Oluokun is leading by example on the field. But his message is crystal clear: keep grinding, keep improving, because December and January are where real contenders are made. They’re sitting at the No. 3 seed now, but that No. 1 spot? That’s the prize, and they can’t afford to let anything “slide” if they want it.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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