Jaguars roundtable: How have expectations changed as team gets ready to take on Colts?

The NFL's regular season is finally here and the Jacksonville Jaguars are set to head into their second season under head coach Doug Pederson.

Following last year's remarkable playoff run, expectations surrounding the team are as high as they've been in at least five years since the team stunned the league by making a run to the AFC Championship Game during the 2017-18 season.

This year feels different, though.

Trevor Lawrence is simply different: Colts won't get the same Jaguars quarterback they split with last year

The Jaguars finally have a quarterback worth talking about beyond the typical 'how will he do?' questions. Now, the question remains whether or not quarterback Trevor Lawrence will not just lead the team to a Super Bowl this year, but also whether or not he will be the league's Most Valuable Player.

Those aren't necessarily the questions we are asking this week, though. In this week's edition of the Times-Union roundtable, we asked our sports staff that covers the Jaguars on a regular basis questions about the team heading into the season, but also their upcoming matchup against the Indianapolis Colts.

How have your expectations changed from the start of training camp to now?

Demetrius Harvey: I think my expectations for the team haven't changed too much, perhaps the expectations were confirmed a bit. Trevor Lawrence looks like a superstar quarterback in the making and the team's offense is running even more efficiently than I expected right out of the gate.

No games have been played, but if we are going off of what the team showed in camp and in the preseason, they're primed for a phenomenal year. My defensive expectations have shifted a bit from concerning to steady. I think the defense will be a lot better this year than people expect.

Gene Frenette: I don't think expectations have changed from within the locker room. It's a supremely confident group that knows it has a chance to do big things and be a legit Super Bowl contender. However, as the preseason hype has built up nationally around the Jaguars, I believe it's created a bit of a bandwagon effect with both the fan base and casual NFL observers.

Like, hey, the Jaguars could really be on to something. The days of them being a joke are over. They're a trendy pick, especially with media that like to be provocative for the sake of clicks or notoriety. But the honest truth is that what the Jaguars did in the second half of last year and the rise of Trevor Lawrence has altered so much perspective about this team, which looks like it's going to be the champion of a weak division and a tough out in the playoffs.

Juston Lewis: My expectations haven’t changed. This team is hungry. They left last season feeling like they left food on the table and they’re going into the season with the expectations to improve on the success that they already had.

Garry Smits: The depth at wide receiver and secondary is much stronger than I thought it would be, with veterans Tim Jones and Elijah Cooks in one room and rookies Christian Braswell and Antonio Johnson, and improved veterans Gregory Junior and Buster Brown in the other.

This bodes well for special teams coverage and the Jags have better options at nickel corner if Tre Herndon starts to age. The depth at the offensive and defensive line could be problematic.

Let's play an over/under game

Trevor Lawrence passing yards (o/u 4,100)

Harvey: Over.

Frenette: Over.

Lewis: Under.

Smits: Over. Calvin Ridley alone will ensure that.

Travis Etienne rushing yards (o/u 1,000)

Harvey: Over.

Frenette: Over.

Lewis: Under.

Smits: Under. He may get fewer carries because he can't take the contact that he endured last year forever and Tank Bigsby is the real deal. Doug Pederson has already proven he doesn't need a 1,000-yard back to win in this league.

Travon Walker and Josh Allen combined sacks (o/u 13.5)

Harvey: Over. I expect big things from both Walker and Allen.

Frenette: Over.

Lewis: Under.

Smits: Over. But not by much. These two guys affect the quarterback's throws by making him move in the pocket and getting in his face but they need to put those guys on the ground more often.

Calvin Ridley receiving yards (o/u 1,000)

Harvey: Over. This one is tough. Ridley is going to be coming off a 1.5-year hiatus from football, but he looked like he never left the field this preseason, so I'll go with the over and it'll be by a good margin.

Frenette: Over.

Lewis: Over.

Smits: Over. Again, not by much for three reasons, Christian Kirk, Zay Jones and Evan Engram. They're going to get their at-bats.

Andre Cisco interceptions (o/u 3.5)

Harvey: Over. Cisco is primed for a great third season, second year as a starter. He's a ballhawk and sometimes you can't just go away from him.

Frenette: Under.

Lewis: Under.

Smits: Under. Teams may avoid him over the middle, which is good news outside the hashes.

Jaguars win total (o/u 11.5)

Harvey: Over. They'll have some bumps, but I can see 13 wins from this team with four losses to a couple of the powerhouse teams (Buffalo, Kansas City, Cincinnati and San Francisco) and a couple more to teams people are underrating (Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Baltimore and New Orleans).

Frenette: Over.

Lewis: Under.

Smits: Under. 11 wins, because I'm not in agreement that the schedule is easier. The Jaguars meet six playoff teams, five of them divisional winners, spend two weeks in a row in London, play New Orleans and Pittsburgh back-to-back on the road and play four of their last seven games on the road.

Who will be the offensive and defensive MVPs for Jacksonville this year and why?

Harvey: Trevor Lawrence is the obvious answer on offense because it's a passing league.

Tyson Campbell is the pick on defense for me. He is set to become a lock-down cornerback this year rated by the rest of the sports media. He will have a chance to face off against a slew of good receivers including Stefon Diggs, Michael Pittman Jr., Michael Thomas and Chris Olave, Jamarr Chase, Odell Beckham Jr. and Mike Evans.

Frenette: Trevor Lawrence and Josh Allen.

It'd take an off-the-charts season from one of Lawrence's primary weapons to snatch this award from No. 16. Lawrence is pretty good about distributing the ball and using all of his artillery and if this offense has the points explosion many expect, the quarterback will deservedly get the lion's share of credit.

This is a much tougher call because there's no one player who stands much above the rest in terms of impact and importance. I could easily see Tyson Campbell, Travon Walker or Rayshawn Jenkins rising to the MVP level. With Allen being in a contract year and one of their most consistent performers last year, I'll give him the nod.

Lewis: Calvin Ridley and Tyson Campbell.

Ridley is coming into this season with a bit of a chip on his shoulder. He has personal expectations to meet and I think with Doug Pederson exploiting matchups he’ll have some pretty impressive stat lines.

This was the offseason that saw Campbell mature into a leader for the Jaguars. The next step in his progress is doing it on the field.

Smits: Trevor Lawrence and Devin Lloyd.

If this is a playoff team, it's because Trevor Lawrence has an MVP season.

I would have gone with tackle DaVon Hamilton on defense had he not injured his back, based on his outstanding training camp. But here's one out of left field (maybe): linebacker Devin Lloyd. He's improved measurably from last season and looks like he'll be a key factor in pass defense, especially against tight ends.

What must the team do this weekend against the Colts to come out on top?

Harvey: Don't turn the football over. All games can be lost if you give away free possessions and Jacksonville had its fair share of turnovers early in the season last year. They'll need to just play controlled and should be able to coast to a win.

Frenette: Protecting Trevor is paramount because a big reason the Colts won two of the four games in the past two years is they got the quarterback to the ground on seven combined sacks in those two wins, but only once total in the Jaguars' two victories.

With Colts' QB Anthony Richardson making his NFL debut, the one avenue for Indianapolis to spring the upset is to have at least a plus-two margin in takeaways. This is the closest thing the Jaguars may have to a gimme-putt all season.

Lewis: Start fast. They’re clear and away the more talented roster. But they need to execute and show it.

Richardson is talented enough to make magic happen on his own. Jacksonville doesn’t want to give him or the Colts any hope by allowing them to hang around.

Smits: The same against any team with a mobile quarterback: minimize his big plays. With no Jonathan Taylor at running back, the Jags can focus on Anthony Richardson. And throw the book at him. Vanilla is no longer the flavor of the month.

Demetrius Harvey is the Jacksonville Jaguars reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on X,  formerly known as Twitter, at @Demetrius82.

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This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: What will the Jaguars look like during the regular season?