The butt of jokes for years, the Jacksonville Jaguars finally stole the show.
Shad Khan's team clinched a playoff berth with Sunday's 45-7 victory over the Houston Texans. It's the Jags' first postseason appearance since 2007. Since Khan bought the team in November of 2011, Jacksonville had never even earned more than five wins in any year.
"I've been through life when I was a laughingstock, whatever business I was in -- auto parts, what have you -- and then you have to stay with it, and success comes," the owner said after the playoff-clinching win, via ESPN. "It's a story of perseverance."
In Khan's first five full seasons as owner, the Jags were laughably 17-63. Sunday's victory pushed Jacksonville to 10-4, with an inside track to its first division title since 1999.
"What a feeling," Khan said. "It's unbelievable. To win it and win it the way we did today [is] mind-blowing. ... I'm always an optimistic guy and certainly whatever I was hoping for, it's that and more. I think it's been a long time coming, and I'm so grateful to be here and have the city support us."
The most mind-blowing aspect of the past month is Blake Bortles going from liability to asset as the Jags reeled off three straight wins by scoring 30 or more points in each tilt. A Super Bowl caliber defense now owns a complementary big-play offense. And Jacksonville is a team no one should take lightly come January.
What was once a laughable thought is now a reality: The Jags are a championship contender.
Mind. Blown.
