'It’s a true team': From camp to playoffs, the Jaguars have established an unbreakable bond

There was a moment Saturday when everything seemed bleak for the Jaguars, trailing by as many as 27 points to the Chargers and having turned the ball over five times before heading to the locker room.

For most teams, there would be no fight. There wouldn't be a turnaround or miraculous comeback. They'd shut it down and move on with their lives as the clock hit 0:00.

For Jacksonville, though, that didn't happen. The players and coaches wouldn't let it happen because of the belief they have in each other that's been building since training camp. A bond that has gotten tighter over time like a bowline knot.

During the game, Jaguars defensive lineman Roy Robertson-Harris went up to offensive players, including Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence, repeating the phrase, "we got your back", not willing to be discouraged by the scoreboard that showed 27-0.

The defense did have their back. After the offense scored a late first-half touchdown, the Jaguars' defense allowed just three points by the Chargers' offense. They forced two punts, while Los Angeles converted just one out of two of their field-goal opportunities. Complete domination.

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Though it appears like a small moment between teammates on the surface, the team's comeback was a result of their togetherness and belief in one another. That enabled a 27-point comeback, the third-largest comeback in postseason history. The largest comeback in Jaguars history.

The type of belief that is rare to see with a brand-new coaching staff and a new assortment of players. A culture change that isn't often realistic in just 18 games played.

They brought in the right people, and those that didn't fit aren't there anymore, Jaguars offensive coordinator Press Taylor said on Wednesday.

"You hope you make those decisions, and it works out where you’ve got the right type of chemistry and the right type of character for these guys to come together when it matters most," said Taylor.

"This season has kind of forged the relationships that you’re seeing now, of that we’ve gone through hard times, we’ve gone through it together, we’ve prepared together, we’ve spread the wealth."

The Jaguars began the year 3-6 heading into their Week 10 matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs. They'd gone through a five-game losing streak during that span and went on to lose their game against the Chiefs, 27-17. Following that game, a turnaround occurred with Jacksonville now 7-1 since that time.

A five-game losing streak and, now, six-game winning streak in the same season simply doesn't happen often. Unless that team has grown, come together, and forged its own path, not deterred by outside noise.

On spreading the wealth and being an unselfish team, Jacksonville had four receivers with more than 500 yards in the regular season. Three players — receivers Zay Jones and Christian Kirk, along with tight end Evan Engram — caught 70-or-more passes, accounting for 700-or-more yards each.

Spreading wealth, overcoming adversity and continuing to believe. That's how Jacksonville has been built this year.

"All that stuff just forges the identity of a team that you hope right now brings together what you’re seeing and everybody is together believing in each other, supporting one another, and doing everything we can to win,” said Taylor.

A bond cultivated in camp, manifests throughout the season

The genesis of the Jaguars' turnaround doesn't start just after the team's five-game losing streak or blowout loss to the Lions. It starts, as cliche as it sounds, during the dog days of camp. That's when players initially get to know each other. They meet every day, practice for hours and head back home to rest.

There's nothing to do but talk to one another, learn and perhaps take a moment to pay a visit to a new teammate's house. This can occur during the season, too, even a small trip to Waffle House can bring out the best in teammates.

For Jones, his bond with Lawrence started way back then. Lawrence and his wife, Marissa, invited him to their home. They'd play Quiplash and get to know one another.

Though it seems innocuous, little gatherings like that have built up over time to forge the bond the team has to this day. With any successful group or team, when people know each other's backstories there's more reason for bonding to occur. You can have more empathy and understanding for one another.

"So, now we have a different bond and relationship because I feel like I know you more now, I'm playing for more purpose," Jones said during camp in August. "So, when you don't bond with your teammates it's kinda like that lunch pail, we just go to work and leave. It's just like, what are we really doing?"

That was just the start of one teammate getting to know the other. It all culminated to the point where Jacksonville was on Saturday night last weekend.

During one play in particular, Jones didn't get enough depth on a route. Regardless of the circumstances, he had to push through. That's when Lawrence heightened his tone to course-correct the seven-year vet.

"Trevor yelled at me for the first time on Saturday, which caught me off guard, but I was kind of happy at the same time. So, he's displaying a new level of leadership," Jones said Tuesday.

Moments later, Lawrence apologized, but, to Jones, it was fine, it's what he wants to see because it shows just how close and comfortable the two have gotten over the course of a season.

"You need me to do something, and like, I will know that, I won't let you down in that aspect," Jones said. "I'll make sure I'm on it for you. We're always going, it's never perfect, but I was extremely happy to see that he was comfortable enough to do that."

It's one thing for a coach to yell, another for a 23-year-old quarterback to do it. It's about accountability, Jones said.

"If we're holding each other accountable to the standard that we set for ourselves," he said. "I think that's what makes a team special."

Like others, Lawrence isn't necessarily a rowdy personality. He won't yell often, but the circumstances he's under this year — with the culture created by head coach Doug Pederson — have allowed him to come out of his shell, so to speak.

It's not timidness, moreso growing up, coming into his own. It's what's enabled the team to push forward, what has given them a belief that as long as he's back there at QB, they've always got a chance.

“I don’t like to talk about it, but it happened in Tampa when I was down there," Jaguars defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell said Wednesday. "When you have a guy, we had [quarterback Tom] Brady, and I’m not comparing the two, Trevor is his own guy, but when you have a guy that you believe in, as a defense, it matters to you.

"When you’re down 27, and you still believe you can win because you know who you have on the other side of the ball, it matters, and that’s the big point. There was no hanging your head. There was nobody worried about anything."

That's been the team's modus operandi this season.

"It was, get a stop, get the ball back to the offense, get another stop, get the ball back to the offense because of who we know we have on the other side," Caldwell continued. "That’s something that this year, offense has bailed us out a bunch of times, we’ve helped them out.

"It’s a true team that’s rolling right now.”

'Accountability': Jaguars' bond extends beyond quarterback

It isn't just the team's quarterback that has taken on new levels of leadership — it's the entire team.

After the game, Jaguars outside linebacker Travon Walker took a moment with his teammates to thank them for having his back, professing his love for them as teammates and brothers.

Walker was flagged for unnecessary roughness during the fourth quarter of the contest, giving Los Angeles a first down and extending their drive. The Chargers went on to miss a field-goal opportunity, one of the many key plays that enabled the victory.

"The great thing to see about the guys is how you see everyone lean on one another, encouraging one another, which is beautiful," Jaguars defensive lineman Foley Fatukasi said in the locker room Tuesday.

"No one's pointing the finger and the level of accountability … it's productive, in how we keep each other accountable. So, it's amazing to see."

Reaching the apotheosis of both accountability and growth enabled the Jaguars to overcome the adversity they faced against the Chargers.

"There was a lot of belief at halftime that we could [win]. The guys felt it and it just showed me again how close this group is, how tight this group is," Pederson said Monday. "No matter what adversity or challenges that face us, we’re willing to take them on, to tackle them and overcome them.”

Everybody was on board to do whatever it took to win. That same mentality will now be carried into the Divisional Round of the playoffs.

The Jaguars are set to face off against the top-seeded Kansas City Chiefs, a rematch of their Week 10 contest at Arrowhead Stadium.

It will be no easy task for the Jaguars to pull off the upset — currently, the team is entering the game as an 8.5-point underdog. But, it's clear to see they believe they can do it — and they believe in each other.

Sometimes that's all that matters, as Caldwell indicated Wednesday.

"It’s about the message [Pederson] brought to the entire team, and the guys believe," Caldwell said. "We believe in each other, and when you believe anything can happen.”

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

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: How unity carried Jaguars to NFL playoffs, Divisional Round vs. Chiefs