Though every team starts the season with a record of 0-0 and “any given Sunday” anybody can beat anybody, some organizations know the Super Bowl probably isn’t in the cards for them. But just because a season may fall short of the ultimate goal doesn't mean it should be seen as a failure.

That’s where we are with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Outside of the Jaguars’ magical 2017 run to the AFC Championship Game, they have been the laughing stock of the league for the better part of the last decade. If you take out that 10-6 2017 season, the Jaguars haven’t had double-digit wins since 2007, and in fact only have one season of being just .500 or better. If it weren’t for the Cleveland Browns, the Jaguars’ failures as a franchise would be even more publicized than they already are.

As of late, they haven’t done anything to remedy that. They won the first game of the 2020 season only to lose the next 15. Their 1-15 record earned them the No. 1 overall pick, and that is where their redemption story has to begin.

As you would expect with a team that won just one game, they cleaned house after the season. Former head coach Doug Marrone is gone—there are many reasons to believe the failures of Jacksonville over the years weren't all his fault—and in his place is now one of the best college football head coaches of all time in Urban Meyer.

Meyer takes over one of the youngest rosters in the NFL that is at the forefront of a rebuilding phase. However, they are not starting from ground zero. They already have good young talent in the building like pass rusher Josh Allen, cornerback C.J. Henderson, wide receiver D.J. Chark, a good veteran in linebacker Myles Jack, and a pretty solid offensive line. That’s without mentioning some potential X-factor players like running back James Robinson, pass rusher K’Lavon Chaisson, and wide receiver Laviska Shenault. They added to that group of names this offseason with free agents Marvin Jones and Shaquill Griffin, as well as rookies like quarterback Trevor Lawrence, running back Travis Etienne, cornerback Tyson Campbell, and safety Andre Cisco.

If you’re starting a Madden franchise, those are some good young bones to build around.

While there is excitement in inexperience, there is also reason for caution. It would be one thing if the roster was the only thing learning the ropes, but that’s the case with the man running the show at head coach too. For as good as Meyer was in college, he has never coached at the professional level. Not only will have to adjust to what kind of game plans he implements and what kind of players he attracts, but he will also have to adjust how he teaches what he wants his players to do, how to handle success, and also how to handle failure.

A successful season for the Jaguars will be based less on record and more so on the progress of both their head coach and their quarterback. Though the AFC South is not poised to be a strong division in 2021, the Jaguars are most likely not going to be competing for that division title. It is far more likely that they will once again have double-digit losses. However, as was the case with Matt Rhule in his first year in Carolina, a bad record doesn’t mean a bad year. Rhule was able to stabilize the rebuild in Carolina and instill good faith in the direction of the franchise. That is what Meyer must do. Lawrence will also have his struggles in his first year, but the important part of all this is that both he and Meyer do not look lost.

A successful year for Jacksonville is one that will have us even more excited for what they can do in 2022—utilizing the young talent they have and getting Jaguars fans ready to add even more.