JACKSONVILLE – Arden Key likes the Jaguars' style.
The veteran defensive lineman says that style isn't about beauty. Or grace, necessarily. He also said it's OK that the Jaguars aren't about those things.
Because their style instead is pretty cool.
"We're not a pretty team," Key said. "We're just not a pretty team. We're going to get down and dirty with a lot of teams. We did that early in the year. We've finally realized we're not a cute team.
"We're going to run the ball, stop the run and get to the passer. That's what we're doing."
Key, a fifth-year NFL defensive lineman in his first season with the Jaguars, joined senior writer John Oehser for this 2022 Week 17 O-Zone Podcast. He discussed multiple topics, including why he believes the Jaguars have played their way into first place in the AFC South.
"We just all get along," he said. "That's what it takes to be a great team, for all phases to come together as one."
The Jaguars, after a 2-6 start, have won five of seven games. They are guaranteed to play for the South title in next week's Week 18 regular-season finale against the Tennessee Titans.
Key said he expected such success as far back as 2022 Training Camp.
"I saw the talent," Key said. "I knew the talent, then you kind of look around your division and put your roster against everyone else's roster. I said, 'I need to wait until the pads come on,' but once those pads came on, I knew were good. We were special."
Key, a third-round selection by the Oakland Raiders in the 2018 NFL Draft, spent three seasons with the Raiders and registered three sacks during that span. He played the 2021 season with the San Francisco 49ers with six sacks and has been equally productive in his first season for the Jaguars with 4.5 sacks through 15 games.
Key also developed quickly into a leader in the Jaguars' locker room.
"I'm an Energizer bunny," he said. "I'm going to bring energy whether we win or whether we lose. This game is fun. I take that literally."
And make no mistake: Key – who signed a one-year contract last offseason and who said he wants to be a part of the Jaguars' future – said this team not only is fun now but could stay that way for a while.
"It's beautiful," he said. "When you look at the length of people's contract, most everybody will be here next year. You've got some people who's contract you have to figure out, but mostly everybody will be here next year. There was some ironing we had to get through from early in the year to now.
"We all went through that, but we have found the formula. Our foundation is strong."
Listen to the entire O-Zone Podcast with Key below. To view more O-Zone Podcast episodes, click HERE.
