Liam Coen is the only first-time head coach in NFL history to win 12 or more games after taking over a team that had four or fewer wins the previous season. Jacksonville has won seven straight games with the league’s best point differential in that span (+119). They’re a win against the 3-13 Titans away from winning the AFC South and clinching a top-three AFC playoff seed.
For the last time this season, we rounded up the latest NFL power rankings to see if the Jaguars are getting the national respect
they deserve.
Pro Football Talk: 3 (last week: 2)
From Mike Florio:
Hopefully, they didn’t peak too soon.
CBS Sports: 3 (3)
From Pete Prisco:
They are a real threat in the AFC playoffs. They aren’t great in any one area, but they don’t have weaknesses like some of the teams.
NFL.com: 3 (5)
From Eric Edholm:
The Jaguars were pretty shaky early against the Colts, fortunate to only be trailing 10-7 at the half. Then the offense got going, the defense clamped down and the better team won — it was the Jags’ seventh straight victory in a breakthrough season few saw coming. What they’ve done since their Week 8 bye has been nothing short of admirable, and they’re as legitimate a contender as just about anyone in the AFC field right now. But there is one area they absolutely can improve in prior to the postseason: the red zone. Their 60% TD rate down there ranks them in the upper half of the league, and their 39 TDs are impressive, but Sunday brought two more RZ turnovers, raising their season total to six. Coughing it up twice in the money zone against Indianapolis is one thing; doing so in a playoff game would be another entirely.
The Athletic: 3 (5)
From Josh Kendall and Chad Graff:
Head coach check-in: Worth the trouble
Remember all the fuss in January when Liam Coen sort of snuck out of Tampa Bay under the cover of night? Nobody in Jacksonville does. The Jaguars matched the franchise’s highest win total since 1999, making Coen the only first-year coach in league history to inherit a four-win team and win 12 or more games the next season. Jacksonville has won seven in a row and hosts Tennessee to end the season.
USA Today: 4 (3)
From Nate Davis:
Why aren’t they No. 1 … even though they might wind up there in the overall AFC standings? Their seven-game winning streak, most of those victories of the decisive variety, is currently second only to Houston’s. The Jags are committed to the run, take the ball away and can rush the passer. But as well as QB Trevor Lawrence has played since Thanksgiving, he also remains an unproven commodity − at the professional level anyway − when it comes to January football.
The Ringer: 4 (4)
I abandoned all of my stock in Trevor Lawrence in 2024, so I won’t come crawling all the way back to the bandwagon just because times are good now. But what we’ve seen lately from Lawrence is exactly what I hoped he could do in a competent passing game. Lawrence’s confidence is at an all-time high, he’s moving around better than ever, and his receivers have consistently made plays after the catch.
Because I’ve been down this road before with Lawrence and the Jags, I am preparing myself for heartbreak in the playoffs. Until then, I’m having a hell of a good time watching from afar.
Bleacher Report: 4 (6)
From Maurice Moton:
As weeks pass, the Jacksonville Jaguars are gaining respect, and yet, they deserve more of it. They’re a win away from claiming the AFC South title after a 4-13 campaign last year.
Offensive-minded head coach Liam Coen has Trevor Lawrence playing his best football. In Week 17, Lawrence threw his first interception in five games, but he led Jacksonville to a victory with two rushing scores.
Also, the Jaguars defense has tightened up over the past month, allowing fewer than 21 points in five consecutive outings.
Fox Sports: 5 (5)
From Ralph Vacchiano:
I abandoned all of my stock in Trevor Lawrence in 2024, so I won’t come crawling all the way back to the bandwagon just because times are good now. But what we’ve seen lately from Lawrence is exactly what I hoped he could do in a competent passing game. Lawrence’s confidence is at an all-time high, he’s moving around better than ever, and his receivers have consistently made plays after the catch.
Because I’ve been down this road before with Lawrence and the Jags, I am preparing myself for heartbreak in the playoffs. Until then, I’m having a hell of a good time watching from afar.
ESPN: 6 (5)
From Mike DiRocco:
What we learned this season: Quarterback Trevor Lawrence is finally the player the Jaguars thought they were getting with the 2021 No. 1 pick.
Lawrence had played very good football in spurts, but never before at the level that coach Liam Coen has unlocked this season. Since Week 11, Lawrence ranks fourth in QBR (76.8), passing yards (1,754) and yards per attempt (8.2) — and he’s tied for the NFL lead with 16 TD passes. The Jags are 7-0 in that stretch. Blitzing Lawrence used to be the way to go, but over the past three games, he’s completing at least 70% of his passes against the blitz, with eight TDs and only one interception.
Yahoo Sports: 6 (8)
From Frank Schwab:
The Jaguars weren’t just going to walk to an AFC South title, and they were in trouble when the Colts took a 17-14 lead in the third quarter. But this Jaguars team is ascending for a reason. The defense pitched a fourth-quarter shutout and the Jags came back to win. Now all they need is a home win over the Titans in Week 18 to go 13-4 and clinch a division title. What a first season for head coach Liam Coen. And there’s no reason the Jaguars can’t make a deep playoff run. They’re playing as well as anyone.
Sports Illustrated: 7 (7)
From Conor Orr:
A fun bit of oddity from Action News Jacksonville [shoutout Daniel Griffis!]: The Jaguars’ quarterback leads the team in rushing touchdowns and its running back leads the team in receiving touchdowns. It’s certainly not the way any of us drew it up, but who is standing in front of this train right now?
The Jaguars’ average rank this week is 4.5 (last week: 5.1).
Where would you rank the team, Jaguars fans? Let us know in the comments!
