National rankings are tough but fair to these Jacksonville Jaguars

There’s a consensus about the Jacksonville Jaguars in the rankings.

Winning games has been a difficult task for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Even though they have been competitive at times and have been close to getting a few victories, they have fallen short in the end. They currently have a 1-8 record and the national power rankings reflect that.

Head coach Doug Marrone says that it every time he loses a game, his soul ‘gets [expletive] ripped out‘. If losing is really making Marrone feel bad, maybe he should look for ways to win more games. It’s true the Jaguars don’t have the most talented roster and their front office has failed to adequately add difference-makers but winning just one game is not enough.

To make matters worse, it doesn’t seem like there’s a plan in place or a sense of direction. In Marrone’s defense, he could get the pink slip at the end of the season, so it might not really matter what he does or doesn’t do.

On the other hand, we have to give this Jacksonville team and its head coach credit. They are still playing hard and contributors such as running back James Robinson and linebacker Myles Jack are still performing at a high level in spite of the team’s losing record.

There’s a consensus when it comes to these Jacksonville Jaguars.

Jaguars players are indeed playing hard week in and week out, but that doesn’t change the fact they have the second-worst record in the NFL. The national media is aware of this Jacksonville team’s struggles, ranks them 31st, and agrees that only the New York Jets are worse than them.

In its Week 11 Power Rankings, Dan Hazus of NFL Media highlights James Robinson’s performance against the Green Packers in Week 10. He also points out the ‘Jags’ ‘went back and forth’ but ultimately lost the game.

Matt Williamson of Pro Football Network notes the Jaguars fought hard in Week 10 and took a step in the right direction despite their loss. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk says this team is ‘good for 1-8, but still 1-8‘.

All of them are right. While the Jaguars have a few bright spots, they have just one win, so ranking them 31st makes sense.