Jaguars fall further behind in these AFC South rankings ahead of Week 9

It doesn’t look like the Jaguars won’t move up the rankings anytime soon.

It will be surprising if the Jaguars move up in the AFC South this season. They had the chance to make ground in Week 8 but didn’t take advantage of it. The Colts also lost but are two games ahead of Jacksonville. The Jags are by no means in the thick of the race for the AFC South crown but it would have been nice to see them display signs of growth against the Seahawks.

Based on how things played out so far, the Jaguars will have to adjust expectations for 2021. Heading into the season, it seemed like they would be able to win six or seven games. After eight weeks, three or four may be more realistic. Now, Jacksonville can’t just throw in the towel and must continue working on all those things that have hindered the team in recent weeks.

The Jaguars must cut down the number of penalties and improve on third-down situations. Also, they need to identify who’s going to be part of the team’s long-term future. After all, Jacksonville does have a few talented players, including quarterback Trevor Lawrence, but they also have several question marks on the roster.

Jacksonville is set to have $71 million in cap space in 2022, per Over The Cap. Who will they bring back? Will they pursue any big-name free agents? Also, the Jags will be drafting near the top once again. They must identify what positions need upgrades. Any chatter about offseason moves might seem premature but the Jaguars must focus on the issues they have at hand while planning for the future.