Jaguars tumble in power ranking continues following loss to Giants

An old adage says something along the lines of you must walk first if you want to start running and the Jacksonville Jaguars are figuring out how to win games the hard way. In fact, you could argue this is some sort of learning season for the Jags, as they’ve shown promise through most of the season but have a 2-5 record following their loss to the New York Giants.

Analysts across the league have often acknowledged that Jacksonville has made strides in 2022 but none of them can justify giving them a high spot in their latest power ranking after four straight losses. Pete Prisco of CBS Sports notes that the Jags have “been in every loss” but rightfully points out that it doesn’t account for much in a game in which winning is what ultimately matters, which is why he has them at No. 29.

Dan Hanzus of NFL Media also gave them the same spot in his most recent power ranking but instead of beating a dead horse and talking about the blunders that played a role in their loss to the Giants, he focused on running back Travis Etienne becoming the Jags’ top running back after trading James Robinson to the New York Jets Monday. Here’s what he had to say.

"The Travis Etienne Show is officially streaming on all formats. The 2021 first-round pick announced his arrival on Sunday, piling up 114 yards on 8.1 yards per carry and his first career touchdown in a narrow loss to the Giants.Etienne was already in line for a bigger role after his breakout performance, but that became official after NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Monday that the Jaguars are trading running back James Robinson to the Jets for a conditional Day 3 draft pick."

The Jaguars still have the talent to turn things around

It was easy to become a victim of the moment (guilty as charged) after the Jaguars beat the Indianapolis Colts and the Los Angeles Chargers in consecutive weeks. The fact that both victories were convincing rightfully made them the talk of the town. But once they moved into the top half of most power rankings, top 10 in some cases, they couldn’t stay on the top and have plummeted considerably over the last month.

Now, the Jaguars didn’t suddenly become bad. The players that helped win games in back-to-back weeks are still on the roster and while they’ve suffered injuries, their core remains healthy. However, costly mistakes, whether they make questionable penalties or turn the ball over, have held them back for the last four weeks.

Ironically, the Jags were favored the last two weeks and will be again against the Denver Broncos, so statisticians and bettors legitimately think they’re talented enough to win football games but they haven’t been able to get out of their own way to make it happen.

The truth is that Jacksonville could get hot at any moment, so opponents can’t afford to take them lightly. Conversely, they could continue to have self-inflicted wounds and keep losing.

All things considered, the Jaguars are close to figuring things out but it’s hard to tell if it will happen this year or next. For the time being, they remain in the cellar of most power rankings. It’s up to them to move back to the top half.