Jaguars land near the bottom of 2022 NFL Playoffs power ranking

The Jacksonville Jaguars are ready to host the Los Angeles Chargers in a playoff game in primetime Saturday after beating the Tennessee Titans in the season finale. It’s hard to tell whether they’ll be one-and-done or they will a couple of games but Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports thinks they’re not among the best clubs in the tournament.

Benjamin recently put together a power ranking of all the teams that made the 2022 NFL Playoffs and the Jags popped up at No. 12. The only two clubs below them were the Miami Dolphins and the Seattle Seahawks. Benjamin argues that Doug Pederson deserves Coach of the Year consideration for helping Trevor Lawrence get back on track after a rough rookie campaign. On the other hand, he thinks the Jacksonville defense might not be as good as it seems.

"Doug Pederson probably deserves Coach of the Year consideration for the way he’s helped restore Trevor Lawrence as an ascending star under center, and his guys have played a scrappy brand of football during the five-game win streak to close the year; Pederson’s teams, dating to Philadelphia have always gone out with a fight. But they’re a young group whose defensive holes have likely been masked a bit by going up against the Jets, Texans, and Titans down the stretch."

Benjamin does have a point. The Jaguars allowed just 22 points over the last three weeks of the season but it was against three replacement-level quarterbacks: Davis Mills, Zach Wilson, and Joshua Dobbs. In particular, Dobbs gave them fits and had the Tennessee fighting for most of their Week 18 matchup. Had it not been for safety Rayshawn Jenkins’ forced fumble, Jacksonville might not have won that contest.

On the other hand, the Jags have shown they can win in different games and play complementary football, something they failed to do early in the season. Although the offense has cooled down in recent weeks, the defense has pulled them through.

The Jaguars will have a chance to show how legit they are vs. the Chargers

There are several things that Benjamin got right in his ranking. It’s hard to picture any other club besides the Kansas City Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills occupying the top two spots. Similarly, the San Francisco 49ers don’t seem out of place at No. 3 when you take into account that head coach Kyle Shannahan has managed to keep them afloat despite the fact that they’re down to their third-string quarterback.

On the other hand, it’s a bit surprising to see both the Chargers and the Baltimore Ravens above the Jags when you consider that they already beat both clubs early in the season. Also, the Bolts may be without wide receiver Mike Williams and defensive end Joey Bosa for the Wild Card round, which increases Jacksonville’s chances of winning.

Similarly, Lamar Jackson has been out with a knee injury and his availability for the playoffs is in question. Without him, the Ravens have gone 2-3, which makes you wonder why they’re ranked sixth in the ranking.

Ultimately, there’s only one thing the Jags can do to prove they’re ranked too low and that’s beating the Bolts Saturday. Given that they’ve found ways to win, don’t be surprised if they win at TIAA Bank Field for the second straight week.