4 critical observations from the ascending Jaguars' win vs. the NY Jets

The Jacksonville Jaguars are slowly but surely turning heads across the NFL. They entered Week 15 riding a four-game streak and needed to fend off the New York Jets if they wanted to stay in the front seat of the race for the AFC South. The Jags came through.

Although New York showed signs of life throughout the game, there was never a question that Jacksonville was in control. Heck, the final score doesn't reflect just how lopsided the final outcome was. In the end, the Jags took care of business and have won 10 games for the first time since 2017.

With this in mind, here are four critical observations from the Jaguars' 48-20 win vs. the NY Jets.

Trevor Lawrence keeps making strides vs. the NY Jets

Following an injury-marred season, Trevor Lawrence was under lots of pressure to deliver in 2025. He got off to a slow start to the season, which led to questions about his future in Duval. However, No. 16 turned the corner after the BYE and hasn't looked back.

Lawrence had at least one interception in each game until Week 12. The past three weeks, though, he hasn't thrown once. On top of that, he's looked the most comfortable he has this season, using both his arm and legs to make plays.

It didn't matter that Lawrence had his right hand taped in the second quarter. He delivered in Week 15, going 20-of-32 for 330 yards with five passing touchdowns. He also added 51 rushing yards and a touchdown on the ground. The fact that he had ample time to throw most definitely helped.

The Jaguars defense spoiled Brady Cook's NFL debut

With Tyrod Taylor and Justin Fields dealing with injuries, New York turned to third-string quarterback Brady Cook to start against the Jags. To nobody's surprise, the undrafted rookie struggled in his NFL debut. Sure, he did throw his first-ever touchdown pass but was also picked off three times. His red-zone interception in the fourth quarter ended whatever hopes the Jets had of mounting a comeback.

Anthony Campanile's unit did give up 20 points but also rattled Cook (three sacks) and forced three turnovers.

Liam Coen has the Jaguars running game going

It helps to have a talented backfield, but there's no doubt that Liam Coen is getting the most out of Travis Etienne, LeQuint Allen, and Bhayshul Tuten.

Tuten and Etienne combined for four touchdowns, and Allen broke off a big run. The trio, along with Lawrence, totaled 109 rushing yards.

One of the reasons Jacksonville hired Coen was because of his ability to turn the Tampa Bay Buccaneers running game into a well-oiled machine. He's quickly working his magic and proving that he's not a one-year wonder.

The Jaguars took care of business in a game they most definitely had to win

In past years, the Jaguars didn't get the spotlight on a consistent basis. And when they did, they came up short of expectations, losing games they were favored to win easily. Liam Coen is bucking the trend.

Although Jacksonville struggled to trounce the struggling Las Vegas Raiders and the Arizona Cardinals, they had no trouble beating the Indianapolis Colts, the Tennessee Titans, and the New York Jets in consecutive weeks. During that stretch, the Jags showed the consistency they sorely lacked in past years.

Now, there are three games left in the schedule. The next one will be against the Denver Broncos, the toughest opponent left on their schedule. But based on how things are playing out, expect the Jags to fully rise to the challenge.