The Jacksonville Jaguars are one bad call away from being 4-0 and leaders in the AFC South. The defense has played lights out for most of the last four games, and the run game has been efficient and, at times, electric. While quarterback Trevor Lawrence has struggled more than new head coach Liam Coen would probably like, his play has been steady enough to win games, and No. 16 (thankfully) didn't throw any picks in the Week 4 win against the San Francisco 49ers.
Though this has led to the team's first 3-1 start since 2018, Jaguars fans must feel like they've been here before. We've had such a run of ups and downs that it's difficult to believe this is sustainable. For the first three weeks, the NFL Power Rankings reflected a shared uncertainty about whether the Jaguars were for real or not.
After an impressive Week 4 win over the previously undefeated 49ers, I think it's time for fans to breathe. Even major sports outlets have finally begun to give the Jaguars some respect in the rankings.
Related: 3 winners (and 2 losers) from Jaguars' Week 4 win against 49ers
NBC's Pro Football Talk and CBS Sports both rank the Jaguars 12th in the Power Rankings
It's taken some time for the Jaguars to garner the respect they deserve in the national media. They've consistently received low rankings despite impressive showings, but thanks to the Week 4 upset, they've finally begun to climb the ladder. NBC's Pro Football Talk and CBS Sports have both ranked them 12th among the 32 teams. As NBC's Mike Florio writes, "Winning ugly is still winning."
CBS Sports provided a little bit more insight into their decision to bump up the Jaguars: "At 3-1, they are one of the surprise teams in the league, led by a defense with 13 takeaways. But here come the Chiefs on Monday night for a big one."
And they're not wrong. The Jaguars' defense has definitely been the story of the year. They lead the league in takeaways (13), interceptions (9), and opposing QBRs (69). They're No. 2 in rushing TDs allowed (1), No. 4 in rushing yards allowed (331), and top ten in yards per carry (3.9). They're winning in the trenches—on both sides of the ball, it should be noted—and that's what's carrying them each week.
More importantly, the defense has shown an ability to make critical plays in critical moments. Aside from the collapse in a Week 2 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals (though, again, bad call...), they've shut down opposing teams' attempts at game-winning, late fourth quarter drives with takeaways—a C.J. Stroud interception in Week 3 and a sack-strip against Brock Purdy in Week 4.
Related: Jaguars just earned amazing grade after dismantling the 49ers
Final thoughts
The season is far from over, though the Jaguars are sitting at 3-1 through the first quarter of the year. They're definitely a surprise and unexpectedly good team, and their play is finally earning the recognition of the national media. Now, can they sustain it through the rest of the regular season?
Monday night's game against the perennially good Kansas City Chiefs will be the real test.