When the Jacksonville Jaguars beat the Indianapolis Colts, they achieved something they hadn't done in 20 years: They racked up 12 wins in a season, a feat they hadn't accomplished since 2005. What makes it even more impressive is the fact that it only took head coach Liam Coen 16 games to pull it off.
With one game left, the Jags have a chance to win 13 games. If they get it done, this would make it their most successful season since 1999, when they went 14-2. Simply put, Coen has done a great job of steering the ship in the right direction. But as impressive as this 2025 Jacksonville team is, there are other clubs that are generating plenty of hype ahead of the playoffs, and understandably so.
Not surprisingly, the top of most NFL Power Rankings is stacked with several teams with a legitimate chance to make a deep playoff run. With this in mind, here's a look at how the Jaguars stack up against other clubs following the win against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 7.
The Jaguars remain in the top 3 of a handful of NFL Power Rankings after the Colts win
Pete Prisco of CBS Sports kept the Jags at No. 3 in his power ranking, noting that they're a real threat in the playoffs. Here's the skinny.
"They are a real threat in the AFC playoffs," Prisco wrote. "They aren't great in any one area, but they don't have weaknesses like some of the teams."
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk ranked the New England Patriots second and put the Jaguars at No. 3, wondering if they peaked too soon. Still, they made the top 3, so it wasn't a steep dropoff.
Frank Schwab of Yahoo! Sports, for his part, gave Jacksonville the sixth spot in his ranking, stating that he doesn't rule out a deep playoff run.
At the top five of most power rankings, the Seattle Seahawks sit at the top. The Patriots and the Denver Broncos routinely pop up, with the San Francisco 49ers also earning consideration. And that's the thing, the Jaguars may be able to beat any of those teams (they already defeated the Niners and Denver). However, they also lost to the Hawks, and the results of the regular season don't have a bearing on the playoffs, so there's a chance Jacksonville could lose a rematch.
Related: Herm Edwards warns other AFC teams the Jags are quickly becoming dangerous
The Jaguars can go toe-to-toe with any team in the playoffs
At this point, it's hard to call the Jaguars a fluke or anything of the sort. After all, they have had legitimate wins this season (five against playoff teams, tied for the most in the NFL) and are playing their best football ahead of the playoffs. Sure, Liam Coen made a few calls against the Colts that he would like to have back. However, he now has a better grasp of what works and doesn't.
Similarly, Trevor Lawrence had a red-zone pick in Week 17, but that won't undo his performance in recent weeks. Granted, Indianapolis made the Jags earn their win, but that's often the case in divisional games. And despite finding resistance, Jacksonville found a way to come out on top, which what ultimately matters.
Ultimately, most analysts are starting to give the Jaguars their due because they've shown they can achieve big things in 2025. And when the playoffs roll, they'll have a chance to prove they're more than the third-best team in the NFL.