Throughout 2025, the Jacksonville Jaguars showed resilience. They managed to start 4-1 despite the fact that they dealt with penalties and drops. They then suffered back-to-back losses to the Seattle Seahawks and the Los Angeles Rams. But instead of folding, Liam Coen's squad used their BYE to regroup and go on to win nine of their last 10 games.
It wasn't always easy, and there were times when it looked like the Jags were going to come crashing down eventually. But against all odds, they went 13-4 and clinched the AFC South. Now, they're headed to the playoffs, and the latest NFL Power Rankings reflect just how hot Jacksonville is right now.
The Jaguars are in the top 3 of several NFL Power Rankings ahead of the playoffs
During their rough midseason stretch, the Jaguars found themselves in the bottom half of NFL Power Rankings. But heading into the playoffs, several analysts have them in their top three.
For instance, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk placed the Jags at No. 3, wondering whether they can neutralize Josh Allen when they face the Buffalo Bills in the playoffs. Pete Prisco of CBS Sports gave them the same spots, arguing that Liam Coen has overseen an incredible turnaround, while Trevor Lawrence is playing at an MVP level.
Similarly, Eric Edholm of NFL Media gave Jacksonville the No. 3 spot in his ranking, noting that beating the Bills won't be easy, but they can definitely pull it off.
"During the eight-game win streak, the Jags have outscored its opponents by a count of 269 to 116," Edholm wrote. "Possibly only getting one home game hurts a bit, but they were 7-2 at home and 6-2 on the road against a very competitive schedule."
Edholm continued, "Getting past Buffalo on Wild Card Weekend will be no cakewalk, either. But the Jaguars have won some impressive games this season, have big-play potential in all three phases, and are as poised to make a postseason run as they've been since 2017."
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The Jaguars are in a position to make noise in the playoffs
After finishing 4-13 in 2024, there was lots of skepticism surrounding the Jaguars. Trevor Lawrence was coming off an injury-marred season and wasn't particularly great before he suffered the AC sprain that ended his season. Moreover, Liam Coen had no prior head-coaching experience, so expectations weren't high.
But even when the Jags started to win, analysts were slow to recognize how good they were. They didn't care and simply kept showing up to work. Now, they're one of the hottest teams in the league ahead of the playoffs. Of course, the level of competition (and the stakes) will only go up moving forward, but Jacksonville most definitely has the talent to make a playoff push.
The bottom line is that the Jaguars are no longer flying under the radar, having shown that they can keep up with the best teams in the NFL. They're about to have another chance to prove how good they are when they play the Bills.