While the Indianapolis Colts are in the midst of a tailspin, the Jacksonville Jaguars are surging. And the NFL is taking notice.
More often than not, the Jags fly under the radar because they haven't had sustained success the past 20 years. It also doesn't help that they play in a small market and are one of the youngest franchises in the league. Having said that, they would the spotlight more often if they were winning, which is precisely what they're doing right now.
Jacksonville is 9-4, and in the driver's seat to win the AFC South title for the first time since 2022. On top of that, it's officially joined the top 10 of virtually every NFL Power Ranking after their dismantling of the Colts at EverBank Stadium.
The Jaguars are surging in NFL Power Rankings
Although the Jags made the top 10 early in the season after beating the Kansas City Chiefs, their stay didn't last long, losing back-to-back games to the Seattle Seahawks and the Los Angeles Rams. They kept spiraling down, but after the collapse to the Houston Texans, Jacksonville has won five in a row.
The Jags' most recent win came against Indianapolis, and it helped them move from No. 8 to the sixth spot in CBS Sports rankings. Here's what Pete Prisco had to say about the surge.
"Trevor Lawrence has taken major strides the past two weeks," Prisco wrote. "It's all starting to cllick in the new offense."
Similarly, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk ranked Jacksonville at No. 7 and even wondered if they could make a deep playoff run. "They played once at Levi's Stadium this year. Could they be returning?"
In case you were wondering, what Florio is referring to is that Super Bowl 60 will be played at Levi Stadium, home of the San Francisco 49ers. The Jags beat them earlier this season.
Related: Tim Patrick reveals what makes Trevor Lawrence the forced behind the Jags' offense
Can the Jaguars truly make a deep playoff run?
This has most definitely been an interesting season. The Kansas City Chiefs and the Baltimore Ravens are perennial playoff teams, but both are at risk of not getting in this year. Similarly, the Buffalo Bills could be the Wild Card behind the New England Patriots, who hold the second seed in the AFC.
This begs the question, can the Jaguars truly play in the Super Bowl? That would certainly be a bold take. Whether that would be good enough to make an appearance on Championship Sunday remains to be seen.
For the time being, the Jaguars are taking one game at a time. Head coach Liam Coen is fully aware that the Jaguars are in the midst of the playoff race, but also knows that they must focus on the task at hand: That's beating the New York Jets in Week 15, then the Denver Broncos, and then the Colts and Titans to end the season.
Simply put, the Jaguars must finish the season strong if they want to make a deep playoff run. For the time being, NFL analysts are recognizing that they're getting hot at just the right time and giving them their due.