The Jacksonville Jaguars have only won three games this season, and all of them have been against teams with a losing record. But as dreadful as they've been you would think that they were talented enough to repel the equally underwhelming New York Jets at EverBank Stadium. They weren't.
Even though the Jags showed promise at different points of the game and were even ahead at different times, they ultimately came up short. And that's become a common occurrence this year. With a chance to win, either the defense or the offense let the rest of the team down. Against New York, it was a combination of both.
Leading 22-17 in the second half, the Jags allowed the Jets to score two touchdowns. But even then, they had a chance to tie the game after Cam Little nailed his fourth field goal of the game. With 1:05 left, Mac Jones had a prime opportunity to show that he could deliver in the clutch. However, he threw a pick — his second one of the game — that ended Jacksonville's comeback attempt.
Now, the Jags are 3-11 this season and without much to play for. Next on their schedule are the flailing Las Vegas Raiders, but based on how Jacksonville has played in recent weeks, it's hard to see them coming out of Allegiant with a win.
This begs the question, how do the Jags stack up against his AFC South foes? To answer that, here's a ranking of the division ahead of Week 16.
4. Tennessee Titans
2024 record: 3-11
Previous ranking: 4
One week after someone wondered whether the Titans thought Will Levis was the long-term answer behind center, head coach Brian Callahan refused to commit to him. What's surprising is that he had several chances, during an exchange to the media, to endorse the sophomore quarterback but refused to do so, pointing out that his focus was solely on trying to beat the Indianapolis Colts.
However you look at it, that doesn't bode well for Levis, which means that Tennessee is back to square one when it comes to the quarterback position.
3. Jacksonville Jaguars
2024 record: 3-11
Previous ranking: 3
A silver lining this season has been that the Jaguars haven't been nearly as bad as the Titans, or at least they have a quarterback and they don't. Then again, that's a pretty low bar to clear, especially when you take into account that Jacksonville was supposed to challenge the Houston Texans for the division crown.
Heck, the Jags cannot even beat equally bad teams, as they showed against the Jets in Week 15. Knowing that they won't accomplish much in what is left of the season, the biggest storyline surrounding them will be if/when they dismiss head coach Doug Pederson.
2. Indianapolis Colts
2024 record: 6-8
Previous ranking: 2
The worst thing about the Jaguars having a down season is that they could've easily gotten away with the division if they had made an attempt. The Indianapolis Colts, for instance, showed promise toward the end of 2023 but failed to make any meaningful progress despite the fact that Anthony Richardson was healthy.
Speaking of Richardson, Indy has mismanaged his development, and it's amusing to wonder where they would be if they had done a better job of bringing him along. Without a realistic chance to qualify for the postseason, they'll need to wait until next year to see what the former Florida Gator can bring to the table when he has the full support of his team.
1. Houston Texans
You have probably heard that it's lonely on the top, that's probably the way the Houston Texans feel without either the Jaguars or Indianapolis being a threat to them. Having said that, the Houston Texans are far from a powerhouse. Although they're virtually a lock to make the playoffs, they're trending toward being one and done.
Again, the Jaguars failed to seize a great opportunity to re-claim the division in 2024 and have nobody but themselves to blame for their unremarkable season.