After finishing 4-13 last year, the Jacksonville Jaguars flew under the radar for most of the offseason. On the other hand, they have enough pieces in place to make you think that they could be better than expected in 2025. For starters, they hired Liam Coen as their head coach after firing Doug Pederson.
Coen turned the Tampa Bay Buccaneers into a running powerhouse and helped Baker Mayfield put up career numbers. But aside from making a change at head coach, Jacksonville also revamped nearly every position group and added much-needed depth to the roster.
It's early in the season, but all those changes the Jags made are paying off. They now sit at 2-1 and find themselves moving up in NFL power rankings.
The Jaguars experience a surge in Week 3 NFL Power Rankings
After the loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, it wasn't uncommon to see the Jacksonville Jaguars hover around the mid-20s in most power rankings. However, they've moved up several spots after the win over the Houston Texans.
For instance, the Jags moved up from 23rd to 18th in ESPN's rankings, with Michael DiRocco pointing out that the defense has played a huge role in their two wins.
"We're nitpicking here because the defense has been the backbone of Jacksonville's two wins," DiRocco wrote. "The Jaguars rank fifth in points allowed per game (17, tied with the Texans and Cardinals) and rushing yards allowed per game (82.7). But they're not converting a significant amount of pressure into sacks. They rank ninth with 44 QB pressures but have only six sacks, and their pressure rate (33.6%) ranks 18."
Apart from their stellar pass rush, the Jaguars have excelled at creating turnovers. They had three, including Antonio Johnson's game-sealing interception, against the Texans. Heading into Week 4, Jacksonville leads the NFL in interceptions and takeaways with seven and nine, respectively. It's also worth noting that the team's seven picks in the first three games are tied for a franchise record.
The Jaguars' league-leading six interceptions are tied for the most in franchise history through the first three games of a season. They also had six in 2022.
— JaguarsPR (@JaguarsPR) September 21, 2025
Of course, the Texans aren't what you would consider a top-tier team. If the Jaguars want to beat more talented and better-coached teams, their offense will need to hit its stride. While Tevor Lawrence needs to be a bit more accurate, his receivers must also make routine catches.
Jacksonville has tallied a league-worst 13 drops to start the season. That will need to change if they want to keep moving up in power rankings, but more importantly, win close games. For the moment, Pete Prisco of CBS Sports ranked them at 17th precisely because of their offensive woes. Here's the skinny.
"The defense saved the day against the Texans, but the offense still isn't clicking. They have too many penalties and drops," Prisco noted.
Regarding the penalties, the Jags committed nine for 70 yards in Week 3. They also need to clean up that area if they want to avoid losing close games because of dumb mistakes.
What's next for the Jaguars?
The defense will continue to give the Jaguars a fighting chance the remainder of the season. While corner has been somewhat of an issue, it's not necessarily a weakness. With Montaric Brown and Travis Hunter in the fold, the position is in good shape. The rest of the defense is stacked with talent. Whether it's Josh-Hines-Allen, nickel Jourdan Lewis, or safety Eric Murray, Anthony Campanile's unit has no shortage of talent.
The offense, though, must do its part. After not making an effort to establish the run against the Houston Texans, the Jags must once again turn to the backfield duo of Bhayshul Tuten and Travis Etienne. It would also help if receivers catch the ball. That will, in turn, help Trevor Lawrence.
The bottom line is that the Jaguars have shown promise early in the season but need to keep improving if they want to make a legitimate playoff run.