AFC South Power Rankings Post-Week 5: Jaguars and Colts on the rise

No. 1 AFC South Power Ranking Post-Week 5: Jacksonville Jaguars (3-2)

The Jacksonville Jaguars get back the spot they've held most of the season after a convincing win over the Buffalo Bills. You could argue that the Jags had a bit of an edge because they had already acclimated to a different time zone while the Bills were still jet-lagged from the trip to London. However, you cannot use that as an excuse. It would be more accurate to say that Buffalo wasn't prepared or that they didn't execute when they needed to.

Conversely, the Jaguars showed up and played arguably their best game of the season. Trevor Lawrence showed what he's capable of doing when he gets help from his supporting cast. He completed 67.6 percent of his passes for 315 yards with one touchdown and his 8.5 yards-per-throw average was the highest he's posted in 2023. Similarly, wide receiver Calvin Ridley had a field day, hauling in seven receptions for 122 yards.

Of course, this was a team win and the defense also did its part. They held the Bills to seven points throughout most of the game and cornerback Darious Williams had a clutch interception when Buffalo was attempting to come back. The pass rush didn't register a sack but they logged 20 total pressures, which was enough to prevent Josh Allen from finding a rhythm.

Moving forward, the Jags need to keep making tweaks and looking for ways to improve their offensive line play. On defense, they will soon welcome back Dawuane Smoot and DaVon Hamilton, both of whom should give the pass rush a boost.

For the moment, the Jaguars are No. 1 in this ranking but they share the top spot with the Colts in division rankings. They'll have the chance to seize the AFC South for themselves in Week 6.