The Jacksonville Jaguars are beginning to earn widespread recognition in light of their recent success. Critics who have routinely doubted the Jags have slowly begun to warm up to the idea that they're good and may even make a playoff push.
Of course, there are still a few dissidents around. Richard Sherman is arguably the biggest one, but not the only one. Danny Parkins of ESPN most definitely fits the category of talking heads who aren't ready to give Jacksonville its due. But Trevor Lawrence's staunchest supporter was having none of it during a recent roundtable.
Nick Wright won't stand any Jaguars or Trevor Lawrence disrespect
Danny Parkins isn't sold on the Jaguars as a legitimate contender. For that reason, he didn't include him in his top 10. However, ESPN colleague Nick Wright explained to him why the rest of the AFC shouldn't overlook them, noting that they've already beaten several playoff teams. Here's the skinny.
"I wonder if there's a team that has beaten half the top 10, including bludgeoning most of them. A team that has a better record than everyone on this list, except for a couple teams, and a team that won last week, and you said five of your top 10 lost, so it was hard. So certainly, a team that was in the top 10 and one wouldn't fall off, but the Jags did. 'Oh, it was a close game against the Colts.' Same with the Seahawks when they played the Colts. That was a two-point win. "
Wright continued, " The Jags' losses this year are to your No. 1 team, No. 2 team, your No. 5 team, who they also beat. Now they beat your No. 5 team, your No. 6 team, they have annihilated your No. 9 team, and dogwalked your No. 10 team. They're 12-4. They are. There is no argument to not have them in the top 10."
For context, the No. 1 and 2 teams in Parkins' ranking were the Seattle Seahawks and the Los Angeles Rams. The Houston Texans popped up at No. 5, and the Broncos landed in the ninth spot.
Parkins goes on to say that Wright himself noted that Trevor Lawrence wasn't playing well. To which Wright responded that the Jaguars quarterback was indeed struggling early in the season but has turned the corner. And he's right.
Since the BYE, Lawrence has played much better. Some of that has to do with him getting more comfortable in Liam Coen's scheme, the most complex he's been in his career. Wearing a wristband has also helped, and you cannot underestimate the impact of the Jakobi Meyers trade.
Related: Rich Eisen explains why the Jags won't reach their true ceiling until 2026
The Jaguars have already exceeded expectations but can achieve even greater things
Keep in mind that this isn't the first time Nick Wright has gone to bat for Trevor Lawrence. He's routinely pointed out that he's dealt with less-than-ideal circumstances, while also acknowledging that the fifth-year quarterback has at times left a bit to be desired.
Circling back to his exchange with Danny Parkins, he's right that the Seattle Seahawks and the Los Angeles Rams crushed the Jaguars. However, they were just hitting their stride at that point in the year. Since then, Jacksonville has been a more balanced team on all three phases of the game.
Lawrence has led one of the most efficient offenses, while the defense has done a good job of stymying opponents. The special teams have also struggled at times but have delivered for the most part, with Cam Little showing massive improvement after an early season-slump.
When you add it all up, it would be baffling not to mention the Jaguars as a top-10 team in the NFL right now. Whether they make a deep playoff run remains to be seen, but they certainly have the talent to pull it off.