The Jacksonville Jaguars looked like a promising young team that ran out of gas earlier in the season, as they were 5-4 under head coach Liam Coen while riding the ups and downs of quarterback Trevor Lawrence. After that point, the Jags stepped on the gas and created one of the greatest seasons in franchise history.
After a 41-7 demolition of a Tennessee Titans team that played most of the game without rookie Cam Ward, Jacksonville clinched a 13-4 record and the AFC South title for just the third time in franchise history. However, their playoff fate is still to be determined.
The Jaguars could go as high as the No. 1 seed depending on how the rest of the late window works out, but they have at least guaranteed themselves a top-three seed and a home playoff game.
Updated Jaguars playoff picture after clinching AFC South title
No. 1 Denver Broncos (13-3) vs. BYE
No. 2 New England Patriots (13-3) vs. No. 7 Buffalo Bills (11-5)
No. 3 Jacksonville Jaguars (13-4) vs. No. 6 Los Angeles Chargers (11-5)
No. 4 Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7) vs. No. 5 Houston Texans (12-5)
Jacksonville still has an outside shot at the No. 1 seed in the AFC, which also bestows home-field advantage. However, they would need the Broncos and Patriots to both lose games against Chargers and Dolphins squads, respectively, that are starting Trey Lance and Quinn Ewers at quarterback.
With the division-rival Texans locked into the No. 5 seed, Jacksonville will likely face one of either the Chargers or Bills if they stick at the No. 3 seed. A Bills win and Chargers loss would kick Buffalo into the No. 6 seed, the Bills losing would set up a rematch of Lawrence's first playoff win a few years ago.
Outside of Jacksonville, the Steelers might lose their grip on the No. 4 seed if they lose the winner-take-all game against Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens. The teams are all set in the AFC, but there is still plenty of shifting that needs to go on if they are going to luck into that exalted spot.
The Jaguars may be an unlikely Super Bowl contender, but they have many ingredients worth watching in the postseason. Between Lawrence coming alive after the Jakobi Meyers trade, a defense that is willing to cause havoc and create turnovers, and a coach in Coen that the locker room loves, this team can do some damage.
Just one year removed from the end of Doug Pederson and Trent Baalke as the team flirted with the No. 1 overall pick, Jacksonville will end the year with the second-most wins in a single season in franchise history. No matter how you slice it, that's extremely impressive.