The Jacksonville Jaguars, now in their 31st season playing in the NFL in 2025, have never been to a Super Bowl. But they are looking like they have finally have a team to change those fortunes in this year's AFC playoffs.
The Jaguars (11-4) got their biggest victory of the season, 34-20 over the AFC top-seed positioned Broncos (12-3) in Denver. Jacksonville extended its winning streak to six games and stayed in first place in the AFC South, a game ahead of Houston (10-5).
Rookie Liam Coen is making a late surge for coach of the year honors, while quarterback Trevor Lawrence is making a late case for league MVP. Lawrence (279 yards passing, 20 yards rushing, 4 total touchdowns vs. The Broncos) has had the best five-game stretch of his career, producing 17 total TDs to only 3 INTs since Week 12.
Depending on what happens with the No. 2 Patriots (11-3) on Sunday night at Baltimore, the Jaguars will go into Week 17 as either the No. 2 or No. 3 seed, a game behind the top seed. Jacksonville is getting hot at the right time and is headed to finish 13-4 with the Daniel Jones-less Colts and Titans as the lesser division opponents left on the schedule.
Between the AFC and NFC playoff fields, anyone has the potential to make a Super Bowl 60-winning run regardless of final seed.
Here's breaking down why the Jaguars now should be considered a serious threat to win it all.
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Trevor Lawrence is living up to expectations
Coen's offense needed about a half-season to mesh with Lawrence, the running game led by Travis Etienne and the receiving corps, boosted by both the trade deadline acquisition of wide receiver Jakobi Meyers and the injury return of tight end Brenton Strange. Brian Thomas Jr. Is also back healthy and that trio, along with the go-to emergence of versatile Parker Washington, has loaded Lawrence with reliable weapons. Travis Hunter has been replaced at wideout and then some.
The Jaguars are working one step of defenses with their use of different motions, shifts and versatile personnel groupings. They can run the ball well with Etienne. They can stretch the field horizontally and physically.
Lawrence is taking full advantage of the scheming that led to a career season for Baker Mayfield under Coen in Tampa Bay last season. His immense physical talent, big arm and athleticism are in a system where he can execute on all cylinders as he did as a generational No. 1 overall draft pick in 2021.
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The Jaguars are dominating the turnover battle
The Jaguars lead the AFC with 28 takeaways, behind only the NFL-leading Bears (31), who also are 11-4. They are also tied for third with the Rams (also 11-4) with plus-12 in turnover differential behind only the Bears and Texans.
Eight seasons ago, when the Jaguars advanced to the AFC championship game against the Patriots, they were No. 2 in the NFL with 33 takeaways and were plus-10 in turnover margin. Defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile has brought back that mentality to help the offense with shorter fields and scoring help.
The Jaguars have a dominant run defense
The Jaguars went into the Broncos game allowing on average 86.3 rushing yards per game, No. 1 in the NFL. The Broncos were No. 2, at 90.9 rushing yards per game. Denver managed 101 against Jacksonville, but it wasn't effective when the game outcome was still in doubt. Jacksonville rushed for only 81, but it was more to complement a red-hot Lawrence, carving up a tough Denver pass defense.
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The Jaguars have been plenty battle-tested
Jacksonville, from Week 1 through Week 16, has racked up big wins. The Panthers, Texans, 49ers, Chiefs, Chargers, Colts and Broncos have accounted for more than half of the Jaguars' victories. The Jaguars did lose home games to the Seahawks and Rams. But after their Week 8 bye following those two losses, they have gone 7-1 in the past eight games.
The Jaguars are learning how to win big games as a young team in a hurry, so the playoffs will be an extension of that.
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The Jaguars match up well with all AFC playoff powers
They've beaten the Texans once and should have swept them. They also ripped into the Chargers in a rout and were on the verge of lapping the Broncos on the road.
That leaves the Patriots, Steelers and Bills. The Jaguars have the same kind of explosive profile as the Patriots. The Steelers are sloppy enough with a limited passing game for the Jaguars to handle. They can stop the Bills' running game and run on the Bills. With Lawrence playing like the best QB in the AFC of late, they can beat anyone with him on the field.
The Jaguars are resilient with winning makeup
Lawrence is a mentally and physically strong quarterback. The Jaguars are playing with great confidence with each passing week and expect to be the aggressor against teams. Coen models his coaching style after mentor Sean McVay. The Rams step on the gas and find different ways to make big plays (on both sides of the ball) and score. The Jaguars are learning to execute in cltuch situations all the way through the fourth quarter.